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HOW MANY SHEETS FIT IN A CONTAINER
Plan a full container of plywood or MDF.
Sheets per container = the smaller of usable space ÷ sheet volume and weight limit ÷ sheet weight. In CUZI's 40HQ loads, plywood and MDF usually reach the weight limit of about 28,500 kg of panels before they fill the space, which is about 48 m³ on pallets. A 20GP loaded by hand without pallets holds about 25.5 m³.
The calculator starts from those planning figures, taken from CUZI quotations between 2024 and 2026. Your forwarder confirms the weight limit for your route, and CUZI confirms the loading plan with each order.
Container loading calculator
Choose the container, the panel and the sheet size. The calculator works out how many sheets fit by space and by weight, and loads the smaller number. Add sheets per pallet to round the load to full pallets, and an order quantity to see how many containers you need.
Results appear here. Without JavaScript, use the method and the quoted loads below.
The result is a planning estimate. Packing, pallet size, loading method, mixed items and the forwarder's weight limit can change the final count, so CUZI confirms the sheets, pallets and weights on the packing list for each order.
Calculation method
Sheet volume (m³) = width × length × thickness ÷ 1,000,000,000, with millimetres. Sheet weight (kg) = sheet volume × density. Sheets by space = usable space ÷ sheet volume. Sheets by weight = (weight limit − packing weight) ÷ sheet weight. The load is the smaller whole number, rounded down to full pallets when you enter sheets per pallet.
Example: 1220 × 2440 × 18 mm at 597 kg/m³ weighs 31.99 kg and takes 0.05358 m³. In a 40HQ, 48 m³ ÷ 0.05358 = 895 sheets by space and 28,500 kg ÷ 31.99 kg = 890 sheets by weight, so weight sets the load at 890 sheets.
FROM CUZI QUOTATIONS, 2024–2026
Container loads quoted by CUZI
These are loading quantities CUZI quoted to buyers for full containers. They show how the panel and its density change what one container carries. Weights marked "about" are calculated from the quoted sheet count and the quoted density or sheet weight.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Panel | Size and density | Container and packing | Sheets per container | Volume and weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch-faced poplar-core plywood, MR glue | 1220 × 2440 × 18 mm · about 32 kg per sheet | 40 ft | about 896 | about 48.0 m³ · 28.5 t |
| Full birch plywood, phenolic glue | 1220 × 2440 × 15 mm · about 32.3 kg per sheet | 40HQ | 882 | about 39.4 m³ · 28,500 kg |
| Eucalyptus black film-faced plywood, WBP phenolic glue | 1250 × 2500 × 18 mm | 40HQ · 18 pallets of 47 sheets | 846 | 47.59 m³ |
| Poplar black film-faced plywood, WBP phenolic glue | 1250 × 2500 × 18 or 21 mm | 40HQ | about 864 at 18 mm or 740 at 21 mm | 48.6 m³ |
| MDF | 2070 × 2800 × 18 mm · 680–700 kg/m³ | 40 ft · 12 pallets of 33 sheets | 396 | about 41.3 m³ · 28.1–28.9 t |
| Hardboard, smooth on one side | 1220 × 2440 × 3 mm · 810 kg/m³ | 40HQ | 3,930 | 35.1 m³ · about 28.4 t |
| Hardboard, smooth on one side | 1220 × 2440 × 3 mm · 810 kg/m³ | 20GP | 2,520 | 22.5 m³ · about 18.2 t |
Every 40-foot load in the table with a known weight comes to about 28.5 t, whether the panels fill 35 m³ or 48 m³. Light plywood such as poplar core reaches the weight limit only once the space is nearly full; dense full birch, MDF and hardboard reach it with space to spare.
Plain MDF in a 20GP loaded by hand
For plain E2 MDF at 680 kg/m³ in 1220 × 2440 mm, loaded by hand without pallets, CUZI quoted these quantities for one 20GP (October 2026). Every thickness fills about 25.5 m³ and weighs about 17.3 t, so here the space sets the load.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Thickness | Sheets per 20GP | Volume | Weight at 680 kg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 mm | 1,425 | 25.45 m³ | about 17,307 kg |
| 9 mm | 951 | 25.48 m³ | about 17,325 kg |
| 12 mm | 714 | 25.51 m³ | about 17,344 kg |
| 18 mm | 475 | 25.45 m³ | about 17,307 kg |
| 25 mm | 342 | 25.45 m³ | about 17,307 kg |
Hand loading uses the floor and side space that pallets leave empty, but it takes longer to load and unload. Ask your receiving warehouse which method it can handle before you choose.
