MA5X manufactures its cleaning products in Coral Springs, Florida, and sells them direct. This guide explains when a 55-gallon drum is the right size, how drums ship, what freight costs, and how to plan an order so the freight cost per drum is as low as possible.
Container sizes
| Size | Volume | How it ships |
|---|---|---|
| 32 oz bottle | 32 fl oz | Parcel carrier. Free shipping on orders of $50 or more. |
| 1 gallon jug | 128 fl oz | Parcel carrier. Free shipping on orders of $50 or more. |
| 5 gallon pail | 640 fl oz | Shipping calculated at checkout. Available on selected products, with more being added. |
| 55-gallon drum | 7,040 fl oz | LTL freight on a pallet, calculated at checkout. |
| 275 gallon tote | 35,200 fl oz | LTL freight. Available by request. |
When a drum is the right size
A 55-gallon drum holds the same volume as 55 one gallon jugs. Drum buyers include car washes, fleet shops, marinas, commercial kitchens and janitorial contractors. They also include auto detailers, boat owners and cleaning companies that run from home, keep a drum in the garage or shed, and refill smaller containers from it as needed.
The simplest way to decide is to look at how much of one product you use in a week.
| Weekly use of one product | One drum lasts about |
|---|---|
| 1 gallon | 12 months |
| 2 gallons | 6 months |
| 5 gallons | 11 weeks |
| 10 gallons | 5 to 6 weeks |
These figures are for product used straight from the drum. Many MA5X products are concentrates, so the working volume after dilution is higher. Each product page lists its dilution ratios and its yield per drum.
We guarantee the efficacy of the product for 3 years in a closed drum, so a drum that lasts you a year or more is a sound purchase.
What you receive
- One 55-gallon plastic drum with standard 2 inch and 3/4 inch bungs.
- A filled drum weighs approximately 550 lbs. The exact weight depends on the product.
- Each drum carries the same formula as the smaller sizes of that product.
- The empty drum is yours to keep. There is no deposit and no drum return.
How drums ship
Drums ship on a pallet by LTL freight from our manufacturing warehouse in Coral Springs, Florida, to the 48 contiguous states. We do not ship drums to Alaska or Hawaii.
The freight rate is calculated at checkout from the pallet weight and the delivery address, and you see the amount before you pay. Orders are processed in 1 to 2 business days. Freight orders need an additional 2 to 3 business days to schedule the carrier pickup and delivery.
What freight costs
The freight price at checkout is the actual price you pay for a standard delivery. A standard delivery goes to a business in a commercial or industrial area that has a delivery dock, or its own forklift or pallet jack. We do not add any charge after checkout.
Because we ship from South Florida, distance is the largest factor in the rate. As a guide, freight for a single drum is about $150 for a delivery within Florida and about $325 for a delivery to a remote area on the West Coast.
LTL carriers charge for services beyond a standard delivery. These are called accessorial services, the carrier sets the fees, and together they can add up to about $150 to a delivery:
If your delivery is to a home, or to an address without a dock, forklift or pallet jack, call us at (754) 529-8494 before you order. We will confirm the accessorial fees for your address and schedule the LTL delivery on your behalf. If we see before shipping that an order is not a standard delivery, we contact you to agree on the arrangements first.
How to lower the freight cost per drum
Freight is priced by the pallet, and one pallet holds up to 4 drums. Adding a second, third or fourth drum to the same pallet raises the freight charge only slightly, so the freight cost per drum drops with each drum you add.
Two recent orders to the Northeast show the difference.
$225 total freight
$445 total freight
Three ways to use this:
- Order the products you use together on one pallet. The 4 drums can be any combination of products.
- Order several months of supply at once in place of one drum at a time.
- Add each drum to the cart and check the freight amount at checkout before paying, so you can compare the cost per drum at 1, 2, 3 and 4 drums.
275 gallon totes
For higher volumes we offer 275 gallon totes by request. One tote holds the equivalent of five 55-gallon drums and fits on a single pallet. Call (754) 529-8494 or apply on the Volume Pricing page for a quote.
Receiving a drum delivery
Most drum customers unload with a forklift, a pallet jack or a delivery dock. If you have none of these, liftgate service and inside delivery are available as described above.
Inspect the pallet and each drum before you sign the delivery receipt, and write any damage on the receipt. Contact us the same day at (754) 529-8494 so we can file the claim with the carrier.
Dispensing from a drum
A drum pump threads into the 2 inch bung. We do not sell pumps, and many online retailers carry them.
| Pump type | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Basic plastic hand pump | From about $10 |
| Heavy duty stainless steel pump | About $75 |
| Electric pump | $150 and up |
Choose a pump rated for the viscosity of the product, and choose a pump material that is compatible with the product you are dispensing.
Local pickup in South Florida
Customers in South Florida can select Local Pickup at checkout and collect drums at no charge from our Coral Springs facility at 4105 NW 124th Ave, Coral Springs, FL 33065. Pickup hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Volume pricing
For recurring orders, contract pricing or orders of more than one pallet, apply on the Volume Pricing page or call (754) 529-8494.
Returns
Drums are covered by the same 90 day return policy as every MA5X product. If you are not satisfied with a drum, we arrange and pay for the return freight. Every returned product is tested as part of our quality assurance protocol. The full terms are in our refund policy.