Industry
Gaylords for produce growers
Bins have to be on site before the first pick. The need-by date is the most useful line on the request.
- Jobs
- AICC puts stacking strength at about 50% of its potential once relative humidity passes 85%
- Usual box
- Octabin, 5‑wall or heavy triple wall
- Usual grade
- B for the season; A if bins stand all winter
- Towns
- 3
Growers buy on a deadline. Squash, pumpkins and melons come in on a date the weather sets, and the bins have to be there first. An octabin carries dense, round produce without bulging; a ventilated partial bottom lets air through. Storage is what limits the stack: covered outdoors, the humidity that can pass 85% takes about half the board's strength.
What the trade usually asks for
| Item | Usual spec |
|---|---|
| Box | Octabin, 5‑wall or heavy triple wall |
| Grade | B for the season; A if bins stand all winter |
| Bottom | Ventilated partial bottom on a slip sheet |
| Stack | Low, or none, in covered outdoor storage |
The calendar is the whole job: count the acres, estimate the yield, choose the bin count, order before the first pick, and plan the empties after. Dry single-trip bins are worth reselling; wet ones are OCC.
Three stacks, worked
| Scenario | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full bins under cover (1,000 lb, 5‑wall, Grade B) | Do not stack | One more loaded box adds 1,030 lb on the bottom box, and the bottom box is allowed 638 lb. |
| The same bins in a heated shed (1,000 lb, 5‑wall, Grade B) | Two high | 1 loaded box on top add 1,030 lb; the bottom box is allowed 1,275 lb. |
| Part-full bins, under cover (700 lb, 5‑wall, Grade A) | Two high | 1 loaded box on top add 730 lb; the bottom box is allowed 765 lb. |
Conservative estimates, 30 days unless noted. Not load ratings.
Put the need-by date on the request. It is the one line that decides whether a bin ordered in August is on the field in September.
Where the trade clusters
These towns have a page and a mention of this trade. Named employers are facts about the area, never customers of ours.
| Town | County | Industry named |
|---|---|---|
| Inver Grove Heights | Dakota | agricultural co-op (CHS HQ, 1,600); garden centre (Gertens) |
| Rosemount | Dakota | agricultural research (UMore Park) |
| Northfield | Dakota | agriculture (corn, soybeans, hogs) |
See the industries hub, Stack Check, the areas and the buy, sell and recycling desks.
Questions, answered
What bin do pumpkin growers use?
An octabin, usually 5‑wall or heavy triple wall, with a ventilated partial bottom on a slip sheet.
Can bins stand outdoors?
Under cover, with a hard cap on stack height. Humidity above 85% takes about half the strength of the board.
Request a quote
Or email info@minneapolisgaylords.com.
Sources and last reviewed
Facts on this page were last reviewed 2026-11-11.
- AICC: strengthening corrugated against cold weather: Industry guidance on cold weather, condensation between temperature zones, and strength lost over 90 days under load.
- Uline: 46 x 38 x 36 triple wall octagon bulk bin: A maker's listing for the 46 x 38 x 36 octagon, with capacity, outside size and empty weight.
- Container Exchanger: the gaylord box guide: A reseller's plain-language guide to gaylord sizes, walls, capacity ranges and bottoms.
- PaperIndex Academy: humidity and corrugated strength: How corrugated board loses compression strength as relative humidity climbs from 50% to 90%.