Grading a stack of used gaylords

Four checks at the dock

1. Stand it up. A box that cannot stand on its own is not a container.
2. Look at the bottom. Flaps and base intact, or a clean slip sheet seat.
3. Press the walls. Dry board feels firm; damp board gives.
4. Look for the stain line. A tide mark at the bottom means it sat in water.

Grade by grade

Why moisture is the grader's enemy

Corrugated boxes lose about half of their compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent (source). Stacking strength can fall to about 50 percent of potential above 85 percent humidity, and boxes stored under load in humid conditions may lose nearly 45 percent after 90 days (source). A box that looks fine but spent a summer in a damp bay is a grade lower than it looks.

What the request asks

The form asks for a condition: new, like new, used, fair or damaged. Use them as follows.

Sort once, not twice

Do not sort a whole pile before you ask. Take ten boxes from the middle of the stack, grade those, and describe the stack by what you saw: most are Grade A, a few are Grade C, a few at the bottom are wet. That is enough for us to read. The sell page lists what else to send, and the used boxes page shows what each grade is used for.

When grade is not the question

If the buyer will stack the boxes high or load them with something dense, grade is only part of the answer. Ask for the wall count and the maker rating too. See the weight capacity guide.

Questions from the dock

What are the grades of gaylord boxes?

New, Grade A (like new, single trip), Grade B (good), Grade C (functional) and recycle only.

Is Grade B good enough for resin?

Often yes, with a liner, if the walls are sound. Check the wall count and the load weight first.

How do I tell a wet box from a dry one?

Press the wall. Dry board is firm; damp board gives, and a stain line near the bottom shows where water stood.