twenty-foot unit
volume. Symbols TEU, TFU. The standard element of the containerized shipping scheme, being a box 8 ft by 8 ft in cross-section times 20 ft long, hence of volume 1 280 ft3 (36.245 6~m3, 32 shipping ton). Such a container may be a simple steel box, a steel frame holding a round tank, or any other entity meeting the standard dimensions for size, strength, position of fasteners, etc. Multiples and a 10 ft half unit (actually the pioneer size) exist, reckoned proportionally to the twenty-foot unit for relevant statistics. (A height other than 8 ft is also allowed.)
