Reference
Every dimension,
weight and thread
we publish.
This is the reference page. Seven sizes, four pallet types, eight fitting standards, load weights by product density, and an interactive cutaway of what the parts actually are.
The short answer
Standard IBC totes share a 48 × 40 inch footprint — one GMA pallet position. Height varies by capacity: 46 in for 275 gallons, 53 in for 330, 56 in for 350. Tare runs 120–175 lb; gross with water runs 2,325–3,095 lb. The discharge thread is S60x6 on almost every composite unit sold in Texas.
From the yard
48×40
inches, standard footprint
One GMA pallet position.
7
sizes we handle
120 to 550 gallons.
S60x6
standard outlet thread
60 mm coarse buttress.
8.34
lb per gallon of water
The number behind every load calc.
Master chart
The full size chart
Gross weights assume water. Availability reflects what actually turns up in the used market, not what a manufacturer's catalog says exists.
| Capacity | Metric | L × W × H (in) | Cube (cu ft) | Tare (lb) | Gross w/ water (lb) | Stack full | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 gal | 1040 L | 48 × 40 × 46 | 51.1 | 130 | 2,425 | 2 high | Always in stock |
| 330 gal | 1250 L | 48 × 40 × 53 | 58.9 | 160 | 2,915 | 2 high | Always in stock |
| 264 gal | 1000 L | 48 × 40 × 46 | 51.1 | 125 | 2,325 | 2 high | Usually in stock |
| 350 gal | 1325 L | 48 × 40 × 56 | 62.2 | 175 | 3,095 | 2 high | Order in |
| 180 gal | 680 L | 48 × 40 × 39 | 43.3 | 105 | 1,605 | 3 high | Order in |
| 120 gal | 450 L | 40 × 32 × 39 | 28.9 | 80 | 1,080 | 3 high | Special order |
| 550 gal | 2000 L | 60 × 48 × 62 | 103.3 | 290 | 4,875 | 1 high | Special order |
275 gal — The Texas workhorse
Roughly 80% of everything we move. Fits a standard 48×40 pallet position exactly.
330 gal — Same footprint, more volume
Seven inches taller than a 275 for 55 more gallons. Check door and trailer height.
264 gal — The metric standard
The true 1,000 L European spec. Often labeled 275 by sellers who round up. We don't.
350 gal — Tall format
Popular for viscous product where headspace matters. Heavy when full — check floor loading.
Load planning
Weight by product density
Water is the easy case. Everything else is heavier or lighter, and the difference decides whether your forklift, your rack and your floor can take it.
| Product | lb / gal | Product weight | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 7.10 | 1,953 lb | 2,083 lb |
| Vegetable oil | 7.70 | 2,118 lb | 2,248 lb |
| Water | 8.34 | 2,294 lb | 2,424 lb |
| 12.5% sodium hypochlorite | 10.00 | 2,750 lb | 2,880 lb |
| UAN 32-0-0 | 10.90 | 2,998 lb | 3,128 lb |
| Cane syrup / HFCS | 11.70 | 3,218 lb | 3,348 lb |
| Sulfuric acid 93% | 15.30 | 4,208 lb | 4,338 lb |
| Product | lb / gal | Product weight | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 7.10 | 2,343 lb | 2,503 lb |
| Vegetable oil | 7.70 | 2,541 lb | 2,701 lb |
| Water | 8.34 | 2,752 lb | 2,912 lb |
| 12.5% sodium hypochlorite | 10.00 | 3,300 lb | 3,460 lb |
| UAN 32-0-0 | 10.90 | 3,597 lb | 3,757 lb |
| Cane syrup / HFCS | 11.70 | 3,861 lb | 4,021 lb |
| Sulfuric acid 93% | 15.30 | 5,049 lb | 5,209 lb |
Anatomy
What the parts are, and which ones matter
Six components. Understanding which of them fails and which of them lasts is the single most useful thing you can know before buying used.
