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275-Gallon Tote
Q. What is the largest packaging
AMSOIL provides for its products?
A.
The largest standard capacity packaging AMSOIL provides
for lubricants is the 275-gallon tote.
Note: Tanker load shipments of
3,000 gallons minimum are also available, but only via quote.
Contact the AMSOIL Sales Department for details.
 Q.
What is a tote?
A. A tote is an alternative
packaging option that provides a means to deliver more product than
the industry standard 55-gallon drum. Totes can do the job of five
55-gallon drums, sharply reducing the time and labor required for
filling, emptying and handling multiple containers. Totes also
eliminate the high cost of maintenance, return transportation, and
the disposal of empty 55-gallon steel drums.
Q. What are totes made of?
A.
Totes are constructed with an 8-ply corrugated outer shell. The
inside bladder liner is a 3-ply 11-mil thick Flexi-tech recyclable
heavy duty plastic. The container is secured to a standard shipping
pallet for ease of delivery and mobility. The strength and
durability of this style packaging has been proven over the years.
Q. Are there disposal issues associated with
totes?
A. Appropriate disposal is always
something to be aware of. Totes are completely recyclable,
biodegradable, and waste-to-energy efficient. In the majority of
cases the corrugated outer shell can be recycled with paper, and the
inner bladder may be recycled with plastics. The shipping pallet
platform may be reused for any shipping application. These can all
be very good selling points as many companies have concerns about
the costs associated with disposing of empty drums. It is
recommended that authorized local authorities be consulted to verify
acceptable disposal practices. Also, as a general rule, purchasers
of lubricants usually have established disposal practices, a
responsible party within the organization, and direct contact with
disposal authorities, so proper disposal is rarely an issue.
Q. With supply storage space at a premium,
doesn’t a tote take up more space than an equivalent amount of
lubricant in 55-gallon drums?
A. Actually, the
space required to store a tote is less than that of five 55-gallon
drums. And totes can be stacked four high, which is extremely space
efficient in warehouses with high ceilings. And don’t forget, empty
totes can be broken down and recycled, so there is no need to store
the empty product containers.
Q. What AMSOIL products are available in totes?
A. Generally speaking, most every AMSOIL lubricant
can be packaged in a tote. But it is recommended to verify this with
AMSOIL INC. in Superior, Wisconsin before committing to a customer.
Q. If totes are not listed in the AMSOIL price
lists does it mean that the product is not available in that package
size?
A. Often the price for a tote is not
listed in the AMSOIL price lists. Once again, it is recommended you
contact AMSOIL directly to verify a product’s availability in totes.
Q. If there are not prices listed for the totes,
how do I know what the price is?
A. Contact
AMSOIL for pricing on the totes. As a general rule-of-thumb you can
“estimate” the approximate price for a tote with the following
computation:
(5 x Price of the product in a 55-gallon drum) - $50 = 275-gallon
tote price.
Q. Are totes available in the distribution
centers?
A. Totes are not normally stored at the
distribution centers unless there is a customer who has developed a
consistent track record of tote orders and the servicing Dealer has
worked out the details with the appropriate regional sales manager.
Otherwise, totes are packaged and shipped from Superior, Wisconsin.
Q. How are lubricants dispensed from a tote?
A. There are two methods for dispersing lubricants.
The first is a gravity feed system utilizing a ball-cutter valve
(G1189, $49.45)
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| cutter valve |
Screw in the G1189 and push in the
plunger |
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| Pull back the plunger and turn
valve |
Unscrew plunger |
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| Threads are 2" NPT |
G1434 Suspension Jig |
The second method is by using a tote pump. This device requires
another accessory called a suspension jig (G1434, $177.80) to be
first fitted across the top of the tote, which the pump itself is
mounted to. This eliminates pump vibration and stops the end of the
pump from reaching the bottom of the tote where it could potentially
damage the plastic and cause a leak. As a side note, many customers
have a metal shop where they can fabricate their own pump support
systems at a lower cost using onsite materials.
AMSOIL does not sell the pumps directly, but does provide
recommended equipment sources:
Some businesses will use totes to fill their own onsite/on
premises storage tanks. A word of caution for this scenario;
investigate what the previous fluid/liquid was that was stored in
the onsite tank. Otherwise you risk the potential for contamination
of the AMSOIL lubricant being pumped out of the tote into their
storage tank. This may result in contamination (i.e. motor oil being
drained into a tank that had previously stored anti-freeze would
present a significant problem).
Q. Are the freight charges expensive for
shipping a tote?
A. Totes are charged the
standard shipping rates based on the published freight rates found
in the AMSOIL price lists. It is worth noting that the cost of of a
the tote will often qualify the customer for a discount based on the
Freight Discount Schedule also found in the AMSOIL Price list. There
may be an additional charge for lift-gate service if the customer
does not have proper equipment to unload the tote. There is nothing
worse then the tote reaching its final destination and the client
cannot offload the unit. Check with the nearest AMSOIL distribution
center for lift-gate service rates should you encounter this
situation.
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