36 x 36 x 48 in bulk bag
A 36 x 36 x 48 in bulk bag is a 3 ft by 3 ft by 4 ft box: 62,208 cubic inches, exactly 36 cubic feet, about 1,019 litres. It is a one-ton class bag that holds about 2,160 lb of granular fertilizer or 1,800 lb of sugar at our assumed densities, usually sewn at 2,000 to 2,200 lb SWL.
- Footprint
- 36 x 36 in
- Body height
- 48 in
- Box volume
- 62,208 cu in = 36 cu ft = 1,019 L
- Method
- 36 x 36 x 48 = 62,208 cu in, divided by 1,728 cu in per cu ft
Fill weight if filled to the box volume
Each row multiplies 36 cu ft by an assumed typical bulk density. A filled bag rounds out and settles, so the real fill differs: use your product's data sheet. Never fill past the SWL on the label.
| Product (assumed density) | Weight at 36 cu ft | Lightest common SWL that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic resin pellets (34 lb/cu ft) | 1,224 lb | 1,500 lb |
| Wheat flour (36 lb/cu ft) | 1,296 lb | 1,500 lb |
| Seed corn (45 lb/cu ft) | 1,620 lb | 2,000 lb |
| Granulated sugar (50 lb/cu ft) | 1,800 lb | 2,000 lb |
| Granular fertilizer (60 lb/cu ft) | 2,160 lb | 2,200 lb |
| Portland cement (90 lb/cu ft) | 3,240 lb | 3,300 lb |
| Gravel (95 lb/cu ft) | 3,420 lb | 4,000 lb |
| Dry sand (100 lb/cu ft) | 3,600 lb | 4,000 lb |
On the pallet
| Pallet | Room per side, empty footprint |
|---|---|
| 40 x 40 in | 2 in across, 2 in along |
| 48 x 40 in | 2 in across, 6 in along |
| 48 x 48 in | 6 in across, 6 in along |
Filled bags on a trailer floor
| Fill per bag | Bags, single stacked |
|---|---|
| 1,000 lb | 34 (2 across x 17 rows = 34 by floor; 44 by weight) |
| 2,000 lb | 22 (2 across x 17 rows = 34 by floor; 22 by weight) |
| 3,000 lb | 14 (2 across x 17 rows = 34 by floor; 14 by weight) |
Assumes a 53 ft dry van 630 x 100 in inside and a 44,000 lb payload; your carrier's limits and the bulge of a filled bag decide.
Three by three by four
In feet the sum is easy: 3 x 3 x 4 = 36 cubic feet. In inches, 36 x 36 x 48 = 62,208 cubic inches, and 62,208 / 1,728 = 36.0. At 28.3 litres per cubic foot that is about 1,019 litres, just over a cubic metre. The box sets the ceiling; a bag that rounds out as it fills holds less, and only a baffled one gets close to the square figure.
At the densities we assume: plastic pellets at 34 lb per cubic foot, 1,224 lb; flour at 36 lb, 1,296 lb; seed corn at 45 lb, 1,620 lb; sugar at 50 lb, 1,800 lb; granular fertilizer at 60 lb, 2,160 lb. The ton line for this box is 2,000 / 36 = 55.6 lb per cubic foot. Cement at 90 lb would be 3,240 lb and sand at 100 lb 3,600 lb, so dense products stop at the label well below the top.
Round numbers make the paperwork easy. A buyer who asks for a bag of 36 cubic feet, or one and a third cubic yards, is describing this one: a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, and 36 / 27 = 1.33.
Chemical powders ship from plants on the Gulf Coast, in the Ohio River valley and across the Northeast to coatings, plastics, water treatment and farm users inland. Many receivers specify a 36 in or similar square bag because their dischargers were bought around one, so check the receiving plant's equipment before changing size.
Against the 35 x 35 x 50
The two sizes hold almost the same: 36.0 cubic feet here, 35.4 in the 35 x 35 x 50, a difference of 0.6. The trade is shape. This bag is 1 in wider each way and 2 in shorter, which makes it a touch steadier, a touch lower under the fill head, and a touch harder to fit on pallets and trailers.
The trailer shows it. In an assumed 53 ft van, 630 in of length takes 18 rows of 35 in bags but only 17 rows of 36 in bags, since 630 / 36 = 17.5. That is 34 floor spots instead of 36. With a one-ton fill it makes no difference, because 44,000 / 2,000 = 22 bags is the limit either way. With a light product that fills the floor before the payload, losing two positions does count: 34 bags of pellets at 1,224 lb come to 41,616 lb.
If your filler and discharger were set up for one of the two, stay with it. Spouts, frames and pallet patterns get built around a size, and a 1 in change shows up in all of them.
On the pallet
A 36 in square leaves 2 in per side on a 40 x 40 in pallet, and 2 in by 6 in on a 48 x 40 in pallet, on the empty size. A full bag bulges, and 2 in disappears fast. If bags are racked or stretch wrapped, measure a filled one at its widest point and plan from that number.
Mineral and chemical powders are frequent fills in this size: dense enough to make a ton in 36 cubic feet, often dusty, often shipped by the truckload. Coated fabric keeps fine powder from sifting through the weave, and a spout top with a spout bottom keeps the dust inside at both ends.
Chemical shippers often hood or stretch wrap filled bags for transit, and some put a slip sheet or a corrugated tray under the bag so the pallet's boards do not dig into the bottom fabric. Splinters and nails on a tired pallet are an easy way to hole a full bag.
Every chemical load travels with a safety data sheet, and the document pouch on the bag holds what the receiver wants to see at the bag itself: lot number, product name, net weight. A clear pouch on two sides saves turning a full bag on the forks to read it.
Specs to settle
Before we quote a 36 in bag, these are the lines on the spec we need filled in. Each one changes the bag, and none of them comes from the size.
Dangerous goods sit outside these pages. Bags for hazardous materials carry their own UN marking and test regime, while ISO 21898:2024 covers FIBCs for non-dangerous solids. If your powder ships under a hazard class, tell us before anything else.
- SWL: 2,000 lb or 2,200 lb for products near the ton line
- Safety factor: 5:1 single trip, or 6:1 if the bag is meant to make more trips
- Fabric: coated for fine powders, uncoated where the product needs to breathe
- Static type, set by the product and your site's hazardous-area assessment
- Top and bottom: spout or duffle top; spout or flat bottom
Questions
How many cubic feet is a 36 x 36 x 48 bulk bag?
Exactly 36 cubic feet of box: 62,208 cubic inches divided by 1,728. A filled bag holds a little less because the sides round out.
Is 36 x 36 x 48 the same as 35 x 35 x 50?
Close in volume, 36.0 against 35.4 cubic feet, but not the same shape. The 36 in bag is wider and shorter, and it fits 17 rows in a 53 ft van rather than 18.
How much does a full 36 x 36 x 48 bag weigh?
It depends on the product. At our assumed densities it is 1,224 lb of pellets, 1,800 lb of sugar or 2,160 lb of fertilizer at box volume, and never more than the SWL on the label.
Request 36 x 36 x 48 in bags
Add the top, the bottom, the SWL and the count. We confirm the spec and plan the load to your dock.