48 x 48 x 48 in gaylord boxes
The 48 x 48 x 48 inch gaylord is a cube of about 64 cubic feet, the largest standard size here, and a maker rates its triple wall at 1,400 lb.
The numbers
48 x 48 x 48 in gives you a 48 x 48 footprint. Its volume works out to 64 cubic feet (48 x 48 x 48 = 110,592 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 | 48 in | Set-up height |
| Volume | 64 cu ft | 48 x 48 x 48 / 1,728 |
| Rated capacity | 1,400 lb | triple wall, one maker |
| Capacity per cubic foot | 21.9 lb | 1,400 / 64 |
| 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
This is the biggest of the common gaylords and the lightest per cubic foot. Divide one maker's 1,400 lb rating by 64 cubic feet and you land near 22 lb per cubic foot. That is a bulk box for light things: scrap film, shredded paper, foam, plastic flake, textile scraps, empty containers.
It is also a box that wants a plan. At four feet on every side it fills a trailer fast, wants a lift to move and stacks only if the pallet and roof allow. Many docks never see one, and the ones that do use it as a staging bin more than a shipping box.
The Delaware Valley recyclers, processors and packaging plants that handle light bulky scrap are the likely users: material that is worth money by the truckload but not by the pound.
Load arithmetic
For the 48 x 48 x 48 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 | 5.5 | Light |
| 50 percent | 700 | 10.9 | Comfortable |
| 75 percent | 1,050 | 16.4 | Working load |
| 90 percent | 1,260 | 19.7 | 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 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 58.7 cubic feet, because the top four inches are for flaps and settling.
| Unit | Number | Conversion used |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic inches | 110,592 | 48 x 48 x 48 |
| Cubic yards | 2.37 | 64 / 27 |
| US bushels | 51.4 | 64 / 1.2445 |
| US gallons | 479 | 64 / 0.13368 |
| Liters | 1,812 | 64 / 0.035315 |
| Floor area | 16 sq ft | 48 x 48 / 144 |
Asking for it
Ask for it when the load is light and bulky and when the footprint of your pallet is 48 x 48. We ask for the load and its weight, since the rating drops for the 48 inch height, and the date you need it.
One thing to watch
The cube is a poor fit for a standard 48 x 40 pallet: an eight inch overhang on a 40 inch side. Do not accept it by default.
Questions people ask
How big is a 48 x 48 x 48 gaylord?
About 64 cubic feet.
Is it a good box for heavy loads?
No. One maker rates it at 1,400 lb, which spread over 64 cubic feet is light.
What fits it?
A 48 x 48 pallet, and loads like shredded paper and foam.
Sources
- Uline triple-wall box sizes, last reviewed November 11, 2026
- Virginia Tech: pallet overhang and box compression strength, last reviewed November 11, 2026