48 x 48 x 36 in gaylord boxes
The 48 x 48 x 36 inch gaylord has a square 48 inch footprint and holds about 48 cubic feet; it overhangs a standard 48 x 40 pallet by 8 inches, so check the pallet first.
The numbers
48 x 48 x 36 in gives you a 48 x 48 footprint. Its volume works out to 48 cubic feet (48 x 48 x 36 = 82,944 cubic inches, divided by 1,728 cubic inches per cubic foot).
| Detail | Value | How it is figured |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 x 48 in | Outside, as the trade quotes it |
| Height | 36 in | Set-up height |
| Volume | 48 cu ft | 48 x 48 x 36 / 1,728 |
| Rated capacity | 1,400 lb | triple wall, one maker |
| Capacity per cubic foot | 29.2 lb | 1,400 / 48 |
| Pallet | 48 x 40 in standard | On a standard 48 x 40 pallet this footprint overhangs by 8 in along the 40 in side. |
What this size carries here
The square footprint belongs to shippers who standardized on 48 x 48 pallets, which are common in some drum, chemical and export supply chains. The box matches that pallet exactly. Put it on a 48 x 40 pallet and eight inches hang off one side.
That overhang is not cosmetic. Virginia Tech research found that effective box compression strength decreases as pallet overhang increases, with overhang size, box perimeter and board type all mattering. Eight inches off a 40 inch side is a lot to give up.
In the Delaware Valley this size mostly comes in with chemical and plastics supply chains, along the refinery and terminal riverfront through Delaware County and at plants around New Castle and Bristol. Used examples show up in mixed loads, and a seller with a 48 x 48 pile should say so.
Load arithmetic
For the 48 x 48 x 36 in box, the deck of a 48 x 40 pallet is 1,920 square inches. The footprint covers 2,304, or 120 percent of it. Weigh what you plan to put in, then see where you land against the 1,400 lb rating (triple wall, one maker).
| Share of rating | Pounds | Pounds per cubic foot | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 percent | 350 | 7.3 | Light |
| 50 percent | 700 | 14.6 | Comfortable |
| 75 percent | 1,050 | 21.9 | Working load |
| 90 percent | 1,260 | 26.3 | 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 48 x 36 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 32 of its 36 inches holds 42.7 cubic feet, because the top four inches are for flaps and settling.
| Unit | Number | Conversion used |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic inches | 82,944 | 48 x 48 x 36 |
| Cubic yards | 1.78 | 48 / 27 |
| US bushels | 38.6 | 48 / 1.2445 |
| US gallons | 359 | 48 / 0.13368 |
| Liters | 1,359 | 48 / 0.035315 |
| Floor area | 16 sq ft | 48 x 48 / 144 |
Asking for it
If you need this size, give us your pallet size first. A 48 x 48 pallet and this box are a match. A 48 x 40 pallet is a problem we would rather solve with a different box. Tell us the load, weight, wall count if you know it, and bottom.
One thing to watch
Do not mix this size into a stack of 48 x 40 boxes without thinking: the bigger footprint leaves the pallet below it overhanging on both sides.
Questions people ask
Why use a square gaylord?
Because some supply chains standardize on 48 x 48 pallets.
Will it fit a 48 x 40 pallet?
It overhangs by 8 inches on one side, which weakens it.
Is its volume larger than 48 x 40 x 36?
Yes, about 48 cubic feet against 40.
Sources
- Uline triple-wall box sizes, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Virginia Tech: pallet overhang and box compression strength, last reviewed November 11, 2026