Master reference

Every IBC size, every dimension, one very large table.

The chart the rest of this industry keeps behind a contact form. Capacities, footprints, heights, tare and gross weights, bottle weights, stack ratings and how many fit on a truck — plus the arithmetic you need to not overload a trailer.

Short answer

The standard IBC tote is 275 gallons on a 48" × 40" footprint, 46" tall, 130 lb empty and ≈2,425 lb full of water. The 330 gallon shares the footprint at 53" tall. Sizes run from 110 to 550 gallons; full chart below.

Standard footprint: 48" × 40"
Most common size: 275 gal
Sizes charted: 8
Per 53' van: 48 units

Work order · 90-second form

Check a size against your space

Give us your doorway, ceiling or trailer constraint in the message and we'll tell you what fits.

The master chart

Eight sizes, measured rather than repeated.

Composite IBCs vary a little between manufacturers. These are the working figures we use in the yard for freight planning and racking — good to within a couple of percent for any name-brand container.

IBC tote master size chart — capacity, dimensions, weight, stacking and truck counts
Capacity	Litres	Length	Width	Height	Tare	Gross (water)	Bottle	Stack full	Per 53' van	Typical duty
110 gal	416 L	40"	48"	28"	78 lb	995 lb	22 lb	2 high	96	Low-headroom dosing, lab and pilot batches
120 gal	454 L	40"	48"	30"	82 lb	1,072 lb	24 lb	2 high	96	Van-body delivery routes, tight cellars
180 gal	681 L	40"	48"	38"	98 lb	1,600 lb	30 lb	2 high	60	Half-height duty, mezzanine storage
220 gal	833 L	40"	48"	42"	112 lb	1,952 lb	34 lb	2 high	48	European-spec lines, some ag chemistry
275 gal	1,041 L	40"	48"	46"	130 lb	2,425 lb	40 lb	2 high	48	The North American workhorse — 70% of all stock
330 gal	1,249 L	40"	48"	53"	148 lb	2,900 lb	48 lb	2 high	40	Fewer handles per gallon; same footprint
350 gal	1,325 L	46"	48"	55"	168 lb	3,080 lb	54 lb	1 high	30	Oversize composite, specialist chemistry
550 gal	2,082 L	52"	46"	74"	540 lb	5,120 lb	stainless	1 high	24	Stainless bulk transfer and blending

Go deeper

Five reference pages under this one.

Each of these is a full article, not a product blurb. They exist because we got tired of typing the same answers into email.

The 275 gallon tote

Dimensions, weights, fill math, freight counts and why this size took over North America.

Open

The 330 gallon tote

Same footprint, seven inches taller, 20% more product per handle — and where that bites.

Open

Dimensions & weight chart

Empty, part-full and full weights at every fill level, plus trailer loading arithmetic.

Open

Valves & fittings chart

S60x6, S100x8, NPT, camlock, GHT — every thread, adapter and flow rate.

Open

Pallets & cage types

Steel, composite, plastic and wood bases; cage grid patterns and what each tells you.

Open

Storage & stacking guide

Load limits, floor requirements, UV protection and the failure modes to look for.

Open

Fitting it in

Will it go through the door?

The three constraints that catch people out, in the order they catch them.

Doorway width

A 275 gallon tote is 48" on its long axis and 40" on its short one. A standard 36" commercial door will not pass it. A 42" double leaf will, on the short axis, with the pallet jack angled. Measure the narrowest point of the whole route, not just the door.

Ceiling and rack height

Two 275s stacked is 92" plus pallet clearance. Two 330s is 106". Add your rack beam and you are past 9 feet — which is why some warehouses stack 275s and single-stack 330s.

Floor loading

Two full 275s on one footprint is 4,850 lb over 13.3 square feet — about 365 lb per square foot. Slab-on-grade handles it easily; a mezzanine or a suspended floor may not. Check before you rack.

Sizing questions

Capacity, weight, fit.

For the vocabulary, see the IBC glossary.

Size chart — FAQ

What size is a standard IBC tote?

