Drums · IBC totes · Specific gravity

Drum and tote weight calculator

Declare the real gross weight before the terminal scale does.

Enter the fill volume and specific gravity to get net and gross weight per drum or IBC tote and for the whole shipment.

Last updated 2026-09-27. Math runs in your browser, no data leaves your computer.

Pick the package and the form fills in its nominal volume and a manufacturer tare. Holding a spec sheet from your own drum or tote supplier? Type its tare over the default, because drums and totes from other makers weigh differently.

Units

Steel drums are not preset because the makers checked do not publish a tare, so choose Custom and enter the figure from your drum supplier.

Enter the volume you actually fill, since drums and totes are often filled short of the size name to leave room for expansion.

Take it from SDS Section 9, and enter a density in g/cm³ as the same number, because at SG 1.00 a liter weighs one kilogram.

Enter the count on the booking so the total can be checked against the container payload.

Before the booking, screen the name on the invoice. Shipment pre-check is on the paid plans, from USD 59 a month.

General guidance only. Verify against the cited primary sources before you commit to a shipment, declaration, or contract.

Where the volumes and tare weights come from

Net weight is the fill volume in liters times the specific gravity, in kilograms. Gallons convert at 3.785412 liters per US gallon and kilograms at 0.45359237 per pound, the NIST SP 811 factors. Gross weight adds the empty package.

The drum preset is the Schütz F1 tight head drum in its US 208 liter version, listed at 8.8 kg. The tote presets come from the Schütz ECOBULK MX datasheet: the MX 1000 holds 1,000 liters, sold as 275 gallons, and weighs 56 kg on a steel pallet or 59 kg on a plastic skid, while the MX 1250 holds 1,250 liters, sold as 330 gallons, and weighs 65 kg on a steel pallet or 68 kg on a plastic skid.

The same ECOBULK MX datasheet approves the tote for products up to a density of 1.9, and allows filled totes to stack two high in transit up to 1.5 and one high above that. The tool warns when your specific gravity crosses either line on a tote preset. For any other package, the UN mark on the container and its spec sheet set the limit.

The shipment total is compared with the 28,330 kg payload ONE lists for its 20 ft dry container, which is the box most drum and tote loads go in. The truck leg often allows less than the box, so ask the trucker for the legal load too.

Worked example. 80 drums declared at the weight of water

The booking. A shipper books 80 plastic 55 gallon drums into a 20 ft container and works the weight out as if the product were water: 208.2 liters plus the 8.8 kg drum is 217.0 kg each, or 17,360 kg for the load. The booking and the declared gross mass go in at that figure, which looks fine on paper.

The failure. The product's SDS gives a specific gravity of 1.30. Each drum really weighs 208.2 × 1.30 + 8.8 = 279.5 kg, so the 80 drums come to 22,357 kg, almost 5,000 kg more than declared. The weighbridge reading and the declaration disagree, and the box waits until the paperwork is corrected. The choice is the usual one: change the cargo, or change the paperwork.

The fix. The shipper runs the drums through this tool at SG 1.30 before booking and declares 22,357 kg plus the pallets. That total is under the 28,330 kg ONE payload for a 20 ft box, the trucker confirms the road leg, and the load ships at the declared weight.

Working out how many drums or totes fit the floor of the container? The drum and IBC palletising calculator counts them by container and flags the binding limit.

Frequently asked

How much does a full 55 gallon drum weigh?

Volume times specific gravity plus the empty drum. A 55 gallon drum holds 208.2 liters at the NIST gallon of 3.785412 liters, so a product with specific gravity 1.30 weighs 270.7 kg net. Add the 8.8 kg Schütz lists for its F1 tight head plastic drum and the drum weighs 279.5 kg, about 616 lb, before any pallet.

How much does a full 275 gallon IBC tote weigh?

Schütz lists its ECOBULK MX 1000 at 1,000 liters, sold as the 275 gallon size, and 56 kg empty on a steel pallet. Filled with water at specific gravity 1.00 that is 1,056 kg gross, about 2,328 lb. A product at specific gravity 1.30 brings it to 1,356 kg.

How much does a full 330 gallon IBC tote weigh?

The Schütz ECOBULK MX 1250 holds 1,250 liters, sold as the 330 gallon size, and weighs 65 kg empty on a steel pallet or 68 kg on a plastic skid. At specific gravity 1.00 the steel pallet version is 1,315 kg gross. Enter your product and the tool does the rest.

Is a 275 gallon tote really 1,000 liters?

Not to the liter, because the Schütz datasheet pairs 1,000 liters with the 275 gallon name, while 275 US gallons at the NIST factor is 1,041 liters. The tool lets you enter the volume you actually fill, in gallons or liters, so the weight follows the real fill rather than the size name.

Where do I find the specific gravity?

In SDS Section 9, listed as relative density or specific gravity, or as density in g/cm³. Density in g/cm³ and kg per liter is the same number as specific gravity against water for this purpose, so enter it as given.

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Sourzi shows what official files say. It is not customs or legal advice. For a binding answer, ask a licensed customs broker, a CBP ruling or an Australian Border Force Tariff Advice.

File dates and links are on Data sources.