FEUEquipment & Weight

Forty-Foot Equivalent Unit

Definition: A standard measurement unit based on a 40-foot container, equivalent to 2 TEUs.

Detailed Freight Guide & Operational Context

A Forty-Foot Equivalent Unit (FEU) represents the capacity of a standard 40-foot intermodal shipping container (40ft × 8ft × 8.5ft or 9.5ft high cube). In capacity computations, 1 FEU is exactly equal to 2 TEUs.

The majority of international consumer goods and retail merchandise travel in 40ft dry standard and 40ft high cube containers, making the FEU the predominant physical equipment type in global retail trade.

Real-World Example in Practice

A service contract offering ocean freight rates of $2,400 per FEU means a 40-foot container costs $2,400, while a 20-foot container (TEU) is typically priced around $1,400 to $1,600.