20DC vs 40HQ for 12mm plywood — real numbers from last week's loads

For 12 mm and thicker plywood we almost always recommend a 40HQ over a 20DC, even though the freight is higher. Here is why, with real numbers from last week’s loads.

Plywood is weight-limited, not volume-limited

A 20DC and a 40HQ have similar weight limits (around 21 t and 25 t payload respectively), but the 40HQ holds roughly 2.1× the volume. With light cargo you fill the volume first; with plywood at 12 mm+ you hit the weight cap with airspace to spare. So the question is which box gives the lowest cost per sheet landed.

Real numbers — 18 mm WBP commercial plywood

• 20DC: ~580 sheets, weight-capped well before the box is full.
• 40HQ: ~1,250 sheets — about 2.15× the sheets for roughly 1.5–1.7× the freight.
• Result: the cost per sheet landed is materially lower in the 40HQ because freight per sheet drops faster than the panel price.

When a 20DC still makes sense

A 20DC is the right call for a trial order, for thin panels (3–6 mm) where you fill the volume, for tight port draft or trucking limits at destination, or when your warehouse cannot absorb a full 40HQ at once. For everything else at 12 mm+, the 40HQ wins on landed cost.

Get the exact comparison

Send us your thickness, size and destination and we will return both options side by side — sheets per container, total weight, and USD per sheet landed. See our container loading guide for the full lookup table.