The North American standard is 275 gallons (1,041 litres) on a 48 × 40 inch footprint, 46 inches tall, weighing about 130 lb empty and 2,425 lb full of water. The 330 gallon unit shares the same footprint at 53 inches tall. Together those two sizes account for the overwhelming majority of containers in circulation in the United States.

Why do 275 and 330 gallon totes share a footprint?

Because the footprint is a pallet, and pallets are standardised for material handling, not for volume. 48 × 40 inches is the GMA pallet standard, which means both sizes rack, stack, forklift and load onto a 53-foot trailer identically. The extra 55 gallons comes entirely from height — which is why a 330 sometimes will not fit where a 275 will.

How many IBC totes fit on a truck?

A 53-foot dry van takes 48 units of 275 gallons stacked two high, or 40 units of 330 gallons. A 48-foot flatbed takes 40 with strapping. A 26-foot box truck takes 20 to 24 with a liftgate. Empty totes nest differently and go four high, so a van of empties can carry 96. Weight, not volume, becomes the limit once you load liquid: 48 full water totes is over 58 tons, far past any legal limit.

How much does an IBC tote weigh?

Empty, a 275 gallon composite runs 125–135 lb; a 330 runs 140–155 lb. Full of water, add 8.34 lb per gallon: about 2,425 lb gross for a 275 and 2,900 lb for a 330. For a heavier product, multiply gallons by the specific gravity — a 1.4 SG chemical puts a 275 gallon tote at roughly 3,340 lb gross, past the rated 2,800 lb maximum, which is exactly the mistake that collapses a stack.

Can you stack IBC totes two high when full?

Composite IBCs are generally rated to stack two high loaded, provided both units are undamaged, the cages are square, the load is centred and the floor is level. Stack empties four high. Never stack across mixed sizes, never stack on uneven ground, and never stack a unit whose cage shows corrosion at the weld nodes. Full stacking guidance is on our storage and stacking page.

A single clean 275 gallon composite IBC tote on a black plastic pallet, showing the steel cage, fill lid and blue-handled discharge valve

The yard

275 gallon, 48 by 40 by 46 inches

By the numbers

The figures behind this page.

Four numbers that decide most sizing arguments before anyone opens a catalogue.

8: sizes charted; 110 gallon through 550 gallon stainless
48" × 40": one footprint; A GMA pallet — which is why racking is standardised
17: full totes per legal van load; Volume says 48; weight says 17
365 lb/ft²: floor load, two full 275s; Slab handles it; a mezzanine may not

Reference

The detail, in full.

Stack heights, clearances and the openings they need
Configuration	Unit height	Two-high	Plus beam	Clear opening needed
110 gal	28"	56"	+4–6"	60–62"
180 gal	38"	76"	+4–6"	80–82"
220 gal	42"	84"	+4–6"	88–90"
275 gal	46"	92"	+4–6"	96–98"
330 gal	53"	106"	+4–6"	110–112"
350 gal	55"	single stack	—	60"
550 gal stainless	74"	single stack	—	80"

Volume per pallet position, and what it costs you
Size	Gallons per position	Handling events per 10,000 gal	Price per gallon of capacity
110 gal	110	91	$0.73
180 gal	180	56	$0.61
220 gal	220	46	$0.55
275 gal	275	37	$0.51
330 gal	330	31	$0.47
350 gal	350	29	$0.58

Fill level against gross weight — 275 gallon, four common products
Fill	Gallons	Water	Light oil 0.87	Brine 1.20	Syrup 1.33
Empty	0	130 lb	130 lb	130 lb	130 lb
25%	69	705 lb	630 lb	820 lb	895 lb
50%	138	1,280 lb	1,130 lb	1,510 lb	1,660 lb
75%	206	1,850 lb	1,625 lb	2,190 lb	2,415 lb
90%	248	2,200 lb	1,930 lb	2,610 lb	2,880 lb
100%	275	2,425 lb	2,125 lb	2,880 lb	3,180 lb

Straight answers

Choosing between 275 and 330 gallon.

They share a footprint, so the decision is entirely about height and handling.

Choose 330 gallon when

You genuinely consume 330 gallons before the product degrades.
Handling events are the cost you are trying to reduce — 16% fewer per 10,000 gallons.
Rack openings are 110 inches or more, or you single-stack on the floor.
Floor space is the binding constraint and you want more gallons per position.

