275 gallon
totes.
The most common unit we sell, in every grade. Quantity and grade get you a number the same day.
The 275 gallon IBC tote is really a 1,000 litre tote: 264.2 usable gallons, 48 × 40 × 46 inches, 125 lb empty, 2,330 lb full of water. It is the default format in North America because it fits a GMA pallet footprint, clears a standard dock door, and sits inside the lift capacity of an ordinary 5,000 lb forklift when full. Roughly 5.9 gallons per inch of fill height.
Why this size became the standard
Three constraints converged on it. One: 1,000 litres is a round metric number and the format was designed in Europe. Two: a 48 × 40 inch footprint is the North American pallet standard, so the container inherits every piece of existing material-handling infrastructure for free. Three: at 46 inches tall it clears a standard dock door even on forks, and it is low enough that a person can see into the top opening while standing on the floor.
That last point matters more than it sounds. A 330 gallon unit at 53 inches is tall enough that you need a step to inspect the fill level, which is why plants with frequent visual checks stay on 275s even when floor space is tight.
Fill height, calibrated
| Fill height from base | Approximate volume |
|---|---|
| 6 in | 26 gal |
| 12 in | 62 gal |
| 18 in | 97 gal |
| 24 in | 133 gal |
| 30 in | 168 gal |
| 36 in | 203 gal |
| 42 in | 239 gal |
| 44 in (nominal line) | 264 gal |
| 46 in (brim — do not use) | ≈288 gal |
Straight-wall band only; the taper at top and bottom means the first and last few inches hold less than 5.9 gallons each. Use the calculator for product-specific weights.
Handling envelope
- Forklift: four-way entry on steel and composite pallets; two-way only on some all-plastic bases. Check before you specify a fleet.
- Lift capacity: 2,330 lb full of water is comfortable for a 5,000 lb truck at standard load centre. A heavy product at SG 1.4 is 3,170 lb and starts to matter when the load centre is extended.
- Pallet jack: only on smooth level concrete, and only with a long-fork jack. Do not attempt it on asphalt or gravel.
- Floor loading: 2,330 lb over 13.3 sq ft is 175 lb/sq ft. Stacked two high that doubles, and it exceeds most mezzanine ratings.
- Doorway: 46 in tall plus 4–6 in of fork lift is 50–52 in in transit. Width is 48 in, so a 48-inch doorway needs the unit turned.
What varies between units
Height by up to an inch, depending on pallet construction. Tare by up to 14 lb for the same reason. Valve thread, which is usually 2-inch buttress but sometimes S60x6 on European bottles. Bottle wall thickness between 1.9 and 2.4 mm by manufacturer and vintage. And the UN marking, if the unit was ever plated — see UN markings explained.
Full specification
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Nominal | 275 US gal / 1,000 L |
| Actual at fill line | 264.2 US gal |
| Brim | ≈288 US gal |
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in |
| Height | 46.0 in ±0.5 |
| Tare | 118 – 132 lb |
| Gross, water | ≈2,330 lb |
| Gallons per inch | ≈5.9 |
| Bottle wall | 1.9 – 2.4 mm HDPE |
| Fill opening | 6 in buttress |
| Discharge | 2 in buttress or S60x6 |
| Stack, filled | 2 high, level floor |
| Stack, empty | 4 high, interlocked |
| Service temp | −10 to 140 °F |
| Floor positions, 53' van | 26 (48 double-stacked empty) |
Price bands
- Technical
- $95 – $145
- Grade A
- $155 – $225
- Food grade
- $225 – $340
- Rebottled
- $340 – $430
- New
- $520 – $690
275 gallon questions
Is a 275 gallon tote really 275 gallons?
No. It is a 1,000 litre tote, which is 264.2 US gallons at the nominal fill line. Brim capacity is closer to 288 gallons because the bottle continues above the fill line, but you should never use it: thermal expansion of water alone is about 0.3% between 60 °F and 100 °F, which is three-quarters of a gallon, and a brim-filled tote on a hot afternoon will push product out of the vent.
How much does a 275 gallon tote weigh full?
With water, about 2,330 lb at nominal fill including the 125 lb tare. With a heavier product it rises fast: corn syrup at specific gravity 1.38 is 3,170 lb, and brine at 1.18 is 2,730 lb. The commonly quoted '2,420 lb' figure assumes a 275-gallon fill rather than 264, so it is slightly conservative — which is the right direction to be wrong in.
How many gallons per inch of height?
Roughly 5.9 gallons per inch over the straight-walled portion of the bottle, which runs from about 4 inches above the base to about 40 inches. Below and above that the bottle tapers and the figure drops. A dipstick calibrated in the middle band and used in the middle band is accurate to within a couple of percent; used near the top or bottom it is not.
