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Double wall gaylord boxes

Double wall gaylords have two layers of flute in each wall, are cited at 800 to 1,200 lb, and are the cheaper box when your load is light enough and dry enough.

Reviewed November 11, 2026Serves PA, NJ and DE

Two walls, and the lighter load

Two layers of flute between three liners make a double-wall box. It is the entry level for a real gaylord, and it covers more freight than people expect: lighter bulk goods, packaged items, anything that does not press hard on the walls.

Container Exchanger gives common heights of 30 to 36 inches for 2-wall boxes. One catalog lists double wall at 275#/ECT-48, against 1100#/ECT-90 for triple wall. Those are lab ratings of the board; they show how big the step up is to the next level.

2 walls, 3 liners
Double wall: three liners, two flutes.

Where two walls are enough

  • Packaged goods that fill the box evenly and do not push outward.
  • Loads well under the low end of the cited range, around 800 lb, with room to spare.
  • A single trip, where there is no second use to protect.
  • Dry indoor storage between uses.

A flowable load is a bad match even when light, because it pushes on the walls rather than sitting on the base. Reach for an octabin or more walls there.

Where they fail

They fail damp. Two walls give less cushion against humidity than three, and corrugated loses roughly half its compression strength when humidity moves from 50 to 90 percent. A stack in a trailer left on a hot day, then moved to a cold dock, picks up condensation and softens.

They fail stacked. Two walls are rated lighter and stacking shifts weight onto the lower boxes. If boxes must stack, ask for the stacking rating and keep a safety margin.

They fail when the load is heavier than you think. Weigh a full one before you order a pallet of them.

The cheaper box is not always the cheaper trip

A double-wall box that costs less but only survives one trip costs more per trip than a triple wall that survives three. That is why we keep pushing you to the per-trip ticket. Type in the quote for each box, change the trip estimates to what you believe, and read the cost per trip and the break-even.

If the load is light and the trip is single, two walls often win. If you are not sure, send a request with the weight and what goes in, and we will say which wall count we would pick.

Light loads that suit two walls

  • Folded garments and soft goods in poly bags.
  • Empty plastic bottles and closures going to a filler.
  • Foam packaging and molded pulp trays.
  • Paper rolls and labels in cartons.
  • Consumer goods returned to a distribution center.
  • Lightweight hardware on a pallet pad.

If your load is on that list and weighs well under the cited range, two walls are probably enough.

A quick weigh-in

  1. Fill one box with the real load.
  2. Weigh it on a floor scale or pallet scale and subtract the pallet.
  3. Compare the number to 800 and 1,200 lb, the cited range for two walls.
  4. If you are within a fifth of the top, step up to triple wall.

Keep the scale ticket. It is the best data you have for the next order, and for the calculator.

Questions people ask

How strong is a double wall gaylord?

Cited around 800 to 1,200 lb, but the maker's rating for the exact box is what counts.

Can I get double wall used?

Yes, by grade. Keep stacking light and storage dry.

2 wall and 3 wall: which?

Weigh the load. If it is near the top of the double-wall range, go to triple.

Keep going

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