Every IBC tote that leaves a manufacturer in good standing has a small metal or plastic data plate riveted to the cage, usually somewhere on the front face. The plate contains the manufacturer name, model number, capacity, date of manufacture, UN packaging code, and a handful of other things in a format that looks like ancient runes if you have not seen one before. I want to walk through what each piece of information actually tells you.
Manufacturer name and model
The big four are Schutz, Mauser (now part of Mauser Packaging Solutions), Greif, and Hoover (which is more common in North America than the other three for industrial chemical applications). The model number lets you look up replacement parts — valves, fill caps, dust caps — that are guaranteed to fit. Most of the brands have interchangeable parts at this point because the standard has converged.
Capacity in liters and gallons
Usually shown as both — for example "1041 L / 275 USG" for the standard small format, or "1250 L / 330 USG" for the standard large format. If the plate only shows one of the two, you can convert (one US gallon equals 3.785 liters, so the math is straightforward).
Date of manufacture
Usually a month-year stamp or sometimes a quarter-year. This is the single most useful number on the plate from a buyer's perspective. A tote built in 2018 has theoretically eight years of useful life left if it has been gently used. A tote built in 2009 has been around the supply chain enough times that you should ask hard questions about its history.
UN packaging code
This is the cryptic part. A typical UN code might read "31HA1/Y/0322/USA/M5567." That decodes as: 31 (intermediate bulk container, composite), H (HDPE inner receptacle), A (steel outer cage), 1 (rigid plastic inner), Y (packing group II/III for hazmat), 03 (year of manufacture, 2003 in this case — be aware), 22 (calendar week of testing), USA (country of certification), M5567 (manufacturer ID). Most non-hazmat operations do not need to read the whole code, but if you are doing hazmat freight you will need to confirm the packing group letter against your contents.
Test pressure and tare weight
Test pressure is the maximum internal pressure the tote was rated for at manufacture, usually expressed in kPa. A standard caged composite is rated to about 25-30 kPa, which is roughly 4 psi above atmospheric. Tare weight is the empty weight of the tote — useful for shipping calculations and for confirming during intake that the tote really is empty.
What the plate does not tell you
Notably absent: prior contents, prior owners, number of fill cycles, last wash date, current cosmetic condition. These are exactly the things you actually want to know when buying a used tote, and they are exactly the things you have to get from the reconditioner via a Birth Certificate. The data plate gives you the manufacture-time facts. The Birth Certificate gives you the lived history. You need both.
— Theo Nguyen, IBC Denver