We have a lot of customers who call in frequently requesting a 20 ft. ISO Tank Container for transport or storage. When I inquire what size or capacity, I get “20 ft.”. Well unfortunately that doesn’t answer much. Most 99% of the ISO tanks that you see in the U.S. are going fit within a 20 ft. ISO frame which is equivalent in outside dimensions to a dry box container. What does change is the size of the stainless steel barrel that houses the product. These dimensions can range from 12,500L ( 3,302 gallon equivalent ) to 26,000L (6,868 gallon equivalent). Most commonly are the 20/21,oooL (5547 gal) range and the 23/24,000L (6,340 gal) tanks. The smaller sized tanks are typically top load and discharge and are used for bulk liquids that have a higher specific gravity than water (more dense) and therefore weigh more. Pop quiz: Can you spot the almost 10,000L size difference between the tank above and the one below?
As with any product, the cargo within a tank still has to comply with the federal bridge law of 80,000 LBS gross weight when being transported over the road. A loaded transport tank must be at least 80% full up to 98% full, so typically, the heavier the product, the smaller the tank. A large array of chemicals, pharmaceutical products, and food grade products such as wine and orange juice fall around the same density and can be safely transported in a 24,000L IMO1/T11 Tank (or IMO0 in the case of food grade). Many customers also try to get as much product in each load, but again you must consider overall gross weight and tank tolerances. If you find yourself looking for some extra guidance in what size tank is best suited for your product, please call us at 832-433-7114 or email us and we’ll be happy help!