Can I stack 275 gallon totes two high when full?
On a level concrete floor, yes — the cage is designed for it and a filled unit will carry another filled unit above it. But only two, only level, only with the cages properly seated, and never in a seismic zone without engineering. Empties stack four high safely. In a moving trailer, filled units are single-tier only, no exceptions.
What is the pallet footprint?
48 × 40 inches — the standard North American GMA pallet. That is why totes rack conventionally, fit 26 floor positions in a 53-foot van, and go through a standard 48-inch doorway if you turn them. The footprint is the one dimension that essentially never varies.
Everything about the 275, in one place
| Specification | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal capacity | 275 US gal | Marketing figure, rounded up |
| Design volume | 1,000 L | The real number — specify in litres |
| Actual at fill line | 264.2 US gal | What you can use |
| Brim capacity | ≈288 US gal | Never plan on it |
| Recommended maximum fill | 259 gal (98%) | 2% headspace indoors |
| Outdoor maximum fill | 251 gal (95%) | 5% headspace for thermal expansion |
| Winter maximum fill | 238 gal (90%) | 10% headspace — water expands 9% on freezing |
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in | GMA pallet standard |
| Floor area | 13.33 sq ft | 1.24 m² |
| Height | 46.0 in ±0.5 | Design to 47 in |
| Height on forks | 50 – 52 in | Design to 53 in |
| Tare, all-plastic base | 118 lb | Lightest |
| Tare, composite base | 124 lb | |
| Tare, steel base | 132 lb | Our default on reconditioned stock |
| Gross, water | ≈2,330 lb | At 264 gal nominal fill |
| Gross, corn syrup SG 1.38 | ≈3,166 lb | Check your forklift |
| Gallons per inch | ≈5.9 | Straight-wall band, 4 – 40 in |
| Bottle material | Blow-moulded HDPE | FDA-compliant resin |
| Bottle wall | 1.9 – 2.4 mm | Varies by maker and vintage |
| Bottle weight | ≈38 lb | What becomes regrind |
| Cage | Welded galvanised tubular steel | ≈48 lb |
| Fill opening | 6 in buttress or DIN 61 | Vented and solid caps available |
| Discharge | 2 in buttress or S60x6 | Butterfly standard, ball valve available |
| Discharge centreline | 7 – 9.5 in above floor | Design to 9.5 |
| Service temperature | −10 to 140 °F | Creeps under load above 140 |
| Stack, filled | 2 high, level concrete | 92 in total |
| Stack, empty | 4 high, interlocked | 184 in total |
| Floor load, filled | ≈175 lb/sq ft | 350 stacked two high |
| Floor positions, 53 ft van | 26 | Same as a 330 |
| Empties per van | 48 double stacked | ≈6,000 lb |
| Filled per van, water | 18 | ≈41,900 lb — weight bound |
| UN code if plated | 31HA1/Y | Composite, liquids, PG II and III |
| Share of our intake | ≈71% | The format we see most |
Height to volume to weight, by product
The three questions in sequence: how much is in there, what does it weigh, and will the truck take it.
| Height | Gallons | Litres | Water | Glycol SG 1.04 | Brine SG 1.18 | Syrup SG 1.38 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 in | 26 | 98 | 342 lb | 351 lb | 381 lb | 424 lb |
| 12 in | 62 | 235 | 642 lb | 664 lb | 736 lb | 839 lb |
| 18 in | 97 | 367 | 934 lb | 967 lb | 1,080 lb | 1,242 lb |
| 24 in | 133 | 503 | 1,235 lb | 1,279 lb | 1,435 lb | 1,657 lb |
| 30 in | 168 | 636 | 1,527 lb | 1,583 lb | 1,780 lb | 2,060 lb |
| 36 in | 203 | 768 | 1,819 lb | 1,887 lb | 2,124 lb | 2,463 lb |
| 42 in | 239 | 905 | 2,120 lb | 2,200 lb | 2,479 lb | 2,878 lb |
| 44 in (nominal) | 264 | 1,000 | 2,329 lb | 2,417 lb | 2,725 lb | 3,166 lb |
| 46 in (brim) | 288 | 1,090 | 2,529 lb | 2,625 lb | 2,961 lb | 3,443 lb |
Includes a 125 lb tare throughout. Note the bottom-right cell: a brim-filled tote of corn syrup is 3,443 lb, which is outside the comfortable range of a 5,000 lb forklift at an extended load centre and well outside a pallet jack.
