Prep
Ten things that make a quote request complete.
Many quote requests take several rounds because the first message is missing a couple of facts. This page is the list of facts. Fill in what you can — eight of ten is plenty to get started.
The short answer
Buying: quantity, what goes in it, size, grade, fittings, delivery ZIP code, receiving equipment, timing, appearance requirement, documentation requirement. Selling: quantity, prior contents, location, and six photographs — label, cage corner, valve, base, wide shot, bottle interior.
Buying
Ten fields that shape a quote.
| # | What to include | Why it changes the answer |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Quantity | Pricing often changes with quantity, largely because of how transport consolidates |
| 02 | What goes in it | Product name and ideally a safety data sheet. Determines compatibility, gasket material and whether a used unit is suitable at all |
| 03 | Size | 275 or 330 gallons if the footprint suits; a smaller size if your liquid is dense or your space is tight |
| 04 | Grade | Or describe the application and ask for a recommendation |
| 05 | Fittings | Thread standard, valve type and gasket material. Photograph your existing fitting if you are unsure |
| 06 | Delivery ZIP code | Affects transport, which partner suppliers can help, and sometimes whether the order makes sense at all |
| 07 | Receiving equipment | Forklift, dock, liftgate or none. A full tote cannot be moved by hand |
| 08 | When you need it | Helps the partner supplier tell you what is realistic |
| 09 | Does appearance matter | If nobody outside your building sees the tote, a lower cosmetic grade may suit |
| 10 | Documentation required | Prior-contents record, wash record, UN marking and test dates — say which you need |
Selling
Six photographs and three facts.
This is what a partner supplier needs to respond to a request to sell used totes.
01
The product label
Often the most valuable photograph. Prior contents largely determine whether the lot can be reused or only recycled.
02
A cage corner
Close enough to see the weld points. Corrosion there is structural; light surface rust on a bar usually is not.
03
The valve and outlet
Shows the thread, whether hardware is present, and whether the outlet has been left open.
04
The pallet base
Base type and condition. Cracked composite bases are a common hidden fault.
05
A wide shot of the lot
How many, how they are stored, and whether a truck can get to them.
06
Inside one bottle
Through the open cap, with a flashlight if you can. Shows staining, film and sometimes crazing.
Plus three facts: how many units, what was in them, and where they are. Send it through the quote request form and we will match your request with a partner supplier in our network.
What slows a quote down
- “Chemicals” as a product description. Compatibility depends on the specific product, not the category.
- No delivery ZIP code. Without a destination, transport — often a large part of the cost — cannot be quoted.
- Unspecified receiving. If you need a liftgate and that only comes out on delivery day, the truck may have to leave again.
- “Food grade” without saying what you need. Different food programs ask for different documentation. Say what your auditor or customer requires, ask the supplier for documentation and check current regulations.
- A thread standard guessed rather than measured. Similar threads can look identical across a room and lead to a return.
What a good quote includes
When a partner supplier follows up, check that the quote covers the following. A quote missing any of them is hard to take to a purchasing department.
- Unit price by grade, with the grade criteria referenced
- Transport as a separate line, with the method stated
- Timing stated clearly
- Fittings and gasket material specified explicitly
- What documentation comes with the units
- Photographs of the actual units, where practical
- What happens if a unit is not as described
If anything on that list is missing from a quote you receive from anybody, ask for it before you order.
Got the list together?
Open the form and paste it in. There is no wrong amount of detail, and a free, no-obligation quote request is all it takes.
By request type
What each kind of request needs.
Copy the relevant block into your message. Anything you cannot answer, say so — a partial request is fine.
| If you are… | Include | Optional but useful |
|---|---|---|
| Buying totes | Quantity · what goes in them · size or application · delivery ZIP code · forklift, dock or neither · when you need them | Grade preference, thread standard, gasket material, base type, appearance requirement |
| Selling totes | Quantity · prior contents · location · six photographs | Paperwork, storage history, access, whether they are on pallets |
| Reconditioning your totes | Unit count · prior contents · what level of cleaning you need | Your written cleaning specification, gasket material |
| Rebottling your totes | Unit count · bottle specification · valve and gasket material | UN marking needs, known base condition |
| Pickup or delivery | Origin and destination ZIP codes · unit count · full or empty · receiving equipment at both ends | Preferred dates, appointment requirements |
| Recycling end-of-life totes | Quantity · prior contents · location | Whether you need destruction documentation |
Six photographs
The shots that describe a lot of used totes.
