About this calculator
Payload is the maximum cargo weight a container may carry: maximum gross weight minus tare. Both figures are printed on the CSC safety approval plate and on the container doors. For a standard 20' GP, a max gross of 30,480 kg and a tare of about 2,230 kg give a payload of roughly 28,250 kg, but tare differs between manufacturers and lines, so the plate on the box you actually receive always beats a table.
For exporters of dense goods such as ceramic tiles, paper reels, steel or grain, payload usually runs out long before the space does. It is not only the goods that count: pallets, dunnage, timber and lashing material all add weight. This calculator adds cargo and packing, compares the total with the payload, and shows the capacity left, the share used and the container gross weight (the VGM, once every component has been included).
If you enter the floor length the cargo occupies, you also get the load in kg per running metre. That figure matters for concentrated loads such as machinery or steel coils; permissible values differ by container type, so check the carrier's concentrated-load guidance. Also remember that the gross weight a truck may carry on Indonesian roads can be lower than the container's max gross, depending on the vehicle's permitted gross weight (JBB) and the road class, so run an ODOL check before booking the truck.
Worked example
A 20' GP with a CSC plate showing max gross 30,480 kg and tare 2,230 kg carries 21,000 kg of goods plus 500 kg of pallets and dunnage over 5 m of floor.
- Payload: 30,480 − 2,230 = 28,250 kg
- Total load: 21,000 + 500 = 21,500 kg
- Capacity left: 28,250 − 21,500 = 6,750 kg; used 21,500 ÷ 28,250 ≈ 76.1%
- Container gross: 2,230 + 21,500 = 23,730 kg
- Load per metre: 21,500 ÷ 5 = 4,300 kg/m
The load is within payload, but make sure the haulier's truck can also carry a 23,730 kg gross container within its JBB.
How to use it
Read the CSC plate
Enter the max gross and tare from the CSC plate or the door markings. Defaults are the typical catalogue figures for the selected type.
Enter the cargo weight
Fill in the total weight of the goods, then any packing weight such as pallets, dunnage and lashing material.
Add the cargo length
Optional: enter the floor length the cargo occupies to see the load in kg per running metre for concentrated loads.
Read and share the result
Check payload, capacity left, share used and gross weight; copy the result link to send to your forwarder or warehouse team.