What actually determines units per container: why the unit count is the last question, not the first

Logistics · 2026-10-16

The published figures

The variables that move the unit count, and the ones that do not

We do not publish carton dimensions or gross weights, so we do not quote a units-per-container figure on this page. Packing is confirmed per project once configuration, plug build and retail packaging are fixed.

The variables, in the order they actually move the number

1. Carton dimensions. The dominant variable. Container capacity is fixed cubic volume, and carton dimensions determine how well that volume is used rather than wasted in gaps.

2. Cartons per unit. Whether the product ships as one retail box per unit or as a multi-pack or bulk carton changes the answer by a factor of several.

3. Units per inner box. Relevant when retail cartons are packed several to a shipping carton.

4. Palletisation and stack height limits. Stacking height is often limited by carton compression strength rather than by container height, which can cost a container a significant fraction of its usable volume.

5. Loading method. Whether units are palletised, floor loaded, or hand-stacked changes achievable density.

Note what is not on this list. Price, wattage, bar pressure and MOQ do not affect the loading calculation at all. A higher-priced machine is not necessarily a larger machine.

Why the two 40ft boxes are not interchangeable

A 40ft high cube and a 40ft standard differ in internal height, and the difference matters disproportionately for light, bulky products — which small appliances are. For dense, heavy goods the difference is marginal; for boxed small appliances it can be several percentage points of usable volume.

So "how many fit in a 40ft" is under-specified as a question. It needs the cube designation before the arithmetic means anything.

Weight works against volume, and one of them binds first

Container capacity is bounded by both cubic volume and gross weight limits. Which one binds first depends on the product's volumetric density — the cubic metres per tonne.

For a heavy product the weight limit binds long before the volume does, and paying to fill the remaining volume is impossible. For a very light product the reverse holds. Because small appliances sit across that range, the binding constraint is product-specific and has to be computed rather than assumed.

This is also why a supplier quoting units per container should be asked whether their figure is volume-limited or weight-limited. If they do not know which, the number is a guess with a unit attached.

What to request before any loading plan is worth reading

Carton dimensions for the exact retail packaging, including any master carton configuration. Gross weight per carton and net weight per unit. And carton quantity per container as packed, from the supplier who did the packing rather than from a calculation.

With those three figures you can check any loading plan yourself, including whether the supplier's number is volume-limited or weight-limited. Without them, the number is unfalsifiable.

What to ask a supplier

Ask for carton dimensions, gross weight per carton and net weight per unit — then ask for the packed carton quantity and whether it is volume-limited or weight-limited. That last question is the one that separates a computed figure from an optimistic one.

What we will do

For a defined programme, we will confirm the retail packaging format and provide the packed carton count for the actual order once configuration and plug build are fixed. We will not publish a per-container unit count in advance, because it changes with the packaging decision you are making.

Where the figures behind this came from

Every number on this page traces to one of these.

Models this guide applies to

Coffee Makers

Primary line. Parts-intensive, so the spares plan is designed with the product.

Grills & Baking

Primary line. Seasonal shape, pairs with pizza makers and air fryers.

Pizza Makers

Primary line. Countertop heat appliance, pairs with the grill range in one programme.

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