Container loading: how many office desks fit in a 40-foot container
KD packaging and container math for office furniture: how many desks, chairs, or workstation bays fit in a 40-foot high-cube, and how flat-pack design cuts your freight cost per unit.
Why KD packaging matters
Knock-down (KD) packaging is the difference between a desk shipping as a 2.5 cubic meter box and a 0.2 cubic meter carton. Because ocean freight is paid by volume, KD design directly sets your freight cost per unit.
A desk that ships assembled in one piece might move 6 units per 40-foot container. The same desk packed KD can move 30 or more.
Rough container math
A 40-foot high-cube offers roughly 67 cubic meters of volume, of which good packing uses about 56 to 60. Starting points for planning, before your manufacturer gives you exact carton specs:
- Task chairs, KD: roughly 120 to 160 per container.
- Executive desks, KD: roughly 25 to 35 per container.
- Workstation bays (2-seat), KD: roughly 20 to 28 bays per container.
- Acoustic screens, KD: roughly 200 to 300 per container.
Mix lines in one container
You do not need to fill a container with a single product. Consolidation means a 40-foot container can hold your desks, chairs, and screens for one project, packed to the same schedule and shipped as one shipment.
This is standard practice from Foshan, where the container loading yard and the factory floor are part of the same operation.
Ask for a loading plan
Before you confirm an order, ask the manufacturer for the carton dimensions, the units per carton, and a loading plan for the container you plan to use. Any factory that packs furniture regularly can provide this in a day.
The loading plan is also your freight audit: it tells you whether the quote you are comparing is moving 6 desks per container or 30.
Have a specific line in mind? Send quantities and get landed costs within one business day.
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