Charlotte region, NC and SC I-85 I-77 I-40
I-85I-77
A 48 x 48 x 36 in gaylord holds about 48 cubic feet on a 48 x 48 inch footprint and one maker rates it at 1,400 lb. The square box.
The square box. It is built for a 48 x 48 pallet, so it uses the full deck and turns on a dock without a corner to catch. On a 48 x 40 pallet it overhangs by 8 inches, and a box that overhangs loses compression strength.
Bulk parts, bagged goods and loads packed from a 48 x 48 pallet line.
| Measure | Value | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 x 48 in | 2,304 sq in, 16.00 sq ft |
| Volume | 48 cu ft | 48 x 48 x 36 = 82,944 cubic inches, divided by 1,728 = 48.00 cubic feet |
| Maker rating, triple wall | 1,400 lb | One maker's spec page |
| Rating per cubic foot | 29.2 lb | 1,400 / 48 |
| Pallet fit | Square 48 x 48 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 29.2 pounds per cubic foot should not fill the box to the brim.
Because the footprint is square, a crew can set the box on a pallet either way round, and that freedom is why plants running two directions of loading like it. The price is floor: fifteen and a half square feet per box against thirteen and a third for the rectangular one, a difference that shows up quickly on a truck floor. The square footprint is a different animal from the rectangular one. It sits on a 48 x 48 pallet, turns without regard to which side faces the forks, and gives a plant that runs both directions a way to load from either. The footprint also uses more floor, so a trailer or a rack bay that fits fifty rectangular boxes may fit slightly fewer square ones, and the arithmetic is worth checking before you promise a count.
For a square-footprint stack, a photograph of one bottom flap with its stamp is the quickest proof of size, though the form takes text and the reply can ask for it later. State how many boxes stand on each pallet and how many pallets there are. Say that the boxes are square-footprint on the first line of the request, because some buyers run only one shape. Add the wall count, the bottom and the pallet size if the boxes are still on pallets, then the condition. A seller who writes 48 x 48 once and means 48 x 40 twice has caused more confusion than any other mistake we see.
Take the 48 x 48 x 36 in box, 36 inches tall, and the example floor of 620 inches by 98 inches on the trucks guide. Set 48 inches along the length and the floor takes 12 by 2, which is 24 boxes; set 48 inches along the length and it takes 12 by 2, which is 24. The two orientations tie, so choose the one that loads and unloads more easily.
One 48 x 48 x 36 in box, 36 inches tall, holds 48 cubic feet, or 82,944 cubic inches. Ten of them hold 480 cubic feet, and a stack of three reaches 108 inches.
| Boxes | Cubic inches | Cubic feet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 82,944 | 48 |
| 5 | 414,720 | 240 |
| 10 | 829,440 | 480 |
| 20 | 1,658,880 | 960 |
| 40 | 3,317,760 | 1,920 |
| 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 48 x 36 in | 48 cu ft | This box | 1,400 lb |
| 48 x 40 x 48 in | 53.3 cu ft | 11 percent more than this box | 1,500 lb |
| 48 x 40 x 36 in | 40 cu ft | 17 percent less than this box | 1,500 lb |
| 40 x 40 x 40 in | 37 cu ft | 23 percent less than this box | 1,300 lb |
| 46 x 38 x 36 in octagon | 36.4 cu ft | 24 percent less than this box | 2,200 lb |
Next to the standard 48 x 40 x 36 box this one holds 20 percent more by volume.
One maker rates triple wall at 1,400 lb, below the 48 x 40 box of the same height, because the same board has to span a larger footprint. Match the box to the pallet you use.
3‑wall is the usual; 4‑wall in used stock. Full flap for parts; partial flap with a slip sheet for light loads. The wall count page has the ranges and the bottom guide shows the difference.
Distribution centers, Truck and auto parts, and Resin and regrind are the regional lanes that most often run this footprint. See the industries hub for the rest.
About 48. 48 x 48 x 36 is 82,944 cubic inches, and 1,728 cubic inches make a cubic foot.
One maker rates it at 1,400 lb in triple wall. Your box may differ, and a used box is only as good as its condition.
Square 48 x 48 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.