FEU, or Forty-foot Equivalent Unit, is a standard measurement used in ocean shipping to describe container capacity based on a 40-foot shipping container. One FEU equals one 40-foot container, or two TEUs, because a TEU represents a 20-foot container. Carriers, ports, terminals, and freight forwarders use FEUs to measure vessel space, container volumes, terminal throughput, freight capacity, and shipping demand across global trade lanes. The 40-foot container is the most commonly used container size in global ocean freight.
- A 40-foot standard container holds approximately 55 to 58 CBM
- A 40-foot High Cube holds approximately 67 to 72 CBM
- FEU is used in carrier capacity planning and port statistics
- Freight rates are often quoted per FEU on high-volume trade lanes
Learn more about Dedola’s ocean freight shipping services. Related terms: FCL, LCL.