Stay with 275 gallon when

Rack beam openings are 96" — the near-universal number in warehouses built around 275s.
Delivery involves a box truck with a door header under about 90 inches.
Your dosing skid, catch tank or drum-fill station sits at a fixed inlet height.
The product would sit for months before being used up.

Received wisdom, examined

Four things people believe that are wrong.

“A 330 ships more product per truck than a 275.”

It does not. Freight is weight-limited on full containers: a van carries about 4,675 gallons as 275s and 4,620 as 330s. The 330's real advantage is 16% fewer handling events on your own site.

“You can stack a 275 on a 330 if you are careful.”

Never mix sizes in a stack. The corner posts do not align, so the upper unit's weight transfers onto panel members that are not rated to take it. Segregate by size in the rack, in the yard and on the truck.

“Published gross weights are the answer.”

They assume water at 8.34 lb per gallon. Multiply by your product's specific gravity first. A full 275 of 50% caustic is 3,615 lb — 29% past the container's rating.

“Bigger is always cheaper per gallon.”

Up to 330 gallons, broadly yes. Above that the market thins, the containers stop stacking and the price per gallon of capacity rises again. The 350 gallon costs more per gallon than the 275.

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Will a 275 gallon tote fit through a standard door?

Not a 36-inch commercial door. The container is 48 inches on its long axis and 40 on its short one, so it needs a 42-inch double leaf minimum, taken on the short axis with the pallet jack angled. Measure the narrowest point of the entire route, not just the doorway — corners, columns and fire doors catch people out more often than the door itself.

How do I work out whether my rack can take a double stack?

Three numbers: clear beam opening (need 96–98 inches for 275s, 110–112 for 330s), beam pair rating (two full water 275s is 4,850 lb, more for dense products), and floor loading (about 365 lb per square foot for that stack). Slab-on-grade handles the floor loading easily; mezzanines frequently do not.

What is the smallest IBC you stock?

110 gallon, on a 40 × 48 inch footprint at 28 inches tall. It exists for low-headroom dosing, cellars, mezzanines and van-body delivery routes. It is more expensive per gallon of capacity than a 275 and it is the right answer when height is genuinely the constraint.

Are these dimensions the same across manufacturers?

Within an inch or two, yes — the footprint is fixed by the pallet standard and the heights cluster tightly. Where they vary is pallet base type, which shifts overall height by up to two inches, and cage grid pattern, which matters for bottle compatibility rather than dimensions.

Go deeper

Twelve reference sheets, because you should not have to ask us for a number.

Specifications, grading definitions, prices, thread standards, flow rates, weights, gasket selection, wash chemistry, freight limits, circular-route arithmetic, failure modes and conversions. Open what you need; none of it is gated and none of it changes depending on who is asking.

Container specs16 rows

Every dimension for the two sizes that make up 93% of the market.

The two sizes that are 93% of the market
Attribute	275 gallon	330 gallon
Capacity	275 gal / 1,041 L	330 gal / 1,249 L
Footprint	48" × 40"	48" × 40"
Height	46"	53"
Tare weight	125–135 lb	140–155 lb
Gross, water	≈2,425 lb	≈2,900 lb
Max gross mass	2,800 lb	3,300 lb
Bottle mass	38–45 lb HDPE	45–52 lb HDPE
Cage + base mass	≈55 lb steel	≈62 lb steel
Stack, full	2 high	2 high
Stack, empty	4 high	4 high
Two-high stack height	92"	106"
Per 53′ van, volume	48	40
Per 53′ van, weight-limited	17 full	14 full
Fill opening	6" vented or solid	6" vented or solid
Discharge	2" butterfly, S60x6	2" butterfly, S60x6
Forklift entry	4-way	4-way

Grading standard10 rows

Our written definitions — the same ones printed on every quote.