Worth doing properly. Clear photographs help a partner supplier understand what you have.
| # | Shot | Frame it so | Shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The product label | The product name and any safety data sheet reference are readable | Prior contents |
| 2 | A bottom cage corner, close | Two or three weld points are clearly visible | Cage condition |
| 3 | The valve and outlet | The thread is visible; lay a tape measure across it if you can | Thread standard and hardware |
| 4 | The pallet base, from low | Fork pockets and corners are visible | Common hidden faults |
| 5 | A wide shot of the lot | Count, stacking, storage and truck access are all visible | Logistics |
| 6 | Inside one bottle | Through the open cap, with a phone flashlight | Staining and film |
The reply
What a complete quote contains.
Check any quote you receive against this list. A quote missing more than one of these is hard to take to a purchasing department.
| Element | Why it has to be there | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Unit price by grade | Grades are not interchangeable | You cannot compare bids |
| The grade criteria, or a reference to them | Grade is not standardised | The letter means little |
| Transport as a separate line | It can be a large share of landed cost | You cannot check either number |
| Timing | So you can plan | Ask before ordering |
| Fittings and gasket material | A common cause of returns | Ask, and verify |
| What documentation comes with the units | Determines whether it survives an audit | Assume none |
| Photographs of the actual units | Especially on larger orders | You are buying a description |
| What happens if a unit is not as described | Otherwise replacement may be at your cost | Ask in writing |
| What happens if a lot you sell grades differently | A common dispute when selling | Ask in writing |
| Payment terms | So there are no surprises | Ask |
Before you order
Twelve things to check at your own end.
Each of these can cause a delivery to fail or an order to be wrong. A few minutes now can save a redelivery later.
| Check | Why | If it is wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Forklift capacity against gross weight | Capacity drops with load centre and lift height | The forklift cannot lift it |
| Doorway and ceiling clearance | A 275 is typically about 46 in tall and a 330 about 53 in, plus any spill pallet | It will not go where it is going |
| Rack beam rating against gross weight | Loaded totes are heavy, especially with dense product | Beam deflection or failure |
| Racking is decked | A pallet base is not designed to span gaps | The base can crack in bending |
| Floor loading | Dense product concentrates heavy loads | Damage to a mezzanine or weak slab |
| Spill containment | Sizing rules vary; check current regulations | Non-compliant containment |
| Thread standard on existing fittings | Similar threads look alike | Nothing mates; the order returns |
| Gasket material against your product | EPDM, for example, is generally not suited to oils | Leaks |
| Dispensing height | The outlet sits low to the ground | Somebody improvises around a loaded tote |
| Receiving equipment on the delivery day | Forklift, dock or liftgate | Redelivery |
| Turning space for a large trailer | Or ask about a smaller truck | The driver cannot get in |
| Somebody available to sign | Deliveries need a receiver | The load goes back |
Quote questions
What information is needed to quote IBC totes?
Ten facts: quantity, what goes in the tote, size, grade, fittings, delivery ZIP code, receiving equipment, when you need it, whether appearance matters, and what documentation you need. Send what you have — a partial request is fine, and a partner supplier follows up on anything missing.
What helps when selling a lot of used totes?
Six photographs (label, cage corner, valve, pallet base, a wide shot and inside one bottle) plus quantity, prior contents and location. That gives a partner supplier what they need to respond to your request.
Why does the delivery ZIP code change my quote?
Transport can be a large part of the landed cost of an IBC tote order, and which partner suppliers can serve you depends on location. Without a destination, a supplier can only quote half the picture.
Do I need a forklift to receive IBC totes?
You need a forklift, a dock or a liftgate delivery. A 275-gallon tote filled with water weighs well over 2,000 lb, and even an empty one is awkward to move by hand. Say so in your request so delivery can be arranged with the right equipment.
Should I specify a grade or ask for a recommendation?
Either works. If you describe the application instead, the partner supplier can suggest a suitable grade. If nobody outside your building sees the tote, a lower cosmetic grade is often the sensible choice.