48 x 45 x 40 gaylord box

Plants that ship on 48 x 45 positions. The listing's boxes had carried plastic components once; they came with slip sheets for the partial bottoms.

How it sits on a pallet

A 48 x 45 x 40 box on a 48 x 40 pallet overhangs by 5 in across. Virginia Tech research found that compression strength falls as overhang grows, so Stack Check takes 20% off whenever this size stands on a standard deck. The box covers 15 sq ft of floor and the deck covers 13.33.

What the rating means

No capacity is listed for this size, so Stack Check plans from the 5‑wall figure, 2,000 lb, which spread over 50 cu ft is 40 lb a cubic foot. That is deliberately cautious. If your box carries a maker's mark, put it on the request.

What to watch

No maker rating is listed for it, so Stack Check uses the 5‑wall figure and is more conservative.

Handling

A 48 x 45 footprint overhangs a 48 x 40 pallet by 5 in across, so on a standard deck the box hangs over a little. The listing this size comes from described 5-ply boxes with partial bottom flaps and slip sheets, previously used for plastic components.

What fills it

Plants that ship on 48 x 45 positions. Because no maker rating is listed for it, Stack Check uses the 5‑wall figure for the wall count and plans conservatively, with the overhang cut on a standard deck.

Three loads, worked through

Suppose the material is 20 lb a cubic foot. A brim-full box then weighs 1,030 lb counting the box. Heated bay, Grade A, a month: "two high" (1,224 lb allowed below). Dock, Grade B, a month: "do not stack" (663 lb allowed). At 35 lb a cubic foot the full box is 1,750 lb of load. Stack Check gives "do not stack" for Grade A in a warm bay and "do not use at this load" for Grade B on a cold dock; the bottom box is allowed 1,224 lb and 663 lb respectively. Fill the 48 x 45 x 40 to the brim with something that weighs 50 lb a cubic foot and it holds 2,500 lb, 2,530 lb with the box. As Grade A in a heated bay for 30 days that comes out as "do not use at this load", with 1,224 lb allowed on the bottom box; as Grade B on a dock it comes out as "do not use at this load", with 663 lb allowed.

How a used one stands

Below, 5‑wall boxes filled to the brim with material at 15, 25 and 35 lb a cubic foot, so the loads are 750 lb, 1,250 lb, 1,750 lb. Each is 30 days under load unless the column says 90 days. The 20% overhang cut is included.

What the bottom box is allowed to carry

Every stack height on this site comes from one comparison: what a bottom 48 x 45 x 40 box is allowed to carry, against what sits on it. The table gives the allowance for up to 30 days, with the overhang cut included. Divide by the weight of one loaded box, such as 1,280 lb, to see how many fit above.

Ordering this size

1. Say 48 x 45 x 40 in and the wall count; the same footprint is sold in more than one height.
2. Give the maker's mark if the box has one; with none, Stack Check plans from the wall-count figure.
3. Name the pallet. The 48 x 45 footprint does not match a 48 x 40 deck, and the difference costs stack height.
4. Weigh one full box. Past 1,000 lb, the stack height drops quickly.
5. Say where the stack will stand and for how long: the dock or the heated bay changes the answer more than the grade does.

In a trailer

How many 48 x 45 x 40 boxes make a load? On a trailer floor of about 630 by 98 in, the better of the two layouts gives 28 positions, and the roof, at about 108 in, allows 2 tiers of this height. Those are planning figures only.

In the cold

The 5-ply listing tells you it is a heavy box, but a partial bottom on a slip sheet is a weaker base than a full flap. On a dock, plan one high and expect the slip sheet to be the first thing to move.

New or used at this size

The one listing for this size described boxes that had held plastic components once and came with slip sheets. That is the best kind of used box: single use, a known load, and the sheets included. Ask for the same details on any you consider.

Who orders it

Plastics and component plants, and sites that ship on 48 x 45 positions.

Against its neighbours

The 48 x 40 x 36 is the standard alternative on a standard pallet. If your pallets are 48 x 45 already, the listing is worth a look; if they are not, the overhang is a cost.

This is the least standard of the eleven sizes, and the most specific. It exists in our list because a real used-box listing described it: 5-ply, partial bottom flaps and slip sheets, previously used for plastic components. If you run 48 x 45 pallets, you already know why you want it; if you do not, a standard size is the safer buy.

Back to the size hub, or see the full and partial bottoms, the wall counts and how to compare sizes by load.

Questions, answered