What are the dimensions of a 275 gallon tote?

About 48 × 40 × 46 in (1,200 × 1,000 × 1,150 mm). Individual designs differ by up to an inch or so.

What are the dimensions of a 330 gallon tote?

About 48 × 40 × 53 in (1,200 × 1,000 × 1,350 mm). One new listing measures 54 in tall.

Do totes fit on a standard pallet footprint?

Yes. The 275 and 330 sit on a 48 × 40 in base, the North American GMA pallet size.

Will a tote fit through a 36 in door?

No. A 275 or 330 tote is about 40 in wide on its pallet, so the door has to be wider than that, plus room for the forklift.

How tall is a 135 gallon tote?

It depends on the design, since short totes vary more than the standard sizes. Ask for the drawing of the specific model before you plan a space around it.

How much space does a stainless 350 gallon IBC take?

Steel IBCs stand on legs with their own footprint, often close to a pallet’s, but check the drawing; legs and fittings can add width.

How tall are two stacked 275 gallon totes?

About 92 in, roughly seven feet eight inches, before any lifting clearance.

Do totes fit in a shipping container?

Yes. A 20 ft or 40 ft ocean container takes totes in rows on the floor; how many depends on whether they are stacked and on weight limits for the route.

IBC tote dimensions by size

The two common sizes

Size	Base, L × W	Height	Capacity
275 gal	48 × 40 in (1,200 × 1,000 mm)	about 46 in (1,150 mm)	275 gal, 1,040 L
330 gal	48 × 40 in (1,200 × 1,000 mm)	about 53 in (1,350 mm)	330 gal, 1,250 L

The metric figures are the European design sizes for the 1,000 and 1,250 litre totes (Wikipedia, IBC); the inch figures are the US trade's round numbers (Powerblanket; Container Exchanger). The base matches the 48 × 40 in GMA pallet, 13.3 square feet of floor (IBCTanks.com), so totes sit in the same racking and trailer patterns as pallets.

Drawn to one scale from the trade's standard heights. Makers differ by an inch or so: one new 330 listing measures 54 in. The measured height of the tote you order is on its spec sheet.

Why your tote may measure differently

The round numbers are nominal. Cage tube, pallet height and bottle shape vary by maker, and listings show it. One new 275 gallon tote is listed at 47.25 × 39.25 × 45.50 in (Cary 26WN2C), and one new 330 at 48 × 40 × 54 in (Cary 26WN3C). Published heights for 275 gallon IBCs run from 42 to 46 in (IPS News). An alternate square 45 × 45 in base is used mainly in Europe.

When a fraction of an inch matters, as it does for a filling station, a containment pallet, a rack bay or a doorway, take the measured drawing for the specific tote you're buying. We send it with the quote.

The smaller and larger sizes

135 gallon (about 511 L). Short caged totes for small batches. Dimensions vary more by design than the standard sizes do: some keep the 48 × 40 in base and lose height, others use a smaller base. See the 135 gallon tote.

350 gallon stainless (about 1,325 L). A steel IBC on legs, not a cage on a pallet. Its size follows the design; the one we take figures from weighs about 475 lb empty (Snyder). See the 350 gallon stainless IBC.

550 gallon (about 2,082 L). Mostly built in steel. A rigid IBC can be up to 3 cubic metres, 793 gallons, before it becomes a portable tank. See 550 gallon IBCs.

Space to leave around a tote

Height on the drawing is the tote; the space it needs is more. Leave room above for the fill cap to come off and a fill lance or hose to go in. A 330 needs about 53 in of clearance before the cap (Container Exchanger). At the front, leave room for the valve handle to swing and a bucket or hose to reach the outlet. Stacked two high, two 330s stand over nine feet, which some low mezzanines and trailer doors won't clear.

Measuring your site before you order

Walk the route the tote will take, from the trailer to where it will be used, with a tape. Note the narrowest door, the lowest beam or sprinkler pipe, any ramp or step, and the turning room at corners. A forklift carrying a tote needs more than the tote's 40 in width to pass; the mast, the operator and a margin for steering usually add a foot or more.

Then look at what the tote will sit on or in. Spill-containment pallets and decks are sized to the 48 × 40 in footprint, but their sump walls add height to the fill point. Dispensing stands raise the outlet so a pail fits under it, which raises the top cap too. If the tote goes in a rack, check that the bay's clear height covers the tote plus the lift-off room your forklift needs, and that the beams can carry a full tote, not just an empty one.

Write the tightest measurement on your request. We would rather quote a 275 that fits than a 330 that stops at the door.

Metric and imperial on the same drawing

Drawings for totes made in or for Europe are in millimetres; US listings use inches. When you compare the two, convert precisely: 1,200 mm is 47.24 in, not 48, and 1,000 mm is 39.37 in, not 40. Those fractions are why a European tote sits slightly inside a GMA pallet's outline, and why a containment deck sized exactly to one may be loose or tight on the other.

Short answers

What are the dimensions of a 275 gallon tote?: About 48 × 40 × 46 in (1,200 × 1,000 × 1,150 mm). Individual designs differ by up to an inch or so.
What are the dimensions of a 330 gallon tote?: About 48 × 40 × 53 in (1,200 × 1,000 × 1,350 mm). One new listing measures 54 in tall.
Do totes fit on a standard pallet footprint?: Yes. The 275 and 330 sit on a 48 × 40 in base, the North American GMA pallet size.
Will a tote fit through a 36 in door?: No. A 275 or 330 tote is about 40 in wide on its pallet, so the door has to be wider than that, plus room for the forklift.
How tall is a 135 gallon tote?: It depends on the design, since short totes vary more than the standard sizes. Ask for the drawing of the specific model before you plan a space around it.
How much space does a stainless 350 gallon IBC take?: Steel IBCs stand on legs with their own footprint, often close to a pallet’s, but check the drawing; legs and fittings can add width.
How tall are two stacked 275 gallon totes?: About 92 in, roughly seven feet eight inches, before any lifting clearance.
Do totes fit in a shipping container?: Yes. A 20 ft or 40 ft ocean container takes totes in rows on the floor; how many depends on whether they are stacked and on weight limits for the route.