How many 5-gallon buckets fit in a 20ft container?
A 20ft container fits 1,200–1,400 five-gallon buckets full, or 2,500+ nested empty.
1,200–1,400
standard 5-gallon pails, stacked
- Full pails
- 1,200–1,400 pails
- Empty (nested)
- 2,500+ pails
- Container volume
- 33.1 m³
- Max payload
- 21,770 kg
Weight check
1,400 full paint pails × 25 kg = 35,000 kg — way over. For heavy liquids, you're limited to about 870 pails in a 20ft. For lighter contents (dry goods, 5 kg per pail), volume is the constraint.
Need the exact number for your cargo?
Describe your items and container — get a 3D loading plan in seconds.
Calculate for free \u2192