Charlotte region, NC and SC I-85 I-77 I-40
I-85
A used gaylord is a working container with a grade on it: Grade A is close to new, Grade C is for one-way internal use, and anything wet or crushed is OCC. Ask for the grade you need and we say what we can match.
The most common used gaylord in the Charlotte region arrived once, carrying parts, resin or yarn into a plant, and was set aside at the dock. Boards that stayed dry keep most of their strength. That is why a single trip box is the top of the used range, and why a buyer can often use it for the same job it came for.
| Grade | What you see | Good for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Clean, dry, square, flaps intact | Stacked storage, heavy parts, most resin | Anything the maker's rating forbids |
| Grade B | Scuffs, creases, old labels or print | Floor use, regrind, general freight | Tall stacks of dense loads |
| Grade C | Heavy creasing, taped repairs | One-way internal moves, scrap, film | Stacking, long storage |
| Recycle only | Wet, torn, crushed, no bottom | Baling as OCC | Reuse |
The full grading guide shows how to sort a stack in a few minutes at the dock.
The form asks for the count, the pallet footprint, the wall count, the bottom style and the condition. If you only know the load, say what goes in the box and how heavy it is. Used boxes are not rated by the maker for the new load, so a heavy load should start from the wall count guide and the weight capacity guide, not from the grade alone.
First, a dry box and a damp box can look alike. Corrugated boxes lose about half of their compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent (source). We ask where a stack has been stored for that reason.
Second, a used box is not UN-rated unless it was certified. If your load is a dangerous good, read the UN-rated page before you ask for any used box.
Plastics plants in Rowan, Lincoln and Chester counties run resin and regrind through used octabins and partial flap boxes. Parts makers in Gaston and Cleveland counties use full flap bottoms because small pieces find gaps. Warehouses on I-85 and I-77 keep a few dozen on hand for returns. The industries pages say which grade each one usually wants.
Tell us the count, the footprint and the wall count you run now. If the box has to stack, say how high. If it is for scrap or film, say that too: a Grade C box can be the right answer, because it matches the job.
Corrugated is not a fixed-strength material. Industry guidance such as the Fibre Box Handbook puts the loss at roughly half of compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent, and the AICC says stacking strength often falls to about half its potential above 85 percent humidity (source). Boxes stored under load in humid conditions can lose nearly 45 percent of their compression strength in 90 days. For a seller that means a Grade A stack in a dry corner is worth more than a Grade A stack in a damp one, whatever the dates on the labels say.
The AICC advises keeping corrugated in heated areas above 55 degrees Fahrenheit, since cold makes board stiffer and more brittle and adhesives can lose effectiveness (source). Moving boxes between temperature zones can cause condensation inside the board, which weakens it further. If your stack came in from an unheated trailer in winter, say so, and let it stand before you count it.
Research from Virginia Tech found that effective box compression strength falls as pallet overhang grows, with the amount of overhang, the box perimeter and the board type being the significant predictors (source). A used box that sat on a smaller pallet may carry less than its rating suggests. Describe the pallet it stood on when you describe the box.
A dry single trip box keeps most of its strength, but it is not rated for a new load unless the maker says so. Moisture and creasing take strength out of the board, so the grade and the storage history matter.
The box was filled and shipped once. It is the top used grade, close to new when it has stayed dry and flat.
Yes. Grade C is a fair choice for scrap, film or one-way moves inside a plant, and the request accepts that condition.
Count, footprint and wall count are enough to start.
No prices, minimums or times are stated here.