How many drums fit in a container?
A 20ft container holds 27 steel drums floor-loaded (216 l / 55 gal, Ø about 61 cm), 54 in two tiers. A 40ft container holds 57 per tier.
How the 27 stand in a 20ft — calculated, not copied
Drums are round — this is calculated with their 61 × 61 cm footprint in straight rows: 9 drums per row, 3 rows. Turning gains nothing with a square footprint; offset "nesting" packs tighter but can hardly be secured or reached with a pallet truck. This is the layout from above:
The figures per container
| Container | 1 tier | 2 tiers | Weight full (approx. 220 kg each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ Standard | 27 | 54 | ≈ 11.9 t (54 units) |
| 40′ Standard / High Cube | 57 | 114 | ≈ 25.1 t (114 units) |
Two tiers need a load-bearing separator (pallets or a deck) — the weight must not rest on bung and lid rim. In a 40ft the full double tier is at about 25 t already close to the payload of roughly 26.6 t, and on the road leg the road weight limit often bites first.
Palletised instead
In practice drums usually ship palletised: 4 drums per pallet, secured with banding or film. Then the pallets count, not the drums — 11 euro pallets or 9 industrial pallets per tier in a 20ft, i.e. 44 or 36 drums. Loose stowage fits more, palletised loads faster and safer.
Frequently asked questions
Why straight rows instead of nesting?
Offset stowage uses the round shape and gains a drum or two per tier — but the rear drums become unreachable and the load can hardly be blocked and braced. The straight rows are the number you can rely on.
What does a full 216 l drum weigh?
About 220 kg with water-like product (216 kg content plus drum tare). Oils are lighter, some chemicals considerably heavier — density decides.
Does this hold for 60 l or plastic drums?
The method yes, just with a different footprint: the 3D calculator takes the real dimensions and computes positions, weight and tiers from them.
The button opens the calculator with a matching example load — freely adjustable there.