7 Essential Accessories for Your Shipping Drum

Shipping drums are great for storing all kinds of goods, but storage is only half the story. Often, working with goods in shipping drums means moving the drums, opening them, draining them, labeling them and ensuring they’re at the right temperature. To perform these tasks, you’re probably going to need some shipping drum accessories. 

To make sure your business gets its money’s worth from a shipping drum, it’s important to have all of the right accessories on hand. These seven important accessories from Air Sea Containers will help you use your shipping drums effectively and protect your goods. 

2” Drum Faucet

1. Bung Wrench

To dispense the contents of a shipping drum, the bung or stopper first has to be removed using a bung wrench. Bung wrenches are specially designed metal wrenches that work on both plastic and metal drums, and it’s important to keep one or more handy in any workspace where employees frequently have to open and close storage drums. 

2. Drum Faucet

A shipping drum faucet allows a drum handler to tap a shipping drum and dispense its contents. These simple but effective faucets attach to the bung of a shipping drum and can be easily opened and closed with a touch. A liquid-tight gasket prevents leakage and creates a powerful seal, allowing even large drums to be drained quickly and efficiently. 

3. Drum Heater

Caring properly for goods in shipping drums sometimes means ensuring that the goods maintain the correct temperature. When a drum needs to be warmed, professionals rely on a variety of drum heaters. Air Sea offers induction heaters like the InteliHeat® Thermosafe® Series drum heaters, which are incredibly efficient and generate heat directly in the drum wall for faster and safer heating. Shipping drum heating blankets such as the Powerblanket® Series are also highly effective and perfect for maintaining ideal temperature during a long journey.  

4. Drum Pump

Drum pumps are used to quickly drain a drum’s contents by allowing a handler to pump the liquid rapidly out of the drum. Air Sea offers pumps designed for compatibility with a wide variety of drum sizes, from five gallons to 55 gallons to 275-gallon IBC containers. We also offer flammable-safe pumps outfitted with flame arresters that help minimize ignition risk by keeping ignition sources away from flammable materials inside the drum. Finally, make sure to also select the correct pump fitting for your drum pump to create a tight seal. 

Justrite® 2 Drum EcoPolyBlend Spill Control Pallet

5. Spill Containment Pallet or Spill Containment Tray

It’s critical to contain the contents of a spilled drum immediately, particularly if the drum contains hazardous materials. Spill containment pallets and spill containment trays are important tools for containing a spill quickly. A spill containment pallet is a heavy-duty plastic or metal pallet that contains a built-in sump to catch leaks and drips, while a spill containment tray is a large plastic sump tray designed for emergency spill management. Our plastic spill management materials are made from EcoPolyBlend, an environmentally-friendly recycled polyethylene blend that’s both tough and more sustainably sourced. 

6. Hazmat Labels

Hazardous materials should always be clearly labeled and identified. The easiest way to label hazardous goods is with durable hazmat label stickers and hazmat placards from Air Sea Containers. We offer hazmat labels for all UN hazmat classes, made from rugged materials and brightly colored so that they’re hard to overlook. Make sure you’ve identified all relevant hazmat regulations for all materials you work with before purchasing labels. Consult an MSDS database if you’re not sure which hazard categories a substance may fall under. 

7. Drum Caddy 

Palletized shipping barrels are usually moved together with a forklift and/or a pallet jack. However, sometimes they have to be moved one at a time, and handlers will need a drum caddy in these instances to move the drums safely and efficiently. Air Sea offers recycled polyethylene drum caddies that go a step further by offering a built-in dispensing station with an open sump design that makes it easy to spot and address leaks and drips. Want to take it back to basics? No problem! The Drum Cradle is a cost-effective, no-frills solution for transporting and setting up drums for dispensing. 

Justrite® 66 Gallon Eco Friendly Outdoor Drum Caddy

Not sure what kinds of accessories your shipping barrels may need? Air Sea’s experts can help you navigate our catalog and make the perfect selection. Just call (866) 596-9448 or contact us online to get started.