One- and two-loop bulk bags
One- and two-loop bulk bags are made from a tubular body whose top is gathered into a single lifting loop or split into two, instead of four separate loops sewn at the corners. They hang from one hook point or one pair of points, so a crane hook, a forklift tine or a multi-hook frame can pick them up quickly, which is why fertilizer, mineral and cement shippers use them.
| Body build | Circular woven tube |
|---|---|
| Loops | One or two, formed from the body fabric |
| Loop sleeve | Often wrapped for grip and wear |
| Fill opening | Liner neck or short spout under or between the loops |
| Bottom | Flat, or a discharge spout |
| Liner | Common; often sealed after filling |
| Fabric | Woven polypropylene, often coated |
| SWL | Commonly 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) and up; read the label |
| Safety factor | 5:1 single trip |
| Static type | Type A unless specified |
Good for
- Fertilizer, often with a liner
- Cement and other mineral binders
- Granular minerals and salts
- Ag lime and gypsum headed for spreading
- Loading by crane, including frames that lift several bags at once
- Yards where one driver handles bags alone on a forklift tine
Not for
- Fill stations built around four corner hooks, without an adapter
- Very light, bulky product that needs a wide fill opening
- Open-top or loader-bucket filling
- Fluffy, lightweight material such as shredded foam or fiber
- Any lift where the loops can't hang vertically over the bag
Put this in the request
- One loop or two, and how will the bags be lifted: crane hook, single tine or a lifting frame?
- What does your fill station have: a single hook, two hooks or four?
- Will bags be lifted singly, or several at a time on a frame?
- Is a liner needed, and will it be heat-sealed or tied after filling?
- What product, and what fill weight per bag?
- Flat bottom or discharge spout?
- Coated or uncoated fabric?
- What ZIP, and how many bags per order?
Loops made from the bag itself
Most bulk bags have four loops of webbing sewn onto the corners. These don't. The body starts as a woven tube, and the top of that tube is extended, gathered and stitched into one loop, or divided into two. The lifting load runs from the loop straight down into the same fabric that holds the product, without a sewn joint between a loop and a wall.
Loops are usually wrapped in a sleeve of fabric or tape where the hook or tine bears on them, which protects the weave and gives the operator something to grab. Filling happens through an opening in the top, most often the neck of a liner that pokes up under or between the loops.
Two-loop bags are usually made by splitting the top of the tube into a pair of loops on opposite sides, so the bag hangs from twin hooks or a pair of tines. One-loop bags gather everything into a single handle at the center, which suits a crane hook best.
Because the same cloth that holds the product also carries the whole lift, makers size the fabric for both jobs. Many loop bags are coated, which keeps fertilizer prills and cement fines inside and stiffens the crown a little so the loop stands up for the hook.
Handling from one point
The appeal is speed. One person on a forklift can slide a tine through a single loop without climbing down to hook four corners. A crane can pick a one-loop bag off a stack and lower it into a hold or onto a trailer, and lifting frames with several hooks take a whole row in one lift. At bulk terminals and fertilizer warehouses, that turns into fewer touches per bag.
Hanging from one point, the bag needs its loops vertical over its center. Keep the hook or tine square under the loop, lift smoothly, and never drag a bag by its loop. Inspect the loop and sleeve before each lift, as with any FIBC.
- Match tine or hook size to the loop sleeve
- Bring loops vertical before taking the weight
- Raise and lower smoothly, without swinging
- Stand clear of a suspended bag
- Retire any bag with a frayed loop or worn sleeve
Filling, sealing and emptying
Fill stations for loop bags hang the bag from one or two hooks and fill through the liner neck. After filling, the liner is tied, folded or heat-sealed, depending on the product and the line. If your filler was built for four-loop bags, ask the equipment maker about adapting it before switching.
Discharge is usually from a flat bottom cut open over a hopper, or through a bottom spout where the line needs metered flow.
Heat-sealing a polyethylene liner gives a tight closure for hygroscopic fertilizer, but it needs a sealer at the station and someone trained to run it. Tying the neck with a cable tie or cord is quicker and lets a little more air creep in over time. Choose by how long the product will sit before it's spread or used.
How these compare with four-loop bags
A four-loop bag sits square on a fill frame and fits nearly every station and forklift procedure. Loop bags trade that universal fit for quicker single-point handling and a body that is simple to make from one tube. If your bags are always moved by crane or by one driver and one tine, loop bags earn their place. If several sites with different equipment receive them, four loops are the safer default.
Bulk transfer is where loop bags feel most at home: lifted in sets onto flatbeds, into railcars or barges, and out again at a terminal or a farm-supply yard. If your product moves through hands like that, ask each receiving site what gear it lifts with before you commit.
Returning empties works as with any bag: fold them, bundle them and keep them dry. Single-trip loop bags go to a recycler, and we book the pickup alongside an inbound delivery where the timing lines up.
What we need for a loop-bag order
Tell us one loop or two, the lifting method, the fill station's hook layout, the product and fill weight, the liner and how it closes, the bottom, and the ZIP. Loop bags fold flat and bale like other bags, so freight is planned the same way: bales on wrapped pallets, LTL or full trailer, with the delivery day confirmed by the carrier.
If your crew hasn't handled loop bags before, consider starting with a single pallet. Watching one shift fill and move them answers most questions faster than any drawing.
Questions
Are one-loop bags safe to lift with a forklift?
Yes, when the tine is the right size for the loop, the loop hangs vertically over the bag and the fill stays within the SWL on the label. Follow your site's lifting procedures.
Can I convert my four-hook filler to loop bags?
That's a question for the filler's maker. Some stations take a single-hook adapter; others don't.
Why do most loop bags have a liner?
The usual products, fertilizer and cement, are moisture-sensitive, and the liner neck doubles as the fill opening in the top.
Is a two-loop bag just a one-loop bag with an extra handle?
Not quite. Two loops spread the lift across opposite sides, which steadies the bag on paired hooks or tines; one loop hangs it from a single central point. Pick by how your lifting gear is arranged.
Request one- and two-loop bulk bags
The spec from the label, the count and the ship-to ZIP. We confirm the spec, build the load and come back with the freight and the delivery window.