How much an IBC tote weighs

The arithmetic

Multiply the gallons by the weight of a gallon of the liquid, then add the weight of the empty tote. Water is 8.34 pounds a gallon. Fuels and oils are lighter, syrups and some chemicals heavier.

The plate states the maximum permitted gross mass. A tote filled with a heavy liquid can exceed it.

Why it matters

• A pickup truck's payload may be 1,500 pounds or less.
• A pallet jack has a rated capacity.
• A stand, deck or roof must carry the load.
• A tote on soft ground will settle and tip.
• A forklift tine must be fully under the pallet.

Moving a full tote

Move it slowly, with the load low and the tote strapped. Sloshing liquid shifts the weight, and an abrupt stop can push the tote forward. Lift only with tines fully under the pallet and only as high as necessary.

Weighing a tote

If you need to know the weight precisely, weigh the tote on a floor scale before and after filling. The plate has the tare mass, and the safety data sheet states the liquid's density.

In South Florida

A pickup in the Redland carrying a tote of water to a young grove is the classic overload. Many half-ton trucks list payloads of 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, and a full 275 gallon tote of water alone is 2,290. Fill the tote at the site, or move it empty and fill with a hose. Never fill a tote on the bed of a pickup.

Weighing a tote with a bathroom scale

You do not need a floor scale to estimate a load. Place a bathroom scale under one corner of the pallet with a plank of equal height under the others, read the number, and multiply by four for a rough weight, or measure all four corners and add them. For liquids, use the gallons and the density from the sheet; a quarter-full 275 gallon tote of water is about 570 pounds in the liquid alone, plus the 130 to 160 pounds of the tote. Keep a note of the figure on the cage. When someone rents you a truck, a trailer or a crane, they will ask, and a number you measured is better than one you guessed.

Watch the axle ratings

A pickup carrying a full tote of water may exceed the rear axle rating long before it exceeds the gross vehicle weight, because the load sits behind the cab. Check the door-jamb sticker for both numbers and subtract the weight of passengers and tools. A flatbed with a lift gate spreads the load better. When in doubt, move the tote empty and fill it in place with a hose.