Gaylord grades, from new to recycle only
We sort every gaylord into five grades, from new to recycle only, and each one says what the box can still do and which request it belongs to.
Five grades, drawn
| Grade | What you see | What it can still do |
|---|---|---|
| New | Never filled; flat-packed or assembled straight from the maker | Full rated strength |
| Grade A (like-new, single trip) | Used once, clean and dry, flaps and bottom intact | Full strength rating; close to new |
| Grade B (good, multi-use) | Visible wear, minor creasing or scuffs, old labels or print, no structural weakness | Routine multi-trip work |
| Grade C (functional) | Heavier creasing, some taped or reinforced repairs, fewer trips left | One-way internal use, scrap collection, non-stacked storage |
| Recycle only (Grade D) | Wet, torn, crushed or missing a bottom; structurally compromised | Worth its fiber as OCC |
How to grade a box in a minute
- Walk around it. Are the walls straight?
- Press the wall. Firm board is good board; soft board is wet board.
- Check the creases. Clean folds are fine; splits are failures.
- Check the bottom. Whole flaps, no daylight at the seams.
- Check for dark patches and a musty smell.
If it passes all five it is Grade A or B. If it fails one of the first three it is Grade C at best. If it fails the bottom check it is recycle only.
Grade follows condition, not age
A box that was filled once and left in the rain is recycle only. A box that has made six trips and stayed dry may still be Grade B. We grade what we see. We do not grade by trip count, because a trip count is a claim and the board is evidence.
Humidity is the great leveler. Corrugated loses about half its compression strength when relative humidity rises from 50 to 90 percent, and strength that went out of a box does not come back when it dries. That is why the first question we ask a seller is where the boxes sit.
Grades and your request
Buyers ask for a grade the way they ask for a wall count. Contact with clean product wants Grade A. Routine bulk loads accept Grade B. One-way internal uses accept Grade C. Sellers describe a stack by grade and we tell them whether we agree.
The grade also tells you where a request belongs. A stack of Grade A and B boxes is a sell request. A stack of recycle-only boxes is a recycling request. A mixed stack is one request, and we sort it. For the sort, see what goes to the baler.
What a grader looks at first
A grader looks at corners before anything else. Crushed corners are the earliest sign of rough handling and the hardest to repair. Then the walls, pressed gently with a palm for softness; then the bottom, for daylight at the seams; then the smell, for damp. The whole check takes a minute, and a stack can be graded by sampling every tenth box.
Questions people ask
What are the gaylord grades?
New, Grade A, Grade B, Grade C and recycle only.
Is Grade A the same as single trip?
Usually; a clean, dry, once-used box with intact flaps and bottom.
Can a Grade C box be used?
For one-way internal use, scrap collection or storage that is not stacked.
Sources
- Container Exchanger: the gaylord box guide, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Corrugated and humidity, Paper Index academy, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Container Exchanger: gaylord boxes, new and used, last reviewed November 11, 2026