A forty-foot equivalent unit, or FEU, is a container-capacity measure equal to one standard forty-foot shipping container. One FEU is conventionally equal to two twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs.
How is FEU used?
Carriers, ports and shippers use it to describe equipment, shipment volume and capacity. Operational statistics more often use TEU, so conversion may be needed.
How is FEU converted to TEU?
1 FEU = 2 TEU
A movement of 12 forty-foot containers represents 12 FEU or 24 TEU. This is a capacity convention, not the cargo’s actual volume or weight.
Does every forty-foot container have the same capacity?
No. Standard, high-cube, refrigerated and special equipment differ in internal dimensions, payload and operating constraints even though each may count as one FEU.
FEU versus CBM
FEU counts container units. CBM measures physical cargo volume. A container may be one FEU whether it is full or partially loaded.
What should a shipper verify?
Confirm container type, internal dimensions, payload, door opening, availability and rate basis instead of relying on FEU alone.
