How much weight a gaylord can hold

The short answer, with its caveat

The ranges above come from sellers, not from a test. They give you a place to start. They do not tell you what a particular used box will carry, because the board, the height, the bottom and the way the box is stacked all change the number. Wall thickness varies, so wall count alone is not always reliable.

What a rating is made of

Makers rate a box in a few ways. One is a pound-test, like 1100#. Another is ECT, the edge crush test, a measure of the board. The Cary Company lists triple wall 1100#/ECT-90 and a 46 x 38 x 36 octagon at 1300#/ECT-155 (source). The rating describes a new box. A used box is only as good as its condition.

Ratings by size from one maker

These are the figures one maker lists (source). Each has its own page on the size board.

What lowers the number

• Moisture. About half of compression strength is lost when humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent (source).
• Time under load. Boxes stored under load in humid conditions may lose nearly 45 percent after 90 days (source).
• Pallet overhang. Research from Virginia Tech found effective box compression strength decreases as pallet overhang increases (source).
• Damage. Creases, tears and crushed corners.

How to use it

1. Weigh the load plus the box.
2. Decide how high the stack goes. Stacking multiplies the load on the bottom box.
3. Pick a wall count whose range is above the weight with room to spare.
4. Ask for the maker's rating for the exact box, and for the condition.

If you are loading heavy parts, such as the metal parts from Union and Catawba counties, go up one wall count. The metal parts page says why.

What to put in the request

Send the load weight per box, how many boxes you will stack, and the footprint. The wall count page is the next stop.

Questions from the dock

How much weight can a gaylord box hold?

Sellers cite 800 to 1,200 lb for a 2‑wall up to 2,000 to 3,000 lb for a 5‑wall. One maker rates its 48 x 40 x 36 triple wall at 1,500 lb.

Do used boxes hold as much?

Not necessarily. Moisture, creasing and time under load reduce the rating of a new box.

Does stacking change the rating?

Yes. The bottom box carries the weight of everything above it, so a box that holds one load may not hold a stack of them.