Four drums beat one tote only on access
220 gallons in four drums costs more, handles worse and leaks in more places than one 275 gallon container. The only good reason to choose drums is that a drum fits through a doorway and a tote does not.
Sizes & specs
The size library
Every dimension, weight, thread, pallet and rating we have collected in seventeen years of handling these things — in tables you can read on a phone while standing in a yard.
- Sheet
- 35
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
11Container formats
6Deep-dive pages
48×40Inches, the footprint
46/53Inches, the two heights
Every container format, filtered
Composite totes, stainless IBCs, flexible bulk bags and poly drums. Filter by material or by what you are putting in it.
| Format | Construction | Footprint | Height | Empty | Filled (water) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 gal / 1040 L | Composite (HDPE + steel cage) | 48 × 40 in | 46 in | 126 lb | 2,420 lb | Most common container in North America |
| 330 gal / 1250 L | Composite (HDPE + steel cage) | 48 × 40 in | 53 in | 141 lb | 2,890 lb | Same footprint, 7 in taller |
| 220 gal / 830 L | Composite (HDPE + steel cage) | 48 × 40 in | 39 in | 112 lb | 1,950 lb | Low-clearance and export use |
| 120 gal / 450 L | Composite (HDPE + steel cage) | 40 × 32 in | 33 in | 68 lb | 1,070 lb | Small-batch and sample volumes |
| 350 gal / 1325 L | Stainless 304 | 48 × 42 in | 52 in | 385 lb | 3,300 lb | Solvents, hot fill, long life |
| 450 gal / 1700 L | Stainless 304 | 48 × 46 in | 58 in | 460 lb | 4,210 lb | Bulk solvent storage |
| 550 gal / 2080 L | Stainless 316L | 52 × 46 in | 64 in | 540 lb | 5,130 lb | Process intermediates, CIP |
| Bulk bag (FIBC) 1 t | Woven polypropylene | 35 × 35 in | 47 in | 6 lb | 2,210 lb | Solids only, single or multi-trip |
| 55 gal drum | HDPE or steel | 23 in dia. | 35 in | 22–45 lb | 480 lb | When a tote is too much volume |
| 30 gal drum | HDPE or steel | 19 in dia. | 29 in | 15–28 lb | 265 lb | Small batch, hand handling |
| 15 gal drum | HDPE | 14 in dia. | 24 in | 9 lb | 135 lb | Sampling and additives |
Filled weights assume water at 8.34 lb/gal plus tare. Your product's specific gravity changes everything below the footprint row.
275 and 330: same floor, different ceiling
Ninety percent of the composite containers in North America are one of these two. They share a 48 × 40 inch footprint, which is why they both fit a standard pallet position — and why the only real decision is headroom.
| Measure | 275 gallon | 330 gallon | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 275 gal / 1040 L | 330 gal / 1250 L | 20% more product per pallet position |
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in | 48 × 40 in | Identical — no racking changes |
| Height | 46 in | 53 in | Door, rack and trailer clearance |
| Empty weight | 126 lb | 141 lb | Manual handling and freight class |
| Filled (water) | 2,420 lb | 2,890 lb | Floor loading and forklift capacity |
| Per 53' van (empty) | 40 single / 80 double | 36 single / 72 double | Freight cost per container |
| Per 53' van (filled) | 20 | 20 | Weight-limited, not space-limited |
48 × 40 in footprint. 46 in or 53 in tall. S60x6 thread. 31HA1. 2,420 lb filled. 3 high empty. 2 high filled
Will it actually go where you need it to go?
| Opening or space | Typical clearance | 275 gal (46 in) | 330 gal (53 in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard man door | 80 in h × 32 in w | No — too wide on the pallet | No |
| Double door / roll-up | 84 in+ × 60 in+ | Yes | Yes |
| Dock door | 96 in | Yes, double-stacked empty | Yes, single |
| 53' dry van interior height | 110 in | Double stack fits | Double stack fits |
| 20' sea container | 89 in | Double stack fits | Single only |
| Pallet rack beam opening | 60 in typical | Yes | Tight — specify 66 in |
| Basement stairwell | n/a | Only empty, on its side | Not realistically |
- Common outlet thread
- S60x6 buttress, 2 in
- Common top opening
- 6 in buttress (some 9 in on older units)
- Standard valve
- 2" butterfly, EPDM seat
- Stack rating, empty
- 3 high, cage posts aligned
- Stack rating, filled
- 2 high on rated units only
- UN design type
- 31HA1 for composite liquid IBCs
Container formats against each other
Most people arrive at an IBC because a drum is too small and a fixed tank is too permanent. Here is the whole range in one place, with the reason each format exists.