Tap a marker — no JavaScript required
Component
6" or 9" screw lid
The fill opening. Six-inch is standard; nine-inch shows up on food-grade and high-viscosity units because you can get a cleaning head through it. Vented lids stop the bottle collapsing when you draw down fast — solid lids seal for transport. Know which one you own before you empty a tote in a hurry.
Standard: 6" coarse thread
Component
Blow-moulded HDPE bottle
Roughly 50 lb of high-density polyethylene, blow-moulded in one piece. This is the only part that ever really wears out: it can absorb aggressive chemistry, craze under UV, or take a puncture. Everything around it usually outlives it several times over — which is exactly why rebottling exists.
≈50 lb HDPE · FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 when food grade
Component
Welded tubular steel cage
The galvanized lattice that takes the load, allows stacking, and gives the whole thing its silhouette. About 43 lb of steel with a very high embodied-energy figure. A straight cage with sound welds is worth reconditioning almost regardless of what the bottle looks like.
≈43 lb galvanized steel
Component
UN marking plate
The riveted or moulded plate carrying the UN specification — typically 31HA1/Y — plus the build date, manufacturer code and test pressure. If you intend to ship regulated product, this plate and its retest dates are the difference between a legal shipment and a violation.
31HA1 / Y · retest every 2.5 years
Component
S60x6 outlet and valve
Almost every composite IBC discharges through a 60 mm coarse buttress thread. A quarter-turn ball valve is the default; a full-port butterfly valve is the upgrade worth paying for if your product is thick. Adapters take you from S60x6 to 2" NPT, camlock or garden hose in one part.
S60x6 → 2" NPT / camlock / GHT
Component
Composite, steel or plastic base
Four-way forklift entry and the reason a 2,400 lb vessel can be moved by one person on a machine. Composite is the common default, steel survives lease roads, plastic wins in washdown environments, and wood is on its way out of the food chain entirely.
22–44 lb depending on type
Component
Graduated level strip
The translucent vertical band moulded into the bottle. Cheap, crude, and the single most useful feature on the tote — you can read remaining volume from twenty feet away without opening anything. It is also the first thing to go opaque when a tote stains, which is one reason stained totes drop a grade.
Readable to roughly ±10 gallons
Pallet bases
Four bases, four trade-offs
| Base | Material | Weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite base | Steel frame with moulded plastic deck | 26 lb | General industrial and food service — the most common base we sell. |
| Steel base | Fully welded galvanized steel | 44 lb | Oilfield, coastal and any application where the tote gets moved constantly. |
| Plastic base | Moulded HDPE, no steel | 22 lb | Food, pharmaceutical and washdown environments. |
| Wood base | Hardwood deck on steel frame | 38 lb | Domestic industrial use only. Increasingly rare and being phased out. |
Fittings
Eight thread standards
| Fitting | Thread | Where used |
|---|---|---|
| S60x6 buttress | 60 mm coarse buttress | Most common outlet thread on European-built composite IBCs |
| 2" NPT | 2 inch national pipe taper | North American plumbing standard |
| 2" camlock (Type A/B/C/E/F) | Cam-and-groove quick connect | Transfer and pump connections |
| 3/4" garden hose (GHT) | Garden hose thread | Irrigation, ranch water, rain capture |
| 6" screw lid | 6 inch coarse, vented or solid | Standard fill opening on most 275 and 330 gallon totes |
| 9" screw lid | 9 inch coarse | Larger fill opening, viscous product and cleaning access |
| 2" ball valve | S60x6 inlet, 2" NPT or camlock outlet | Standard discharge valve |
| 2" butterfly valve | S60x6 inlet, full port | Viscous product discharge |
Go deeper
Six reference pages
- 275 vs 330 GallonThe decision guide, including when the smaller one wins.
- Dimensions & WeightsCube, footprint, load centres and rack planning.
- Stacking & StorageHow high is safe, empty and full.
- Pallet TypesSteel, composite, plastic and the wood problem.
- Valve & Fitting SizesS60x6, buttress, camlock, NPT, GHT.
