40 x 40 x 40 in gaylord boxes
The 40 x 40 x 40 inch gaylord is a compact cube of about 37 cubic feet that fits inside a 48 x 40 pallet with 8 inches to spare, rated by one maker at 1,300 lb in triple wall.
The numbers
40 x 40 x 40 in gives you a 40 x 40 footprint. Its volume works out to 37 cubic feet (40 x 40 x 40 = 64,000 cubic inches, divided by 1,728 cubic inches per cubic foot).
| Detail | Value | How it is figured |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 40 x 40 in | Outside, as the trade quotes it |
| Height | 40 in | Set-up height |
| Volume | 37 cu ft | 40 x 40 x 40 / 1,728 |
| Rated capacity | 1,300 lb | triple wall, one maker |
| Capacity per cubic foot | 35.1 lb | 1,300 / 37 |
| 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 0 in along the 40 in side uncovered. |
What this size carries here
A 40 inch cube is the easy box to place. It leaves eight inches of pallet showing on the long side, which makes strapping and forklift entry simpler. It uses most of the pallet's volume without overhanging, so a load built in this box is the safe load. Shippers who have lost boxes to crushed corners like it.
You see it under mid-weight, compact goods: bagged powders, small parts, packaged consumer goods and food ingredients in liners. Its density works out to about 35 lb per cubic foot on the rating we have, close to the standard box.
Nothing about it is unusual, which is its virtue. A mixed used load from a distribution building often has a few of them among the 48 x 40 boxes, and sorting them out is easy.
Load arithmetic
For the 40 x 40 x 40 in box, the deck of a 48 x 40 pallet is 1,920 square inches. The footprint covers 1,600, or 83 percent of it. Weigh what you plan to put in, then see where you land against the 1,300 lb rating (triple wall, one maker).
| Share of rating | Pounds | Pounds per cubic foot | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 percent | 325 | 8.8 | Light |
| 50 percent | 650 | 17.6 | Comfortable |
| 75 percent | 975 | 26.4 | Working load |
| 90 percent | 1,170 | 31.6 | 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 40 x 40 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 36 of its 40 inches holds 33.3 cubic feet, because the top four inches are for flaps and settling.
| Unit | Number | Conversion used |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic inches | 64,000 | 40 x 40 x 40 |
| Cubic yards | 1.37 | 37 / 27 |
| US bushels | 29.7 | 37 / 1.2445 |
| US gallons | 277 | 37 / 0.13368 |
| Liters | 1,048 | 37 / 0.035315 |
| Floor area | 11.11 sq ft | 40 x 40 / 144 |
Asking for it
Ask for it when the pallet leaves room and when stability matters more than the last cubic foot. Say wall count, bottom and condition and we reply by email.
One thing to watch
Because it leaves the pallet exposed on one side, check that your stretch wrap or strapping catches the pallet deck as well as the box.
Questions people ask
Why choose a cube?
It has no overhang on a 48 x 40 pallet and stacks squarely.
How much does it hold?
About 37 cubic feet, rated at 1,300 lb in one maker's triple wall.
Is it common used?
Less than 48 x 40, but it appears in mixed loads.
Sources
- Uline triple-wall box sizes, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Virginia Tech: pallet overhang and box compression strength, last reviewed November 11, 2026