Folding, setting up and storing gaylords

Setting up a gaylord

1. Lay the flat box on the floor and open it into a square (or octagon).
2. Fold the short flaps in first, then the long flaps over them.
3. For a full flap bottom, make sure the flaps overlap and tape the center seam. For a partial flap bottom, set the box on its slip sheet.
4. Check the walls are square before loading.

Knocking one down

1. Empty the box and remove the liner.
2. Cut the tape at the bottom seam. Do not cut the board.
3. Fold the flaps back along their score lines.
4. Press the walls flat, the way they came folded.
5. Stack with the largest panels down.

Why dryness decides the grade

Corrugated boxes lose approximately 50 percent of their compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent (source). Stacking strength often falls to about half of its potential when humidity climbs above 85 percent, and boxes stored under load in humid conditions may lose nearly 45 percent after 90 days (source). A stack that sat in a damp bay is a lower grade than it looked on the day it came off the truck.

Storage rules

Source: AICC advice on cold-weather storage (source).

Between temperature zones

Moving corrugated between temperature zones can cause internal condensation or moisture migration that further weakens the board (source). If you move a stack from a loading dock in winter into a warm building, let it settle before you open it.

Outside, as a last resort

If you have no indoor space, put the pallets on blocks, cover the stack with a sheet that clears the sides and leaves the bottom open to the air. Check it after every storm.

Ready to move

A tidy, flat, banded, labeled stack is ready for the pickup call. The grading guide tells you what grade it will carry. For counts per pallet, read the per-pallet guide.

Questions from the dock

How do I fold a gaylord box?

Square the walls, fold the short flaps in first and the long flaps over them, then tape the center seam for a full flap bottom.

How do I store gaylord boxes?

Flat, banded, on a pallet, indoors or under a roof, above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can I leave boxes outside?

You can for a short wait if they are covered and off the ground, but the board loses strength in humidity.