Sheets per pallet by thickness
A pallet of a given size holds about the same volume whatever the thickness, so thinner panels mean more sheets per pallet. This CUZI packing list for brown anti-slip film-faced plywood, 2500 × 1250 mm at about 680 kg/m³, shows the pattern (April 2025).
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Thickness | Sheets per pallet | Panel volume per pallet | Panel weight per pallet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 mm | 88 | 2.475 m³ | about 1,683 kg |
| 12 mm | 66 | 2.475 m³ | about 1,683 kg |
| 15 mm | 54 | 2.531 m³ | about 1,721 kg |
| 18 mm | 44 | 2.475 m³ | about 1,683 kg |
| 21 mm | 38 | 2.494 m³ | about 1,696 kg |
| 24 mm | 32 | 2.400 m³ | about 1,632 kg |
On that order, 16 mixed-thickness pallets weighed about 27.2 t in one 40HQ. The buyer's forwarder then supplied a container rated for about one more tonne, which took 17 pallets at about 29.4 t. The weight limit belongs to the container and route, so check it before you fix the pallet count.
Why weight usually decides a 40HQ load
- Space
- A 40HQ is typically about 12.0 × 2.35 × 2.69 m inside, roughly 76 m³. Pallet bases, bearers, clearance for loading and the door opening leave about 48 m³ for the panels themselves in CUZI's loads.
- Weight
- About 28,500 kg of panels equals 47.5 m³ at 600 kg/m³ but only 40.7 m³ at 700 kg/m³ and 35.2 m³ at 810 kg/m³. The denser the board, the more space is left empty when the weight limit is reached.
- Port weighing
- Since December 2024 every container at Qingdao port has been weighed. On one plywood order, CUZI packed 26 sheets of 15 mm per pallet instead of 27: with 26 the container weighed 28,700–28,900 kg, while 27 would have taken it above 29,300 kg.
- Full pallets
- When you enter sheets per pallet, the calculator rounds the load down to whole pallets, the way the container is actually packed.
Under the SOLAS verified gross mass rule, the shipper declares the weighed gross mass of every packed container before it is loaded on the ship. Plan the panel weight with room for pallets and packing rather than at the limit.
Confirm these before you book
- The weight limit for your route. Ask your forwarder for the carrier's payload limit, any overweight surcharge and the road limits at both ends.
- The loading method. Pallets need a forklift at the warehouse; loading by hand fits more sheets in a 20GP but takes longer to load and unload.
- Mixed items. Calculate the volume and weight of each size and thickness, then keep the totals within both limits. The mixed panel order schedule shows how to list each line.
- The packing list. Ask for sheets per pallet, pallet dimensions and net and gross weights for every item.
The plywood and MDF weight calculator gives the weight of each sheet and item, and the plywood CBM and container loading guide explains net and packed volume.
Ask CUZI for a loading plan
Send the panel, sizes, thicknesses, quantities, container type and destination port. CUZI will propose the sheets per pallet, pallets per container and the net and gross weight for each container.
Questions about container loading
How many sheets of 18 mm plywood fit in a 40HQ?
About 890–896 sheets of 1220 × 2440 × 18 mm birch-faced poplar-core plywood, which weighs about 32 kg per sheet; the 28.5 t weight limit is reached first. Heavier constructions load fewer sheets: in one quotation, 882 sheets of 15 mm full birch plywood already weighed 28,500 kg.
How many sheets of MDF fit in a 20GP?
Loaded by hand without pallets, CUZI quoted 475 sheets of 1220 × 2440 × 18 mm plain MDF, or 714 sheets at 12 mm: about 25.5 m³ and 17.3 t at 680 kg/m³.
How many cubic metres of plywood fit in a 40HQ?
In CUZI quotations, between 39 and 49 m³: 47.6–48.6 m³ of 1250 × 2500 mm film-faced plywood, about 48.0 m³ of 18 mm poplar-core plywood and about 39.4 m³ of denser 15 mm full birch plywood.
Why is a container of panels not filled to its full volume?
Plywood and MDF are heavy for their size. A 40HQ usually reaches its weight limit of about 28.5 t of panels before the space is full, and pallets and loading clearance take up part of the volume.
Can different thicknesses go in one container?
Yes. Calculate the volume and weight of each thickness and keep the totals within the space and weight limits. The anti-slip plywood order above mixed 9 to 24 mm pallets in one container.
Does the calculator include pallets and packing?
The usable space for a 40HQ already allows for pallets. Enter the packing weight to take it off the weight limit, and sheets per pallet to round the load to full pallets.