- UN Markings ExplainedRead 31HA1/Y line by line.
Why 48 × 40 inches
The footprint is inherited from the GMA pallet, the North American grocery and industrial standard that racking, trailer decking, dock levellers and pallet jacks were all built around. An IBC on that footprint drops into a pallet position with nothing wasted, which is why the format displaced drums so completely.
Everything else about the tote follows from it. Height varies to change capacity, because width and length cannot without breaking compatibility with the entire material handling world.
Capacity, nominal and actual
Nominal capacity is what the tote is sold as. Brimful capacity is a few gallons higher. Working capacity is lower still, because you must leave headspace for thermal expansion — especially in Texas, where a tote sitting in July sun can gain 30°F over ambient.
The practical rule is to fill to the shoulder, never to the lid. A tote filled brimful in April and left outdoors will vent, weep or bulge by August.
Metric confusion
European-built totes are specified in litres and North American sellers round them into gallons. 1,000 L becomes “275 gallons” when it is actually 264. 1,250 L becomes “330” and happens to be almost exactly right. We list both figures on every unit precisely because that 11-gallon gap matters to anyone batching to a formula.
When you need something that isn't on this chart
Half-height 180 gallon units, 120 gallon minis, and 550 gallon doubles all exist but turn up rarely in the used market. If your space genuinely demands one, tell us — we can usually source it, but the lead time and price are closer to new than to used.
Questions people actually ask
+What are the standard IBC tote dimensions?
+How much does an empty IBC tote weigh?
+How much does a full IBC tote weigh?
+Is a 275 gallon tote the same as a 1,000 litre tote?
+How high can I stack IBC totes?
+What size is the outlet on an IBC tote?
Quick reference
Numbers worth having open in another tab
The figures that come up in almost every conversation, whichever page you arrived on.
275 gallon · 1040 L
48×40×46
- Tare
- 130 lb
- Gross, water
- 2,425 lb
- Stack full
- 2 high
- Stock
- Always in stock
330 gallon · 1250 L
48×40×53
- Tare
- 160 lb
- Gross, water
- 2,915 lb
- Stack full
- 2 high
- Stock
- Always in stock
264 gallon · 1000 L
48×40×46
- Tare
- 125 lb
- Gross, water
- 2,325 lb
- Stack full
- 2 high
- Stock
- Usually in stock
350 gallon · 1325 L
48×40×56
- Tare
- 175 lb
- Gross, water
- 3,095 lb
- Stack full
- 2 high
- Stock
- Order in
From the yard notes
Longer reading on this
32 articles written by the people who wash, grade, weld and dispatch. No marketing copy in any of them.
- How-to · February 2, 2023 · 3 minWhy Your Valve Choice Costs You an Hour a WeekThe cheapest component on the container decides how much of your week you spend watching liquid move.
- Reconditioning · June 8, 2021 · 4 minInside a Caustic Clean-in-Place CycleSix stages, 110 gallons of water, 160 degrees and a piece of paper. Here's each part and why it's there.
- Reconditioning · May 30, 2023 · 3 minSecond-Life Builds: What a Cut Container BecomesOne tote, two raised beds, and a galvanized trellis frame that came free with them.
On the yard this week
More answers
While you're here
Pulled from the full FAQ, which runs to forty-plus answers across buying, grades, food safety, sizes, selling, compliance, delivery and care.
- Where we are
- 3505 Montopolis Dr, Austin, TX 78744
- Yard hours
- Mon–Thu 7:30a–5p · Fri 7:30a–4p · Sat 8a–12p · Sun closed (Central Time)
- Coverage
- 68 Texas counties on scheduled routes, from one Austin yard.
+How high can I stack totes?
+What thread is the outlet?
+How many totes fit on a truck?
+How much does a full 275 gallon tote weigh?
+What are standard IBC tote dimensions?
Measure the space, then send the numbers.
Door width, ceiling height, rack beam spacing and floor rating. Four measurements and we'll tell you exactly which sizes will work and which will disappoint you.