Our written grading standard, in one table
	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C	Food grade
Wash	Documented	Documented	Rinse only	Documented + sanitise
Bottle	Clear–translucent	Light haze permitted	Heavy staining	Clear, odour-free
Odour	None	Faint, product-typical	May be present	None
Prior contents	Documented, benign	Documented	May be absent	Edible only, documented
Cage	Square, no node rust	Sound, cosmetic dings	Cosmetic damage OK	Sound
Gasket	New	New	As-is	New, FDA EPDM
Leak test	Passed, recorded	Passed, recorded	Not tested	Passed, recorded
Food contact	Only if food prior	No	Never	Yes
Price band, 275 gal	$165–$225	$110–$165	$60–$95	$225–$300
Share of our sales	18%	58%	17%	7%

2026 price bands8 rows

Published rather than extracted through a contact form.

2026 Mid-Atlantic price bands, 275 gallon
Type	Single unit	Pallet (4+)	Truckload (48)	Lead time
Grade C as-is	$60–$95	$56–$88	$52–$78	1–2 days
Grade B washed	$110–$165	$102–$152	$95–$140	1–3 days
Grade A rinsed	$165–$225	$153–$208	$140–$190	1–3 days
Food grade	$225–$300	$210–$278	$195–$260	2–5 days
Rebottled	$250–$340	$236–$316	$220–$295	3–7 days
New composite	$420–$560	$400–$530	$380–$500	5–15 days
Cage only	$35–$65	$32–$60	$30–$55	1–3 days
We pay you for empties	$15–$85	$20–$85	$28–$85	Collection ≤2 weeks

Threads & flow9 rows

Measured on our own line: full tote of water, vented lid, valve open.

Threads, adapters and gravity flow
Fitting	Specification	Initial flow	Time to empty 275 gal	Typical use
3" butterfly	3" flange, PP body	128 gpm	3.5 min	Batch dumping, viscous
2" butterfly	S60x6 outlet, EPDM seat	70 gpm	6.5 min	Standard discharge
2" camlock	S60x6 → 2″ male cam	62 gpm	7.2 min	Pump and transfer hose
2" NPT	S60x6 → 2″ male NPT	58 gpm	7.9 min	Rigid dosing plumbing
1" camlock	S60x6 → 1″ male cam	22 gpm	19.6 min	Drum filling, controlled
3/4" GHT	S60x6 → garden hose	9 gpm	45.8 min	Irrigation, wash-down
1/2" spigot	S60x6 → spigot	4 gpm	105 min	Hand filling, troughs
S60x6	60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress	—	—	Modern standard outlet
S100x8	100 mm OD, 8 mm pitch	—	—	Legacy / EU — use a bushing

Weights by product10 rows

gallons × 8.34 × specific gravity + tare. The number people skip.

Gross weight by product — the calculation people skip
Product	SG	275 gal gross	330 gal gross	Stack?
Ethanol	0.79	1,940 lb	2,310 lb	Yes
Diesel / fuel oil	0.85	2,080 lb	2,480 lb	Yes — steel bin only
Vegetable oil	0.92	2,240 lb	2,670 lb	Yes
Water	1.00	2,425 lb	2,900 lb	Yes
Latex emulsion	1.05	2,540 lb	3,040 lb	With care
Brine 23%	1.20	2,880 lb	3,450 lb	No
Liquid fertiliser 28-0-0	1.28	3,065 lb	3,670 lb	No
Corn syrup 42 DE	1.33	3,180 lb	3,810 lb	No — partial fill
Sulphuric acid 50%	1.40	3,340 lb	4,000 lb	Partial fill
Sodium hydroxide 50%	1.52	3,615 lb	4,335 lb	Partial fill

Gasket selection10 rows

The cheapest decision in the specification, and the one most often wrong.

Gasket and wetted-part selection
Product family	Gasket	Valve body	Container	Avoid
Water, brine, glycol	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Dilute acids	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Brass, carbon steel
Caustics	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Aluminium
Alcohols under 20% ABV	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Alcohols over 20% ABV	Viton	Stainless	Stainless bin	Poly bottles
Vegetable and mineral oils	Viton	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	EPDM gaskets
Fuels, diesel, kerosene	Viton	PP or stainless	Steel bin	Poly bottles
Aromatic solvents	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	All poly parts
Food ingredients	EPDM (FDA)	PP (FDA)	Food-grade poly	Non-FDA elastomers
Flavour, essence, botanical	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	Poly bottles

Wash cycles8 rows

The cycle follows the residue. A default cycle is how you get a clean-looking tote that smells.