| Format | Volume | Handling | Reusable? | Cost per gallon | Right when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 gal poly drum | 15 gal | By hand | Yes | Highest | Additives, samples, small batch |
| 30 gal drum | 30 gal | Drum dolly | Yes | High | Hand-decanted product |
| 55 gal drum | 55 gal | Dolly or forklift | Yes | High | The standard industrial unit |
| 120 gal composite IBC | 120 gal | Forklift | Yes | Medium | Low clearance, small volumes |
| 220 gal composite IBC | 220 gal | Forklift | Yes | Medium | Export, low doorways |
| 275 gal composite IBC | 275 gal | Forklift | Yes | Low | The default answer |
| 330 gal composite IBC | 330 gal | Forklift | Yes | Lowest composite | Pallet positions are the constraint |
| 350–550 gal stainless | 350–550 gal | Forklift | 20–30 years | Lowest over 20 years | Solvents, heat, hygiene |
| Bulk bag (FIBC) | 1 t solids | Crane or forklift | Sometimes | Low | Dry material only |
| Fixed tank | 1,000 gal+ | Not portable | Yes | Lowest at scale | You never need to move it |
The 330 wins on pallet positions
Same floor space, 20% more product. If your constraint is rack slots or trailer positions rather than headroom, that is free capacity — provided your beam openings are 66 inches.
Stainless wins on a twenty-year view
Five to eight times the purchase price and ten times the life. Per fill over two decades it is the cheapest container in this table, and almost nobody buys it that way because it needs a capital conversation.
The numbers worth writing on a wall
- Water weight
- 8.34 lb per US gallon
- Full 275 gal, water
- 2,420 lb gross · 181 lb/sq ft
- Full 330 gal, water
- 2,893 lb gross · 217 lb/sq ft
- Standard footprint
- 48 × 40 in — the same as a GMA pallet
- Gravity discharge
- 25–40 gpm through a 2 in butterfly on water
- Residual heel
- 0.5–1.5 gal in the sump after gravity draining
- Rain capture
- 623 gal per inch per 1,000 sq ft of roof, ~85% collected
- HDPE per 275 bottle
- 134 lb
- Steel per cage
- ≈ 60 lb
- Stack limits
- 3 high empty · 2 high filled and rated · 1 high filled in transit
- Empties per 53' van
- 40 single tier, 80 double stacked
- Filled per 53' van
- 20 — weight limited, not space limited
Want this as a one-page sheet for the wall?
Ask for the spec sheet in the message field. One page, free, and not gated behind a form you have already filled in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for me, the 275 gallon or the 330 gallon tote?
They share a 48 by 40 inch footprint, so the real choice is headroom. The 275 is 46 inches tall and the 330 is 53 inches. If rack slots or trailer positions are the limit, the 330 gives about 20 percent more product.
Why can't I fit a full truck of filled totes?
Filled loads are weight limited, not space limited. The size library shows a 53 foot van holds 20 filled totes of either size, compared with 40 or 80 empty 275s depending on whether they are stacked.
Will a tote fit through a double door or onto a rack?
The fit table says both sizes pass a double door or roll-up opening. A 330 is tight in a typical 60 inch rack beam opening, so specify 66 inches. Measure your own openings, since standard varies more than people admit.
How do I work out what a filled tote weighs with my product?
Multiply the water weight by your product's specific gravity. Water is 8.34 pounds per gallon, and a full 275 gallon tote of water weighs 2,420 pounds including the container. Anything denser weighs more than that.
Can I get the size numbers on a single sheet?
Yes. Ask for the spec sheet in the message field on the form. The site says it is one page, free, and not gated behind a form you have already filled in.
Six reference pages
Long reads that go with these tables
Tables tell you what a container is. These explain what to do about it.