48 x 45 x 40 in gaylord boxes

This is the odd size that surprises buyers. One used listing describes a 48 x 45 x 40 box with five plies, partial-bottom flaps and slip sheets, and notes that the boxes had carried plastic components once. That fits the pattern: plants that handle resin, regrind or molded parts buy bigger boxes and the boxes find their way into used markets.

The 48 x 45 footprint overhangs a standard 48 x 40 pallet by five inches on one side. Virginia Tech researchers found that effective compression strength falls as overhang increases, so a box that hangs off a pallet is a weaker box than its label says. If your pallet is 48 x 45, the box is a good fit. If it is 48 x 40, ask us before you accept one.

In this market a buyer sees 48 x 45 boxes in mixed loads from Bucks County, Northeast Philadelphia and New Castle, usually with partial bottoms and often with slip sheets still inside. They are tall at 40 inches and hold about 50 cubic feet.

No rated capacity is stated for the 48 x 45 x 40 in size in our source, so we do not invent one. The deck of a 48 x 40 pallet is 1,920 square inches and this box covers 2,160 of them. Ask for the rating on the exact box you are offered, weigh a full one, and keep a margin. Used boxes of this size we have seen listed carry five plies and partial bottom flaps with slip sheets, which suggests loads that ride on a pallet or slip sheet and do not rely on the base alone.

Growers, plants and carriers each count in different units, so here is 48 x 45 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 45 cubic feet, because the top four inches are for flaps and settling.

If you want this size, tell us your pallet footprint first, then the load. If you do not need this size but receive some in a mixed load, tell us and we will sort them. We state no prices or minimums here.

Slip sheets under a partial-bottom box are a sign that the load is meant to ride on a push-pull attachment. Without that gear a slip sheet is just a sheet.