Types
Rectangular corrugated gaylords
The standard gaylord is a rectangular corrugated box, usually 48 x 40 in, usually double or triple wall. It is the box that most requests mean.
- Footprint
- 48 x 40 in
- Walls
- 2 to 5 layers
- Usual capacity
- 800 to 3,000 lb
- Typical height
- 24 to 50 in
A rectangular gaylord is a pallet-size corrugated bulk box with straight walls, a bottom and, usually, a loose lid. The footprint matches a standard 48 x 40 pallet, sidewalls run 24 to 50 in, and the walls run from 2 to 5 layers of board. The trade also calls it a bulk bin, skid box, pallet box or bin box.
How it is built
Corrugated fiberboard in double or triple wall, scored and folded into a sleeve, with a tray or flaps for the base. ASTM D5168 covers the fabrication and closure of triple-wall containers. The Cary Company lists single wall at 200#/ECT-32, double wall at 275#/ECT-48 and triple wall at 1100#/ECT-90. ECT is the edge crush test, the board rating that best predicts how much top load a box carries in a stack.
Capacity by wall count
| Wall count | Commonly cited capacity | Common height | Our Stack Check starting figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2‑wall | 800 to 1,200 lb | 30 to 36 in | 800 lb |
| 3‑wall | 1,000 to 1,600 lb | 34 to 40 in | 1,000 lb |
| 4‑wall | 1,500 to 2,200 lb | 36 to 41 in | 1,500 lb |
| 5‑wall | 2,000 to 3,000 lb | 36 to 46 in | 2,000 lb |
Wall-count ratings are ranges sellers cite, not guarantees. The maker's rated capacity for a given box is what counts, and Stack Check takes it when you know it.
Where it fits and where it does not
- Fits: dry goods, parts, regrind, packaging, scrap, returns and internal moves.
- Fits with a full flap bottom: powders and small parts that would sift through a partial bottom.
- Does not fit: loads that flow and push on the walls, such as dense resin pellets; those want an octabin.
- Does not fit: dangerous goods. A used gaylord is not UN-rated.
Rectangular boxes also set the stacking arithmetic for the whole site. Stack Check treats a 3‑wall box as 1,000 lb, then cuts that for grade, storage place, time and overhang. Triple wall has its own page because it is the most common heavy box.
Ordering one
Name the footprint, the walls, the bottom and the grade on the request. The size hub has the eleven standard sizes, and the bottoms page explains why a partial bottom needs a slip sheet.
How a rectangular box fails
A rectangular gaylord rarely fails by crushing straight down. It bulges first: the long panels bow outward as the load pushes on them, the corners lose their grip, and a stack leans before it falls. That is why tall loads of dense material are best in a short box and why a lid that holds the top square matters. If you see bulging on a box that has just arrived, tell us. It is a sign the wall count was too low for the load, not a defect in the box.
Questions, answered
What is the most common gaylord size?
48 x 40 x 36 in, about 40 cu ft, which Uline rates at 1,500 lb in triple wall. Its page has the specs.
Does the lid come with the box?
Lids are separate. See lids and liners.
Sources and last reviewed
Facts on this page were last reviewed 2026-11-11.
- Bulk box (Wikipedia): Background on the bulk box, its origin with Gaylord Container, and the ASTM standard for triple-wall boxes.
- Nelson Company: when is a container a gaylord: A packaging supplier on when a container counts as a gaylord.
- The Cary Company: gaylord boxes, history and handling: A packaging distributor's history of the gaylord and its board ratings by wall count.
- Container Exchanger: the gaylord box guide: A reseller's plain-language guide to gaylord sizes, walls, capacity ranges and bottoms.