40 x 30 x 30 in gaylord boxes
The 40 x 30 x 30 inch gaylord is a small box of about 20.8 cubic feet, rated by one maker at 1,200 lb in triple wall, built for loads one or two people move by hand.
The numbers
40 x 30 x 30 in gives you a 40 x 30 footprint. Its volume works out to 20.8 cubic feet (40 x 30 x 30 = 36,000 cubic inches, divided by 1,728 cubic inches per cubic foot).
| Detail | Value | How it is figured |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 40 x 30 in | Outside, as the trade quotes it |
| Height | 30 in | Set-up height |
| Volume | 20.8 cu ft | 40 x 30 x 30 / 1,728 |
| Rated capacity | 1,200 lb | triple wall, one maker |
| Capacity per cubic foot | 57.7 lb | 1,200 / 20.8 |
| Pallet | 48 x 40 in standard | This footprint fits inside a standard 48 x 40 pallet, leaving 8 in along the 48 in side and 10 in along the 40 in side uncovered. |
What this size carries here
Small gaylords are the ones that get picked up by hand. At 30 inches tall the rim is at waist height on most workers, and the box is light enough empty to drag across a floor. It is the box of choice where a load is dense, where picking from the sides matters or where space under a conveyor is tight.
Rated at 1,200 lb for 20.8 cubic feet, it works out near 58 lb per cubic foot, the densest rating in the family. That is why you find it with heavy components: motors, castings, gearboxes, tooling and the leftover offcuts of a machine shop. In the Delaware Valley that points to Norristown, Chester and the Bristol area.
It is also the right size for a food drive. Ten of these hold a manageable amount of canned goods per box, and a volunteer can lift the edge without hurting a back.
Load arithmetic
For the 40 x 30 x 30 in box, the deck of a 48 x 40 pallet is 1,920 square inches. The footprint covers 1,200, or 63 percent of it. Weigh what you plan to put in, then see where you land against the 1,200 lb rating (triple wall, one maker).
| Share of rating | Pounds | Pounds per cubic foot | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 percent | 300 | 14.4 | Light |
| 50 percent | 600 | 28.8 | Comfortable |
| 75 percent | 900 | 43.3 | Working load |
| 90 percent | 1,080 | 51.9 | Near the limit |
Stay in the first three rows for a used box. A box below Grade A has already given up some of its rating.
The same volume in other units
Growers, plants and carriers each count in different units, so here is 40 x 30 x 30 in in the ones they use. A bushel is 1.2445 cubic feet, a cubic yard is 27, a US gallon is 0.1337 and a liter is 0.0353. Fill level matters: a box filled to 26 of its 30 inches holds 18.1 cubic feet, because the top four inches are for flaps and settling.
| Unit | Number | Conversion used |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic inches | 36,000 | 40 x 30 x 30 |
| Cubic yards | 0.77 | 20.8 / 27 |
| US bushels | 16.7 | 20.8 / 1.2445 |
| US gallons | 156 | 20.8 / 0.13368 |
| Liters | 589 | 20.8 / 0.035315 |
| Floor area | 8.33 sq ft | 40 x 30 / 144 |
Asking for it
Ask for this size when the load is dense and handled by hand. Say the weight of a full box and the bottom you need. If you are coordinating a food drive, say how many boxes and when.
One thing to watch
A 40 x 30 footprint leaves a 48 x 40 pallet partly bare. Fill the rest with a second box or plan strapping so the stack is stable.
Questions people ask
Is it a gaylord at all?
It is a small bulk box in the same family. Many people call anything pallet-sized and corrugated a gaylord.
How dense a load can it take?
One maker rates it at 1,200 lb for 20.8 cubic feet, about 58 lb per cubic foot.
Good for a food drive?
Yes. It is small enough to lift and fill.
Sources
- Uline triple-wall box sizes, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Virginia Tech: pallet overhang and box compression strength, last reviewed November 11, 2026