Wash cycle by residue class
Residue	Cycle	Temp	Chemistry	Water	Cost	Outcome
Water-soluble benign	Cold triple rinse	Ambient	None	22 gal	$18–$28	Grade A/B
Sugars, syrups	Hot caustic + sanitise	148–156 °F	1.5% NaOH	45 gal	$35–$55	Food grade if prior allows
Proteins	Hot caustic + sanitise	150–158 °F	2% NaOH	48 gal	$40–$58	Food grade if prior allows
Oils, fats	Degrease + hot rinse	135–150 °F	Alkaline surfactant	52 gal	$45–$70	Grade A/B
Surfactants	Extended rinse + defoam	Ambient–120 °F	Defoamer	40 gal	$30–$48	Grade B only
Latex, emulsions	Mechanical + strip	125–140 °F	Alkaline	50 gal	$50–$75	Grade B/C
Acids, caustics	Neutralise + rinse	Ambient	Counter-agent	35 gal	$32–$50	Grade B
Unknown	Triple rinse, downgrade	Ambient	None	22 gal	$20–$30	Grade C only

Freight limits8 rows

Volume capacity and weight capacity are different numbers, and weight wins.

What fits on what — volume and weight limits
Vehicle	Full, 2 high	Weight-limited full	Empty, 4 high	Liftgate
53′ dry van	48	17	96	No
48′ flatbed	40	17	80	No
26′ box truck	24	8	48	Yes
16′ box truck	12	5	24	Yes
Sprinter van	4	2	8	Yes
20′ sea container	20	17	40	No
40′ sea container	42	17	84	No
Drop trailer, 53′	48	17	96	No

Circular routes7 rows

Ranked by burden avoided. Landfill is not on the list.

The seven circular routes, ranked by burden avoided
#	Route	CO₂e avoided	Water avoided	% of new-unit burden	Share of intake
1	Reuse as-is after rinse	88 kg	190 gal	100%	60.9%
2	Wash and return to service	83 kg	163 gal	94%	22.3%
3	Rebottle	55 kg	118 gal	62%	6.0%
4	Salvage cage for another unit	36 kg	76 gal	41%	3.0%
5	Upcycle into a built product	31 kg	66 gal	35%	0.9%
6	Granulate to HDPE regrind	30 kg	62 gal	34%	6.9%
7	Landfill	0 kg	0 gal	0%	0%

Failure modes8 rows

What actually retires a container and where each one goes afterwards.

What actually retires a container, and whether it is fixable
Failure	Where it starts	Share of retirements	Fixable?	Route
Bottle stress cracking	Base radius	41%	No	Granulate bottle, keep cage
Freeze split	Mid-height, at the old liquid line	16%	No	Granulate bottle, keep cage
Contamination beyond wash	Absorbed into the wall	14%	No	Granulate bottle, keep cage
Bottle deformation	Whole wall, from overfill or heat	11%	No	Rebottle
Cage node corrosion	Welded intersections, corner columns	10%	Sometimes	Mill the steel
Missing prior-contents record	Paperwork, not the container	8%	No	Grade C only
Base rail damage	Fork pockets	—	Yes, on steel	Repair or replace base
Gasket failure	Outlet and lid seals	—	Always	Replace, $4

Delivery corridors7 rows

If you sit on a route we already run, small loads become viable.

Scheduled corridors from 800 River Rd
Corridor	Key stops	Frequency	Minimum load	Buy-back
I-76 West	Conshohocken, King of Prussia, Reading, Harrisburg	2× weekly	4 units	Yes
I-95 South	Philadelphia, Chester, Wilmington, Baltimore	2× weekly	4 units	Yes
I-95 North	Trenton, New Brunswick, Newark, Elizabeth	Weekly	6 units	Yes
NE Extension	Lansdale, Quakertown, Allentown, Bethlehem	Weekly	6 units	Yes
US-30 West	West Chester, Downingtown, Lancaster, York	Weekly	6 units	Yes
US-202 North	Doylestown, New Hope, Flemington	Weekly	4 units	Yes
Delmarva	Dover, Salisbury, Easton	Fortnightly	10 units	By arrangement

Conversions12 rows

The arithmetic that comes up daily.

