A buyer ordering big bags directly from a factory for the first time usually hits one question: the minimum order is one truck. How many bags is that? Will it last a quarter, or will you need warehouse space for leftovers? Below is the calculation on real figures, so you can plug in your own.
What one big bag weighs
An empty four-loop container 90×90×120 cm for 1,000 kg weighs 1.6 to 2.4 kg. Three things decide the weight:
| Parameter | Effect on weight |
|---|---|
| Fabric 160 g/m² | about 1.6-1.8 kg |
| Fabric 200-220 g/m² for safety factor 6:1 | about 2.0-2.4 kg |
| Polyethylene liner | +0.3-0.5 kg |
| Filling and discharge spouts | +0.1-0.2 kg |
For the calculation below we take an average bag of 2.0 kg: 180 g/m², spouts top and bottom, no liner.
How big bags travel: pressed into bales
Empty containers are folded and pressed into bales of 100-250 pieces, strapped and wrapped in stretch film. A standard bale of 200 bags weighs about 400 kg and takes roughly 1.0-1.2 m³. Bales go on pallets or straight onto the trailer floor, stacked two high.
Pressing is what decides how much fits. Loose, unpressed bags take three times the space.
A truck (tilt trailer, 82-92 m³)
Standard European trailer: usable volume 82-92 m³, payload 20-22 t.
- By volume: 82 m³ / 1.1 m³ per bale = about 75 bales.
- But 75 bales × 400 kg = 30 t, and the limit is 20-22 t. Weight is the constraint, so 50-55 bales actually go in.
- Result: 10,000-11,000 big bags of 2.0 kg per truck.
Lighter fabric (160 g/m², no spouts) gives up to 12,500 pieces. Bags with a liner and heavy 220 g/m² fabric give about 8,000-8,500.
A 40' container
40' standard: 67 m³, 26-28 t. 40' High Cube: 76 m³.
- 40' standard: 55-60 bales, 11,000-12,000 big bags of 2.0 kg.
- 40' High Cube: up to 65 bales, 12,500-13,000 pieces.
- 20' container: 33 m³, about 28 bales, 5,500-6,000 pieces, a good size for a trial lot.
A sea container carries more pieces because its payload is higher than a truck's. To Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey via the Caspian we ship both by truck (Turkmenbashi - Baku ferry) and in containers.
How long one truck lasts
Count from your line output. Example: a fertilizer plant bags 3,000 t a month into 1 t big bags, so it uses 3,000 bags a month. One truck of 10,500 bags covers 3.5 months.
| Bagging per month | Bags per month | One truck (10,500 pcs) lasts |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 t | 1,000 | 10 months |
| 3,000 t | 3,000 | 3.5 months |
| 10,000 t | 10,000 | 1 month |
| 30,000 t | 30,000 | 10 days (3 trucks a month) |
A simple rule follows. Up to 2,000 t a month: take a 20' container or a mixed truck together with PP woven sacks. Around 3,000 t a month: a full truck once a quarter. Plants bagging 10,000 t and more get a monthly delivery schedule with a price fixed for 3-6 months.
Where to keep 10,000 big bags
50 bales on pallets take about 60 m² stacked two high. The requirements are simple: a covered warehouse or shed, no direct sun for longer than a month (otherwise the fabric needs 2-3 % UV stabilisation), temperature from -30 to +50 °C.
An open yard is acceptable only for UV-stabilised bags and only under film: polypropylene loses strength in the sun faster than it seems.
What to put in your request to get a quote in a day
- Size and safe working load (e.g. 90×90×120 cm, 1,000 kg).
- Fabric weight or safety factor (5:1 / 6:1).
- Spouts, liner, print.
- Monthly bagging in tonnes - we will suggest the lot size and schedule ourselves.
- Delivery city and terms (FCA Turkmenbashi, CPT your warehouse).
From Turkmenistan to Russia and Kazakhstan a truck takes 5-7 days via Kazakhstan. Import duty is 0 % with an ST-1 certificate of origin, here is how it works.