The footprint
A Gaylord is defined first by its footprint, which is sized to sit squarely on a standard pallet — most commonly 40 by 48 inches. That is what lets it move as a single palletized unit through forklifts, racks and trailers.
Heights vary widely, from half-height bins around 24 inches for ergonomic picking up to tall bins of 60 inches or more for light, bulky goods. The footprint stays constant so the box plays nicely with the pallet and the rack.
The wall
The wall is the most important spec on a Gaylord. It refers to how many layers of fluted board make up the box: single, double, triple, four- and five-wall. More walls mean more stacking strength and more load capacity.
A single-wall bin is for light bulk; a triple-wall carries dense, heavy goods; four- and five-wall handle the extremes, including heavy machinery and long-haul export. When someone asks what a Gaylord can hold, the honest answer starts with "how many walls?"
The closure
The closure choice is practical. A bin being filled by a conveyor of loose parts wants an open top; a bin that will be stacked three high in a trailer wants flaps or a lid to carry the load above it.
- Open-top: fastest to fill, common for staging and free-flowing goods.
- Full-flap: flaps meet to close the top for stacking and protection.
- Telescoping lid or cap: a separate top for cleaner stacking and dust protection.
“Open-top, flapped or lidded — the closure is chosen by what goes in and how it is filled.”
The liner
Many Gaylords carry a liner — a bag or sheet inside the box — chosen for the contents. Poly liners keep out dust and moisture, foil liners add a barrier, anti-static liners protect electronics, and food-grade liners make a bin safe for edible goods.
The liner is what lets one basic box format serve wildly different industries, from produce to plastics to pharmaceuticals, with just a change of what lines the inside.
Putting it together
Read a Gaylord as a stack of decisions: a pallet-matched footprint, a wall count sized to the load, a closure suited to filling and stacking, and a liner matched to the contents. Get those four right and the box disappears into the job.
When you request a quote, those are exactly the specs we ask about. Nail them and a used Gaylord will do the work of a far more expensive new one.