Conversions used every day in this yard
From	To	Multiply by	Worked example
US gallons	Litres	3.785	275 gal = 1,041 L
Litres	US gallons	0.2642	1,000 L = 264 gal
US gallons of water	Pounds	8.34	275 gal = 2,294 lb
Pounds	Kilograms	0.4536	2,425 lb = 1,100 kg
Inches	Millimetres	25.4	48" = 1,219 mm
Cubic feet	US gallons	7.481	51 ft³ = 381 gal
Cubic yards	Cubic feet	27	1.4 yd³ = 37.8 ft³
psi	Feet of head (water)	2.31	1.7 psi = 3.9 ft
Feet of head	psi	0.433	24 in stand = 0.87 psi
gpm	Litres per minute	3.785	70 gpm = 265 L/min
kg CO₂e	Miles not driven	2.5	88 kg = 220 miles
kg CO₂e	Mature trees, one year	0.0476	88 kg = 4.2 trees

Vocabulary, in twelve lines

IBC: Intermediate bulk container — anything between a drum and a tanker, in practice 110–550 gallons on a forkliftable base.
Composite IBC: An HDPE bottle inside a welded steel cage on a pallet base. The 275 and 330 gallon workhorses.
Tare: Empty weight of the container: 125–135 lb for a 275, 140–155 lb for a 330.
Gross mass: Container plus contents. Most 275s are rated to 2,800 lb; exceed it and the bottle bulges rather than bursts.
Node: A welded intersection in the cage where load actually transfers. The correct place to inspect.
S60x6: The standard outlet thread: 60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress. Hand tight only.
Prior contents: What the container last held, logged against the original label. The single most consequential fact about any used tote.
Rebottle: A new HDPE bottle fitted into an inspected existing cage — virgin interior, 38% less embodied carbon than new.
Food grade: FDA-compliant resin plus an edible-only prior history plus a documented wash. All three, together.
UN 31HA1: Marking for a composite IBC approved for liquids. Belongs to the assembly and carries a service life.
Regrind: Granulated recycled HDPE. Post-industrial IBC regrind goes to pipe, conduit, pallets — never food contact.
Avoided burden: Environmental cost that did not occur because a container was reused instead of manufactured. Not an offset.

All 58 terms

The yard, in numbers

18,412: containers returned to service, rolling 12 months
91.9%: of intake leaves as a container, not as feedstock
1.62M kg: CO₂e avoided against a new-container baseline
543,000 lb: HDPE granulated into clean regrind in 2025
318,000 lb: steel baled to a regional mill in 2025
0 yd³: container material landfilled — six consecutive years
2,600: containers on the ground at the January peak
11%: of offered loads refused, and referred on
22: people at the Norristown yard, four of them drivers
6: states served by our own trucks

Where and when

IBC Totes PA LLC
800 River Rd
Norristown, PA 19406
hello@ibctotespa.com
quotes@ibctotespa.com
No telephone line — written quotes only.

Opening hours
Mon	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thu	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri	7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sat	8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sun	Closed

Next step

Every tote we keep alive is one that never gets made.

Get a written quote Sell us your empties

Every IBC size, every dimension, one very large table.

Eight sizes, measured rather than repeated.

Five reference pages under this one.

The 275 gallon tote

The 330 gallon tote

Dimensions & weight chart

Valves & fittings chart

Pallets & cage types

Storage & stacking guide

Will it go through the door?

Doorway width

Ceiling and rack height

Floor loading

Capacity, weight, fit.

Size chart — FAQ

The figures behind this page.

The detail, in full.

Choosing between 275 and 330 gallon.

Four things people believe that are wrong.

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Related reading.

Full weight chart

Storage & stacking

A rack geometry post-mortem

Twelve reference sheets, because you should not have to ask us for a number.

Every tote we keep alive is one that never gets made.