48 x 40 x 48 in gaylord boxes
The 48 x 40 x 48 inch gaylord is the tall box for light, bulky loads: about 53.3 cubic feet on a standard pallet, with one maker rating triple wall at 1,500 lb.
The numbers
48 x 40 x 48 in gives you a 48 x 40 footprint. Its volume works out to 53.3 cubic feet (48 x 40 x 48 = 92,160 cubic inches, divided by 1,728 cubic inches per cubic foot).
| Detail | Value | How it is figured |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 x 40 in | Outside, as the trade quotes it |
| Height | 48 in | Set-up height |
| Volume | 53.3 cu ft | 48 x 40 x 48 / 1,728 |
| Rated capacity | 1,500 lb | triple wall, one maker |
| Capacity per cubic foot | 28.1 lb | 1,500 / 53.3 |
| Pallet | 48 x 40 in standard | This footprint fits inside a standard 48 x 40 pallet exactly, with no overhang. |
What this size carries here
Tall boxes are for volume, not weight. A load that is mostly air, such as foam inserts, empty bottles, textile scraps or molded packaging, needs height to make a trip worth the freight. Raise the sides to 48 inches and the same footprint holds 13 more cubic feet than the 36 inch version.
Its rating does not rise with height. The same maker who lists 1,500 lb for the 36 inch triple-wall box lists 1,500 lb here, so weight per cubic foot drops to about 28 lb. A tall box is therefore for light things. Fill it with something dense and you are asking the walls to hold a load they were not built for, and the height makes the walls bow.
Handling is the other limit. A 48 inch wall is chest high on most workers, so hand-loading from the top gets hard near the end. Bins that tall are usually filled by conveyor, chute or lift.
Load arithmetic
For the 48 x 40 x 48 in box, the deck of a 48 x 40 pallet is 1,920 square inches. The footprint covers 1,920, or 100 percent of it. Weigh what you plan to put in, then see where you land against the 1,500 lb rating (triple wall, one maker).
| Share of rating | Pounds | Pounds per cubic foot | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 percent | 375 | 7 | Light |
| 50 percent | 750 | 14.1 | Comfortable |
| 75 percent | 1,125 | 21.1 | Working load |
| 90 percent | 1,350 | 25.3 | 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 48 x 40 x 48 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 44 of its 48 inches holds 48.9 cubic feet, because the top four inches are for flaps and settling.
| Unit | Number | Conversion used |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic inches | 92,160 | 48 x 40 x 48 |
| Cubic yards | 1.97 | 53.3 / 27 |
| US bushels | 42.8 | 53.3 / 1.2445 |
| US gallons | 399 | 53.3 / 0.13368 |
| Liters | 1,509 | 53.3 / 0.035315 |
| Floor area | 13.33 sq ft | 48 x 40 / 144 |
Asking for it
Say what the load is, how light it is and how it will be filled. If the load is light and bulky, a used double or triple wall in this height is usually plenty. If it is heavy, ask for the 36 inch box instead; it will cost you fewer problems.
One thing to watch
Height changes stacking too. Two boxes of 48 inches reach nearly eight feet; a dock door, a sprinkler head and a trailer roof all limit how tall a stack can go.
Questions people ask
What goes in a 48 inch tall box?
Light, bulky goods: foam, empty containers, scrap film, textile offcuts.
Is it stronger than the 36 inch box?
Not by rating. One maker lists the same capacity for both.
Does it fit a standard pallet?
Yes, same 48 x 40 footprint.
Sources
- Uline triple-wall box sizes, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Virginia Tech: pallet overhang and box compression strength, last reviewed November 11, 2026