Charlotte region, NC and SC I-85 I-77 I-40
I-85I-77
A 48 x 40 x 36 in gaylord holds about 40 cubic feet on a 48 x 40 inch footprint and one maker rates it at 1,500 lb. This is the size most people mean when they say gaylord.
This is the size most people mean when they say gaylord. It fills a standard 48 x 40 pallet exactly, stacks two high in many trailers and fits the racking most docks already have. That is why it is also the size most often left over at a receiving dock, and why a stack of them is the easiest to match with a buyer.
Parts in bags, scrap, film, regrind, mixed freight and returns. In the region it turns up at truck and parts plants in Gaston County, on the I-85 distribution docks in Cabarrus and Rowan counties and at plastics lines that run partial flap boxes on slip sheets.
| Measure | Value | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 x 40 in | 1,920 sq in, 13.33 sq ft |
| Volume | 40 cu ft | 48 x 40 x 36 = 69,120 cubic inches, divided by 1,728 = 40.00 cubic feet |
| Maker rating, triple wall | 1,500 lb | One maker's spec page |
| Rating per cubic foot | 37.5 lb | 1,500 / 40 |
| Pallet fit | Full 48 x 40 pallet | By footprint |
The rating per cubic foot is the heaviest a full box can be and still sit inside the maker's rating, so a load denser than 37.5 pounds per cubic foot should not fill the box to the brim.
This is the box people mean when they say gaylord without any further words. A forklift driver knows it by feel: the long side is the 48, the fork pockets open on the 40, and three layers of them reach about nine feet, a height most racking and most trailers accept. Because every dock in the region handles this one, it is also the easiest to match. A plant that can describe a stack of these in a single line, with the wall count and bottom, rarely gets a follow-up question.
Write it as a count, then 48 x 40 x 36, then the walls and the bottom, then the condition. Sixty 48 x 40 x 36 3‑wall full flap Grade A boxes is a sentence a buyer reads once. If a few of them are 4‑wall or have a damaged corner, give those their own line instead of hiding them inside the larger count.
Take the 48 x 40 x 36 in box, 36 inches tall, and the example floor of 620 inches by 98 inches on the trucks guide. Set 40 inches along the length and the floor takes 15 by 2, which is 30 boxes; set 48 inches along the length and it takes 12 by 2, which is 24. The better orientation is 40 inches along the length, 30 on the floor, and 60 if the load can safely go two high, a stack 6 feet tall. Your own truck will differ.
One 48 x 40 x 36 in box, 36 inches tall, holds 40 cubic feet, or 69,120 cubic inches. Ten of them hold 400 cubic feet, and a stack of three reaches 108 inches.
| Boxes | Cubic inches | Cubic feet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 69,120 | 40 |
| 5 | 345,600 | 200 |
| 10 | 691,200 | 400 |
| 20 | 1,382,400 | 800 |
| 40 | 2,764,800 | 1,600 |
| Stacked | Height | In feet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 high | 36 in | 3 ft |
| 2 high | 72 in | 6 ft |
| 3 high | 108 in | 9 ft |
| 4 high | 144 in | 12 ft |
| Size | Volume | Volume next to this box | Rated capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 x 36 in | 40 cu ft | This box | 1,500 lb |
| 40 x 40 x 40 in | 37 cu ft | 7 percent less than this box | 1,300 lb |
| 46 x 38 x 36 in octagon | 36.4 cu ft | 9 percent less than this box | 2,200 lb |
| 48 x 48 x 36 in | 48 cu ft | 20 percent more than this box | 1,400 lb |
| 36 x 36 x 36 in | 27 cu ft | 33 percent less than this box | 1,200 lb |
Capacity depends on wall count. One maker rates its triple wall at 1,500 lb; sellers cite 1,000 to 1,600 lb for 3‑wall and 1,500 to 2,200 lb for 4‑wall. A dense load fills only part of the height, so a short box is often the better choice for metal.
3‑wall is the usual; 4‑wall and 5‑wall are available used. Full flap for parts, partial flap with a slip sheet for resin. The wall count page has the ranges and the bottom guide shows the difference.
Truck and auto parts, Distribution centers, and Resin and regrind are the regional lanes that most often run this footprint. See the industries hub for the rest.
About 40. 48 x 40 x 36 is 69,120 cubic inches, and 1,728 cubic inches make a cubic foot.
One maker rates it at 1,500 lb in triple wall. Your box may differ, and a used box is only as good as its condition.
Full 48 x 40 pallet. A box that overhangs its pallet loses compression strength, so match them.
Count, footprint and wall count are enough to start.
No prices, minimums or times are stated here.