Get Moving: How Gorilla Drum™ Simplifies the Loading and Unloading Process to Help Save Time and Money

One of the biggest challenges for waste haulers and logistics companies is the time and cost associated with loading, unloading, and transporting traditional 55-gallon steel drums. Not only are traditional steel drums heavy and cumbersome — the average unfilled steel drum can weigh up to 80 lbs — they also have significant limitations in terms of how many can fit on a standard pallet. 

As a result, this increases the equipment and labor necessary to load and unload units, and these increases can hamper your ability to operate at peak levels of productivity and efficiency.  

With Gorilla Drum™, companies can not only simplify and accelerate their loading and unloading tasks, but they can also optimize their transportation processes by fitting more units on a standard pallet and 53-foot truck. Here, let’s look at a couple of Gorilla Drum™ design features that make our 55-gallon steel drum alternative the ideal waste hauling and logistics solution to help save you time and money.

Unlike 55-Gallon Steel Drums, Gorilla Drum™ is lightweight and foldable

Even though companies can stack traditional steel drums on a standard pallet truck to help maximize space, there are significant safety restrictions and regulations for the number of drums waste haulers can stack. Plus, depending on the class of hazardous materials inside the drum, stacking may not even be an option. 

Even unfilled 55-gallon steel drums present a challenge in terms of palletizing and transporting simply because of their rigid design and construction. A standard 53-foot truck can accommodate only 208 steel drums, which, for larger waste haulers, means facilitating an increased number of full truckloads (FTLs) to meet demand. 

Our 55-gallon steel drum alternative uses a corrugated plastic frame that is lightweight — each unfilled Gorilla Drum™ unit weighs just 7.5 lbs — and completely foldable to optimize the number of units you can fit on a pallet and standard truck. In fact, you can transport 4,160 Gorilla Drum™ units per 53-foot truck to help reduce your number of FTLs. 

Additionally, the lightweight design makes it easy to move the unit around a warehouse or storage facility, and the foldable frame virtually eliminates the need for specialized equipment to transport units.

Ergonomic engineering makes gorilla Drum™ a breeze to move

Speaking of moving units from the loading dock to the truck bed or back again, Gorilla Drum’s™ ergonomic engineering makes it fast, easy, and safe to load and unload units, regardless of whether they contain hazardous or non-hazardous materials. 

Whereas traditional 55-gallon steel drums require special equipment or palletizing in order to load or unload, Gorilla Drum™ cuts the monkey business by using innovative, durable lifting loops, dolly band, and belly band that are compatible with a standard forklift and two-wheel dolly. Plus, these mobility features reduce the number of warehouse personnel required to transport filled units throughout a given facility. 

In addition, a zipper-top lid provides a tight seal and superior protection for the hazardous materials inside the unit to reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents or spillage in the event the unit is dropped. 

But Gorilla Drum™ doesn’t sacrifice strength and protection for ease. Our 55-gallon steel drum alternative is DOT and UN certified, and it’s also rated X for use with Packing Groups I, II, and III to help you safely and efficiently handle the widest range of hazardous materials.

Gorilla Drum™ can be prepped for use quickly and easily

The process of cleaning traditional 55-gallon steel drums for repeat use is both costly and time-consuming. The process requires the use of chemical agents that can be expensive and difficult to acquire, and the environmentally damaging nature of these solutions can hamper your sustainability efforts.

Our steel drum alternative significantly reduces the amount of cleaning and sterilization required by using a plastic inner lining that can be installed in mere minutes to help protect the interior of the unit — this also helps extend the service of each Gorilla Drum™ unit to further optimize your equipment costs. Plus, the lack of required cleaning helps you reduce your carbon footprint by limiting the amount of chemical agents necessary for the unit to be compliant with state and federal use guidelines.

What’s more, each Gorilla Drum™ unit can be unfolded and expanded in just six simple steps without the need for specialized tooling and equipment. The plastic liner can be secured using a reusable zip tie, and our innovative zip-top lid provides secure, reliable containment. 

In fact, our handling instructions guide details how quick and easy it is to unfold and prep your Gorilla Drum™ unit for use. 

With our revolutionary 55-gallon steel drum alternative, companies can optimize their loading and unloading processes to unlock greater productivity and efficiency. Gorilla Drum’s exceptional durability and reliability also help ensure that the materials you’re transporting are contained safely and securely. But this is just the beginning of the noise you can make by choosing Gorilla Drum™ as your steel drum alternative.

Want to learn how Gorilla Drum™ helped a global package handler save time and money by conserving warehouse space and streamlining waste hauling processes? Download our new case study to read the full story.