Loading arithmetic

Dimensions and weights, at every fill level that matters.

Three tables and one formula. Bookmark it, print it, tape it to the forklift — this is the page we send to more customers than any other, usually about ninety seconds before someone was going to make an expensive mistake.

Short answer

Gross weight = gallons × 8.34 lb × specific gravity + tare. A full 275 gallon water tote is ≈2,425 lb; a 330 is ≈2,900 lb. Most composite IBCs are rated to 2,800 lb (275 gal) and 3,300 lb (330 gal) maximum gross mass.

Formula: gal × 8.34 × SG + tare
275 gal max gross: 2,800 lb
330 gal max gross: 3,300 lb
Two-high floor load: ≈365 lb/ft²

Work order · 90-second form

Sanity-check a load

Send the product, specific gravity and quantity and we'll confirm the stack, the rack and the trailer before anything moves.

Table one

Dimensions and tare, all sizes.

IBC container dimensions and empty weights
Capacity	Litres	L × W × H	Tare	Gross (water)	Two-high height	Stack full
110 gal	416 L	40" × 48" × 28"	78 lb	995 lb	56"	2 high
120 gal	454 L	40" × 48" × 30"	82 lb	1,072 lb	60"	2 high
180 gal	681 L	40" × 48" × 38"	98 lb	1,600 lb	76"	2 high
220 gal	833 L	40" × 48" × 42"	112 lb	1,952 lb	84"	2 high
275 gal	1,041 L	40" × 48" × 46"	130 lb	2,425 lb	92"	2 high
330 gal	1,249 L	40" × 48" × 53"	148 lb	2,900 lb	106"	2 high
350 gal	1,325 L	46" × 48" × 55"	168 lb	3,080 lb	110"	1 high
550 gal	2,082 L	52" × 46" × 74"	540 lb	5,120 lb	148"	1 high

Table two

Gross weight by product, and whether you may stack it.

Specific gravity is the number people forget. It is also the number that decides whether your rack is holding two totes or slowly failing.

Gross weight by product density — 275 and 330 gallon composite IBCs
Product	Specific gravity	275 gal gross	330 gal gross	Stacking verdict
Water	1.00	2,425 lb	2,900 lb	Stack 2 high
Diesel / fuel oil	0.85	2,080 lb	2,480 lb	Stack 2 high
Vegetable oil	0.92	2,240 lb	2,670 lb	Stack 2 high
Ethanol	0.79	1,940 lb	2,310 lb	Stack 2 high
Latex emulsion	1.05	2,540 lb	3,040 lb	Stack 2 high
Brine (23%)	1.20	2,880 lb	3,450 lb	Do not stack 330
Liquid fertiliser (28-0-0)	1.28	3,065 lb	3,670 lb	Do not stack
Corn syrup (42 DE)	1.33	3,180 lb	3,810 lb	Do not stack · partial fill
Sulphuric acid (50%)	1.40	3,340 lb	4,000 lb	Partial fill only
Sodium hydroxide (50%)	1.52	3,615 lb	4,335 lb	Partial fill only

Table three

What actually fits on a truck, weight-limited.

Everyone quotes volume counts. Weight is what stops you at the scale.

Loading limits — full 275 gallon water totes, 80,000 lb GVW
Vehicle	Volume capacity	Weight-limited count	Payload used	Governing limit
53' dry van	48 (2 high)	17	41,225 lb	Weight
48' flatbed	40 (2 high)	17	41,225 lb	Weight
26' box truck	24 (2 high)	8	19,400 lb	Weight / GVW
16' box truck	12 (2 high)	5	12,125 lb	Weight / GVW
Sprinter van	4 (1 high)	2	4,850 lb	Weight / GVW
20' sea container	20 (2 high)	17	41,225 lb	Weight
40' sea container	42 (2 high)	17	41,225 lb	Weight

Empty totes invert the problem entirely: 96 empty 275s stacked four high in a 53-foot van weigh 12,480 lb, so you are volume-limited with 67,000 lb of payload spare. That asymmetry is why backhauling empties is cheap and why our buy-back programme works economically at 150 miles.

Weight questions

Loads, limits, floors.

Dimensions & weights — FAQ

How do I calculate the weight of a full IBC tote?

Gallons × 8.34 lb × specific gravity, plus the tare weight of the container. Water is 1.0 SG, so a full 275 gallon tote is 275 × 8.34 × 1.0 + 130 = 2,424 lb. Diesel at 0.85 SG is 2,080 lb. A 1.33 SG syrup is 3,180 lb, which exceeds the rated gross mass of most composite units.

What is the maximum gross weight of an IBC tote?

Most 275 gallon composite IBCs are rated for 2,800 lb maximum gross mass and most 330s for 3,300 lb, with the exact figure stamped on the UN marking plate where one exists. That rating governs stacking, racking and transport. Exceeding it does not usually cause an immediate failure — it causes bottle bulge, cage distortion and a delayed failure at the worst moment.

How much floor loading does a stack of IBC totes create?

Two full 275 gallon water totes on one 48 by 40 inch footprint is 4,850 lb across 13.3 square feet — about 365 lb per square foot. Concrete slab-on-grade handles that comfortably. Mezzanines, suspended floors and older warehouse decks frequently do not; get the rated capacity before you double-stack.

What is the tare weight of an empty IBC tote?

125–135 lb for a 275 gallon composite, 140–155 lb for a 330. Stainless bins are far heavier — 310 lb for a 265 gallon 304 unit up to 540 lb for a 550 gallon 316L. Tare varies with pallet base material: steel bases add roughly 10 lb over composite, and plastic bases save about 8 lb.

Master size chart

All eight sizes with footprints, heights and truck counts.

Open

Storage & stacking guide

Rack ratings, floor loading, UV exposure and inspection points.

Open

Let us haul it

Flatbed, dry van and drop-trailer freight across the Mid-Atlantic.

Open

Four IBC totes strapped with yellow ratchet straps inside a trailer, valves facing inboard

The yard

Seventeen full totes is a legal payload

By the numbers

The figures behind this page.

gal × 8.34 × SG: + tare; The formula the whole page rests on
2,800 lb: typical 275 gal rating; Exceeded at about 1.15 SG when full
17: full totes per legal van; Volume says 48
365 lb/ft²: floor load, two full 275s; Concrete fine; mezzanines often not

Reference

The detail, in full.

Empty backhauls versus full outbounds — the asymmetry that funds buy-back
Load	Units	Weight	Payload used	Limited by
Full 275 gal, water	17	41,225 lb	≈100%	Weight
Empty 275 gal, 4 high	96	12,480 lb	≈30%	Volume
Empty 330 gal, 4 high	80	11,840 lb	≈29%	Volume
Full out, empty back	17 / 96	—	—	Both, in sequence

Asked and answered.

Further questions

Why does everyone quote 48 per trailer?

Because that is the volume capacity, and it is true for empties and partial fills. Full of liquid, forty-eight 275s is 116,400 lb — roughly three times a legal payload. Full containers ship at about seventeen.

What happens if I exceed the gross mass rating?

Not a burst. The bottle bulges through the cage apertures, the verticals bow and the base takes a set. Everything still holds liquid and looks approximately normal — but the load path is gone and the container must not be stacked.

How do I check my rack?

Clear beam opening, beam pair rating and floor loading. Two full water 275s is 4,850 lb across 13.3 square feet. For a dense product recalculate: two full totes of 50% caustic is 7,230 lb on the same footprint.

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