IBC tote dimensions, capacities and weights

01The two sizes

The metric figures are conversions: 48 inches is 1,219 millimetres, and the standard base is rounded to 1,200 by 1,000. Capacity converts at 3.785 litres to the gallon. Water is 8.34 pounds a gallon.

02Reading the spec sheets

Metric sources give caged IBC dimensions as 1,200 by 1,000 by 1,150 millimetres for 1,000 litres and 1,200 by 1,000 by 1,350 for 1,250 litres. A 275 gallon tote’s height ranges from 42 to 46 inches (1,067 to 1,168 mm) by one source, depending on the maker. The difference between 1,150 and 1,168 is the cage and pallet base.

Base dimensions near a standard pallet give a floor area of 13.3 square feet: 48 times 40 is 1,920 square inches, divided by 144. An alternate 45 by 45 inch base is used mainly in Europe.

03Capacities and the limits

IBC volumes run from 110 US gallons (416 litres) up to 793 US gallons (3,000 litres). Title 49 of the CFR limits rigid IBC volumes to 3 cubic metres, or 793 gallons, to keep the IBC classification. A typical IBC is 1,000 litres, about 264 gallons. Sizes of 110 to 550 gallons are listed by one source, with 275 and 330 the most common.

04Weights to plan with

• A full 275 weighs 2,294 pounds in water alone; a full 330, 2,752.
• Add the tote: about 135 pounds for a caged 275.
• Products heavier than water weigh more.
• The maximum gross mass on the plate caps the total.

05Weights to plan around

Water weighs 8.34 pounds a gallon, so a full 275 holds about 2,294 pounds and a full 330 about 2,752 pounds before the tote itself, whose empty weight differs by maker. Product density changes the figure: a heavier liquid takes the tote to its maximum permissible gross mass sooner, and that mass is on the plate in kilograms.

Footprint and height decide where a tote goes. The base is 48 by 40 inches, 13.3 square feet, matching a standard pallet. A 275 stands 42 to 46 inches tall and a 330 needs about 53 inches of clearance, so check door heads, rack beams and trailer roofs, and remember that the dimension varies a little between makers.

+More in Guides

• 275 gallonThe 48 by 40 by 46 inch tote: footprint, weight and how it loads.
• 330 gallonSame footprint, seven inches taller: specs and where it trades.
• Totes per truckHow 275 and 330 gallon totes load on a 53-foot trailer, single and double stacked, and how loads are counted on a ticket.
• 275 vs 330How a 275 and a 330 gallon tote differ in height, capacity and use, and which one a plant, a farm or a gardener should ask for.
• RCRA emptyWhat 40 CFR 261.7 says about empty totes over 119 gallons, when a triple rinse is required, and what that means before a tote is sold.
• Three-state rulesWhich agency handles empty containers and rinse water in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, kept apart state by state.
• Reading the UN plateEvery mark on an IBC's UN plate explained: 31HA1, packing group letter, manufacture date, stacking test load and maximum gross mass.
• StackingHow many totes can stack, empty or full, depends on the tote: why the answer is on its UN plate and what else to check.
• Retest datesThe 2.5-year leakproofness test, the 5-year internal inspection, and what an out-of-date tote is still good for.
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