The Gaylord Sizing Guide.
Every size we stock on the yard, plus the inside and outside dimensions, edge crush test (ECT), Mullen burst rating, static stack capacity, and a few common uses. Bookmark this — it's the page our biggest customers leave open in a tab.
Standard rectangular gaylords.
Inside dimensions are usable space. Outside dimensions are what you measure with a tape. The half-inch delta is the box wall — pretty consistent across our stock.
Rectangular — most common
| Inside (in) | Outside (in) | Wall | ECT | Mullen burst | Static capacity | Common uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 × 48 × 36 | 40.5 × 48.5 × 36.5 | Double | 48 ECT | 350 lb | 1,200–1,500 lbs | Bulk resin, scrap, light parts |
| 40 × 48 × 42 | 40.5 × 48.5 × 42.5 | Double | 48 ECT | 350 lb | 1,400–1,800 lbs | Auto parts, polymer pellet, dry food bulk |
| 48 × 40 × 36 | 48.5 × 40.5 × 36.5 | Double | 48 ECT | 350 lb | 1,200–1,800 lbs | General manufacturing scrap, fabricated metal |
| 48 × 40 × 48 | 48.5 × 40.5 × 48.5 | Triple | 65 ECT | 600 lb | 1,800–2,400 lbs | Castings, fasteners, dense small components |
| 48 × 48 × 48 | 48.5 × 48.5 × 48.5 | Triple | 65 ECT | 600 lb | 2,000–2,500 lbs | Heavy resin, metal turnings, mixed metals |
| 48 × 40 × 60 | 48.5 × 40.5 × 60.5 | Double / triple | 48–65 ECT | 350–600 lb | 1,500–2,400 lbs | Textile bulk, polymer film, light tall product |
| 48 × 48 × 60 | 48.5 × 48.5 × 60.5 | Triple | 65 ECT | 600 lb | 2,200–2,800 lbs | Foam, plastic film, packaged bulk |
Half-height rectangular
| Inside (in) | Outside (in) | Wall | ECT | Mullen burst | Static capacity | Common uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 × 40 × 18 | 48.5 × 40.5 × 18.5 | Double | 44 ECT | 275 lb | 800–1,000 lbs | Dense small parts, retail backroom |
| 48 × 40 × 24 | 48.5 × 40.5 × 24.5 | Double | 48 ECT | 350 lb | 1,000–1,400 lbs | Auto parts, fasteners |
Octagonal (octabin)
| Inside (in) | Outside (in) | Wall | ECT | Mullen burst | Static capacity | Common uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48Ø × 40 | 48Ø × 40.5 | Triple | 75 ECT | 750 lb | 2,000–2,800 lbs | Resins, powder, granular product |
| 48Ø × 48 | 48Ø × 48.5 | Triple | 75 ECT | 750 lb | 2,200–3,000 lbs | Resins, food powders, liquid w/ liner |
The three numbers that actually matter.
ECT (Edge Crush Test)
The force, in pounds per linear inch, that a panel will resist before crushing. Higher = stronger sidewall. 48 ECT is a strong double-wall; 65–75 ECT is triple-wall heavy duty.
Mullen burst
A puncture-resistance rating. Important for sharp, dense product. 275–350 lb handles most bulk goods; 600+ lb handles castings and metals.
Static stack capacity
How much weight the box can carry while stacked. Always spec to your fully loaded weight, not the average box weight. Wet humidity drops this number by up to 50%.
Five questions before you order.
If your full load is 1,400 lbs, do not buy a 1,200-lb-rated box. Pick the next tier. Humidity, vibration, and forklift handling all eat into the spec rating.
Stacking changes everything. A box rated 2,000 lbs static can be safely stacked two-high at 1,400 lbs each, three-high at 1,000 lbs each. Triple-wall lets you stack higher.
Resin pellets settle low and pack the bottom — bottom-panel strength matters. Foam fills the cube — sidewall ECT matters more than burst.
Powders, liquids, food, or moisture-sensitive product almost always want a liner. Match the liner spec to the product, not the box.
Cardboard absorbs humidity, which reduces every strength number on the spec sheet. If you store outdoors, step up a wall thickness.
Wide-mast forklifts and sideloaders handle different stack patterns. Tell us how the box will be moved — we'll match the spec.
Conversions, quirks, and footnotes.
Inside vs outside
The industry quotes boxes both ways. We default to inside dimensions because that's the volume you actually fill. Always confirm which convention a quote is using before signing.
The 40×48 vs 48×40 confusion
These are the same box. The first number is usually the length; orientation matters for stacking on a pallet, but the spec is identical. Don't pay more for one or the other.
Octagonal volume advantage
An octagon holds about 11% more volume than a rectangle on the same footprint. That math is the entire reason resin and powder producers love octabins.
Humidity penalty
At 90% relative humidity, corrugated loses about 50% of its ECT and burst rating. Indoor, climate-controlled storage matters.
How much fits inside, in real units.
| Inside dim (in) | Cubic ft | Gallons (liquid w/ liner) | Resin pellets (lbs) | Sand (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40×48×36 | 40.0 | 299 | 1,440 | 3,800 |
| 40×48×42 | 46.7 | 349 | 1,680 | 4,430 |
| 48×48×48 | 64.0 | 479 | 2,300 | 6,080 |
| 48×40×60 | 66.7 | 499 | 2,400 | 6,340 |
| 48Ø×40 | 33.9 | 254 | 1,220 | 3,220 |
| 48Ø×48 | 40.7 | 305 | 1,465 | 3,870 |
| 48×40×24 | 26.7 | 200 | 960 | 2,540 |
Volumes assume box filled to inside dimensions with no headspace. Real-world fill is typically 90–95% of theoretical.
How many high can I stack?
The stacking math is the spec's static capacity, divided by the actual loaded weight, minus a humidity factor. The practical version:
- Start with the spec static capacity (e.g., 2,400 lbs for double-wall 40×48×42)
- Multiply by 0.75 (humidity de-rate for typical warehouse)
- Divide by your actual loaded weight
- The result is the safe max stack height (including the bottom box)
Example: 2,400 × 0.75 ÷ 1,200 lbs loaded = 1.5 → safely stack two high. Round down, always. If the math gives 2.7, stack two not three.
Why box footprint & pallet footprint should match.
A gaylord on a wrong-sized pallet overhangs (loses structural support) or under-fills (wastes trailer space). Match the footprints:
- 40×48 box → 40×48 GMA pallet (default)
- 48×48 box → 48×48 block pallet (auto / heavy industrial)
- 48Ø box → 48×48 block or a custom octagonal pallet (rare)
- 48×40 half-height stack two-on-pallet → 48×40 GMA pallet
A 53' trailer holds about 26 GMA pallet positions in a standard pinwheel pattern, or 30 in a chimney pattern. Octagonal pallets pinwheel slightly differently and typically fit 24 per trailer.