Units that fit a legal load, by product
| Product | SG | Gross per unit | Units per load | Positions wasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethanol | 0.79 | ≈1,867 lb | 23 | 3 |
| Diesel | 0.85 | ≈1,998 lb | 21 | 5 |
| Vegetable oil | 0.92 | ≈2,152 lb | 20 | 6 |
| Water | 1.00 | ≈2,329 lb | 18 | 8 |
| Propylene glycol | 1.04 | ≈2,417 lb | 17 | 9 |
| Brine, saturated | 1.18 | ≈2,725 lb | 15 | 11 |
| Latex paint | 1.25 | ≈2,879 lb | 15 | 11 |
| Corn syrup | 1.38 | ≈3,166 lb | 13 | 13 |
| Molasses | 1.42 | ≈3,254 lb | 13 | 13 |
| Sulphuric acid 93% | 1.84 | ≈4,180 lb | 10 | 16 |
Lifting, stacking, racking and floors
Forklift load centre, which is where people get caught
A truck's rated capacity applies at a stated load centre, almost always 24 inches. A 275 gallon tote is 40 inches deep, so its mass centre sits roughly 20 inches out — close enough to standard that derating is modest. A filled water tote at 2,330 lb is comfortable on a 5,000 lb truck.
It stops being comfortable with a heavy product. At SG 1.4 you are at 3,250 lb with the same load centre, which starts to erode the margin, and at SG 1.84 you are at 4,180 lb and should be using a 6,000 lb truck.
Floor loading, with the comparison that matters
| Configuration or floor | lb / sq ft |
|---|---|
| 275 gal water, single | ≈175 |
| 275 gal water, two high | ≈350 |
| 275 gal brine, two high | ≈411 |
| 275 gal corn syrup, two high | ≈476 |
| Industrial ground-floor slab | 250 – 500 |
| Light commercial slab | 125 – 250 |
| Steel mezzanine, standard | 125 – 250 |
| Steel mezzanine, heavy duty | 250 – 400 |
| Older timber upper floor | as low as 75 |
| Suspended concrete office floor | 50 – 100 |
Stacking rules, as rules
- Empty: four high maximum, cages interlocked, level floor.
- Filled: two high maximum, level concrete only, both cages square and both base frames flat.
- Filled in a trailer: single tier, always, without exception.
- Never stack onto a cage with a bent lower horizontal or a cracked base-frame weld — that is the failure mode behind essentially every real stacking accident.
- Never stack onto a composite or plastic base showing deck cracking.
- Never mix formats in a stack.
Detailed questions
What is the real difference between a 275 and a 330 in practice?
Seven inches of height and 25% more volume in the same footprint. That is the entire difference. Same freight per unit, same forklift pockets, same racking, same 26 floor positions. If floor area binds, take the 330; if clearance, lift margin or visual level checks bind, take the 275.
How much does an empty 275 gallon tote weigh?
118 lb on an all-plastic base, 124 on composite, 132 on steel. The spread matters for freight billing on empty returns and for rack calculations, and almost nowhere else.
Can one person move an empty 275 gallon tote?
Drag or tip it on smooth concrete, yes, with difficulty — 125 lb with a high centre of mass and no handholds. Lift it, no. On gravel or any slope, no. Use a pallet jack on smooth level floor or a forklift anywhere else.
What is the maximum safe fill for outdoor storage in summer?
95% — about 251 gallons. Water expands roughly 0.3% from 60 to 100 °F and hydrocarbons three to four times that, and a vented cap needs somewhere for the vapour to be. A brim-filled tote in direct sun pushes product out of the vent; sealed, it bulges the bottle against the cage instead.
How many 275s fit in a 40-foot shipping container?
Eighteen on the floor single tier, or up to twenty for a high-cube with careful loading. Double stacking in a standard container is marginal on height — a 40-foot standard is 7 ft 10 in internal, which will not take two 46-inch units plus pallet clearance reliably.
Is the 6-inch fill cap always the same thread?
No, and this catches people. North American bottles are usually 6-inch buttress; European bottles use S70x6 / DIN 61. They are not interchangeable, and a DIN cap on a buttress neck will start, bind and damage the thread. Check the cap marking.
What is the gallons-per-inch figure actually for?
Estimating remaining volume in the straight-walled band, which runs roughly 4 to 40 inches from the base. Below and above that the bottle tapers and 5.9 gal/in overstates. It is a process-control figure, not a custody-transfer figure.
Can I rack 275 gallon totes on standard pallet racking?
Yes, which is one of the format's main advantages — same footprint as a GMA pallet. Check your beam capacity against 2,330 lb per position for water and more for heavy product, and check that the beam spacing accommodates 47 inches plus clearance. Single-deep, single-tier in rack is normal; beam-level stacking is not.
Need 275s in a specific grade?
Say which grade and how many. If the mix matters, tell us the split and we will build the pallet that way.