Container Loading Guide — 20DC, 40HQ Quantities
Plywood and veneer quantities per container by thickness, weight limits, palletization, and lead time from packing to port.
How many plywood sheets fit in a container depends on thickness, because plywood loads hit the weight limit long before it fills the volume. This guide gives indicative quantities per 20DC and 40HQ for standard 1220 × 2440 mm panels, plus how we plan each load.
Sheets per container — indicative lookup
Figures below assume standard 4 × 8 ft (1220 × 2440 mm) panels, full-pallet stacking, and a weight cap of about 25 tonnes for a 40HQ and 21 tonnes for a 20DC. Thicker panels are weight-limited; thinner panels are volume-limited. Always confirm against your final spec — film grade and moisture shift the weight slightly.
| Thickness | Sheets / 20DC | Sheets / 40HQ | Weight / 40HQ | Volume / 40HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mm | ~3,300 | ~7,200 | ~24 t | ~64 m³ |
| 6 mm | ~1,700 | ~3,700 | ~25 t | ~66 m³ |
| 9 mm | ~1,150 | ~2,500 | ~25 t | ~66 m³ |
| 12 mm | ~860 | ~1,900 | ~25 t | ~67 m³ |
| 15 mm | ~690 | ~1,500 | ~25 t | ~66 m³ |
| 18 mm | ~580 | ~1,250 | ~25 t | ~66 m³ |
| 25 mm | ~410 | ~900 | ~25 t | ~66 m³ |
A 40HQ (high-cube) carries roughly 2.1× the volume of a 20DC but the same weight headroom matters most for plywood — which is why we almost always recommend 40HQ for 12 mm and thicker: the cost per sheet landed is lower.
How we plan and pack a load
- Confirm spec and quantity — thickness, size, glue and grade fix the weight per sheet and therefore the achievable count.
- Calculate to the weight cap, not the volume — for 12 mm+ the container is full by weight with airspace left over.
- Bundle and strap into mill pallets sized to the door opening, with edge protectors and moisture barrier.
- Block and brace so nothing shifts in transit; corner posts on the top tier.
- Weigh and photograph the loaded container before sealing; the loading photos ship with your QC report.
Transit times from Cat Lai Port (Ho Chi Minh City)
| Destination | Typical transit |
|---|---|
| India (Nhava Sheva / Chennai) | 7 – 10 days |
| Middle East (Jeddah / Dammam / Jebel Ali) | 14 – 21 days |
| EU (Rotterdam / Hamburg) | 25 – 30 days |
| US East Coast | 28 – 35 days |
Want the exact count for your order? Send us the thickness, size and destination and we will return a loading plan with sheets per container, total weight, and the CFR/CIF figure per sheet landed.
Have a question?
Send us your inquiry — we'll respond within 24 hours, including a checklist of what we need to quote accurately.
Honest answers from the team that inspects our partner mills
24-hour reply. Honest answers from the team that inspects our partner mills.