For plants with steady empties
Selling single-trip empties
A plant that receives material in gaylords every week has the same problem every week: stacks of empties. Single-trip empties are the best used stock there is.
Single trip means used once. For a plant, that is the box that came in full, went out empty and never left the building. Those boxes are the top used grades: Grade A if they stayed dry and the flaps and bottom are whole, Grade B if they show wear but no weakness.
A routine for steady empties
- Break down empties as they appear, or flatten them knocked down (KD) if the build allows.
- Keep them dry: indoors, or at least off the floor and under cover.
- Stack them in a place you can count: a layer count and a stack count give a box count.
- Separate any box that got wet, torn or contaminated; those go to OCC.
- Send the count with the request. Update it if the stack changes before pickup.
What helps the box keep its value
| Habit | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Keep empties indoors | Corrugated loses about half its compression strength from 50% to 90% relative humidity |
| Keep them off the dock in winter | The Twin Cities average 15.6 F in January; cold makes board brittle and condensation weakens it |
| Do not leave them loaded | Time under load costs strength; AICC cites nearly 45% after 90 days in humid conditions |
| Sort as you go | Mixed good and bad stacks end up as one grade: the worst |
A regular supply of clean, dry empties is a repeating arrangement. Say so on the request: how often, how many, from which dock. Repeating is easier to plan for than a one-time clear-out.
This page states no price, minimum count or pickup date. See grading your empties and printed and labelled boxes.
What the first call should include
For steady empties the most useful line on a request is how many a week you make and for how long you expect to keep making them. A one-off clear-out is a different job from a standing supply, and the conversation changes with it. Say which yours is.
Questions, answered
Can I send flat empties?
Yes. Say whether they are knocked down (KD) or assembled; both can be resold if they are dry and intact.
Request a quote
Or email info@minneapolisgaylords.com.
Sources and last reviewed
Facts on this page were last reviewed 2026-11-11.
- PaperIndex Academy: humidity and corrugated strength: How corrugated board loses compression strength as relative humidity climbs from 50% to 90%.
- AICC: strengthening corrugated against cold weather: Industry guidance on cold weather, condensation between temperature zones, and strength lost over 90 days under load.
- Climate of Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Wikipedia): Winter and summer temperature and snowfall averages for the metro, used for the cold-dock reasoning.