Propane cylinders per shift calculator
LPG cylinders per shift: cylinders_per_shift = ceil(shift_hours / hours_per_cylinder); cylinders_per_day = ceil(shift_hours x shifts_per_day / hours_per_cylinder). Enter your numbers below; the formula and its source are shown under the result. Part of this calculation is derived by Warehouse Machines from sourced inputs.
Run time per cylinder changes with the truck, the load and idling. Time a few cylinders on your own trucks and use that number.
The formulas
cylinders_per_shift = ceil(shift_hours / hours_per_cylinder); cylinders_per_day = ceil(shift_hours x shifts_per_day / hours_per_cylinder)
Derived by Warehouse Machines from Forklift Propane Tanks: Sizes, Refilling, & More (Ferrellgas): no single source states this formula, so treat the result as an estimate.
Ferrellgas gives averages; run time per tank varies with the truck and the work. Rounding up to whole cylinders is arithmetic by Warehouse Machines.
Worked example: Our arithmetic: two 8 h shifts = 16 h / 8 h per cylinder = 2 cylinders a day.
[src]burn_lb_per_h = 6 (default)
Estimate cited by a Toyota dealer; same page gives 4-8 h per tank.
Worked example: n/a
[src]Estimate only. Use your own costs and real quotes for decisions.
Sources
- Forklift Propane Tanks: Sizes, Refilling, & More (Ferrellgas) (retrieved November 6, 2026)
- Forklift Ownership Cost: Comparing Electric and Propane Forklifts (Rigo Lift) (retrieved November 4, 2026)