Shipping Container Shelving: How to Effectively Plan Your 20ft or 40ft Storage Layout

At a Glance

• Shipping container shelving helps organise 20ft and 40ft containers.
• Measure the internal length, width, height and doorway before ordering.
• Choose one-sided shelving for a wider aisle or both sides for greater capacity.
• Around 600mm-deep shelving on both sides can provide a practical balance between storage and access.
• Match the shelf depth and number of levels to the items being stored.
• Careful planning helps prevent wasted space, restricted access and unsuitable shelving.

Shipping container shelving turns an empty container into organised and accessible storage. The right layout depends on the container’s internal measurements, what you intend to store and how frequently you need to reach it.

Businesses commonly use containers for surplus stock, completed orders, materials, tools or machinery that are not required every day. They can also provide temporary household storage during a move, renovation or downsizing.

Before ordering shelving, measure the actual container and plan how people will move around it.

What should you measure before choosing shipping container shelving?

Measure the container rather than relying only on its advertised external size. Internal dimensions can vary between manufacturers, while doors, locking bars and other fittings may reduce the usable space.

Record:

Measurement	Why it matters
Internal length	Determines how many shelving bays will fit
Internal width	Helps you choose the shelf depth and aisle width
Internal height	Confirms that the shelving will fit comfortably
Door opening	Ensures stored items can enter and leave the container
Internal obstructions	Identifies anything that may affect the layout

As a reference, a standard 20ft container may have an internal width of approximately 2,352mm, although the container should still be measured before shelving is ordered. The Hapag-Lloyd container specification guide also notes that dimensions can vary between manufacturers.

Should shelving go along one side or both sides?

Shipping container shelving along one side leaves a wider aisle and may be more suitable for bulky goods, machinery or stock moved using handling equipment.

Shelving on both sides makes better use of the available wall space and can work well for archive boxes, packaged stock, tools and smaller materials. However, the shelving must not be so deep that people cannot move safely between the two runs.

Based on 3JC’s experience, 600mm-deep shelving on either side of a container often provides a practical balance between storage capacity and access. The final choice should still be based on the actual container width and the largest items being stored.

A central shelving run may also be suitable where stock needs to be reached from both sides, although this reduces the uninterrupted floor space available.

How deep should shipping container shelving be?

Choose the shelf depth around the products being stored, not simply the largest option available.

Shallow shelving may be more suitable for:

• Archive boxes and documents
• Small components
• Tools and consumables
• Frequently picked stock

Deeper shelving may suit:

• Large cartons
• Bulky materials
• Finished orders
• Equipment and machinery parts

A common mistake is choosing shelving that is too deep. This can restrict the aisle, make items harder to reach and leave unused space at the back of the shelf. Measure the largest items you intend to store and choose a depth that supports them without unnecessarily reducing access.

How many shelf levels do you need?

The number and spacing of shelf levels should reflect the height of the stored goods.

More closely spaced levels can improve capacity for archive boxes, components or shorter cartons. Taller items need greater vertical clearance and fewer levels.

Both 3JC container shelving packages include adjustable shelf levels, allowing the layout to be changed as storage needs evolve. Additional levels may also be added where smaller items need to be stored more densely.

Which shelving package fits a 20ft container?

The 20 Foot Shipping Container Shelving Package includes three 1800mm-wide shelving bays.

One package can provide shelving along one side of the container or form a central run. Two packages may be used where shelving is required on both sides.

This option may suit smaller stockholding areas, household storage, archive boxes and businesses using a container for overflow stock.

Which shelving package fits a 40ft container?

The 40 Foot Shipping Container Shelving Package includes four 2400mm-wide bays and one 2000mm-wide bay.

One set can be used along one side or as a central run, while two sets can provide shelving on both sides.

A 40ft package may be more appropriate for larger stock quantities, finished orders, business equipment and longer-term commercial storage.

Common container shelving mistakes

Avoid these problems when planning the layout:

1. Ordering from external container dimensions rather than measuring inside.
2. Choosing shelving that leaves the aisle too narrow.
3. Failing to allow enough space near the doors.
4. Using shelf levels that do not match the height of the goods.
5. Placing frequently needed items behind bulky or rarely used stock.
6. Ignoring how heavy items will be lifted onto or removed from shelves.

For workplace storage, the layout should also take account of manual handling, mechanical handling and safe access. The Health and Safety Executive’s warehousing and storage guidance provides further information on managing storage-related risks.

Choosing the right container shelving

Start with the internal measurements, the size and weight of the goods, and how often they need to be accessed. A carefully planned layout will usually be more useful than simply fitting the deepest possible shelving.

For help selecting a 20ft or 40ft package, shelf depth or additional levels, contact the 3JC team with your container measurements and a description of what you need to store, specifically for your shipping container shelving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What shelving is suitable for a shipping container?

Adjustable longspan shelving is well suited to shipping containers because the shelf levels can be repositioned to accommodate boxes, tools, stock, materials and equipment of different sizes.

Should shipping container shelving be installed on one side or both sides?

One-sided shelving provides a wider aisle for bulky goods. Shelving on both sides increases storage capacity but requires careful planning to maintain enough access space.

How deep should shipping container shelving be?

The ideal depth depends on the goods being stored and the available aisle width. Based on 3JC’s experience, 600mm-deep shelving on both sides often provides a practical balance between capacity and access.

How many shelf levels are needed?

This depends on the height of the stored items. Smaller boxes may benefit from additional levels, while taller equipment requires greater vertical clearance.

What should be measured before ordering container shelving?

Measure the internal length, width and height, along with the door opening and any internal obstructions. These measurements determine how many bays will fit and how much aisle space will remain.