Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU)

A Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) is a standardized measurement used in the shipping and logistics industry to describe the capacity of container ships and terminals. One TEU represents the space taken up by a standard 20-foot shipping container.

TEU = One 20-foot Container

• Length: 20 feet (6.1 meters)

• Width: 8 feet (2.44 meters)

• Height: 8.5 feet (2.59 meters)

• Volume: ~33 cubic meters

• Max Gross Weight: ~24,000 kg (varies slightly by container type)

Why TEU Matters

TEU is the universal yardstick for:

• Measuring ship capacity:
  Example: A vessel rated for 10,000 TEU can carry 10,000 standard 20-foot containers.

• Terminal throughput:
  Ports use TEU to report how much cargo they've handled over a period (e.g., “Port of Shanghai handled 47 million TEU in 2023”).

• Freight pricing and planning:
  Freight rates and space allocations are often quoted “per TEU” on FCL (Full Container Load) shipments.

TEU vs. FEU

• 1 TEU = 1x 20-foot container

• 1 FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit) = 2 TEUs
  A 40-foot container takes up the space of two TEUs, even though it's not exactly double in usable volume due to structural considerations.

In Practical Terms

If you're booking a container shipment from China to the UK or USA:

• A 20-foot container = 1 TEU

• A 40-foot container = 2 TEUs

• Your freight forwarder may refer to “TEU capacity” when checking vessel space or negotiating rates