Everything You Need to Know About Gaylord Shipping Boxes

If you’ve ever been in a warehouse and heard someone yell “grab that Gaylord from the back,” you probably looked around confused wondering who the hell Gaylord is. Turns out they’re talking about those giant cardboard boxes that seem to be everywhere in the shipping world.

Gaylord shipping boxes are basically just really big corrugated cardboard containers. But they’ve become so common that most warehouses can’t function without them. And once you start noticing them, you’ll see them everywhere – grocery stores, big box retailers, manufacturing plants.

What exactly are Gaylord shipping boxes?

Think of the biggest cardboard box you’ve ever seen, then make it bigger. That’s essentially what Gaylord shipping boxes are. They’re usually about the size of a pallet – so roughly 4 feet by 4 feet – and can hold crazy amounts of weight. Some can handle over 3,000 pounds without falling apart.

According to Wikipedia, these bulk boxes can hold everything from plastic pellets to watermelons to electronic components. Which pretty much matches what you see in real warehouses – people stuff all kinds of weird things in these boxes.

The whole point is efficiency. Instead of dealing with 50 smaller boxes, you throw everything into one giant container and move it with a forklift. Not rocket science, but it works.

Why the weird name?

This always gets people. The name comes from some old company called Gaylord Container Company that was big in St. Louis back in the day. Crown Zellerbach bought them out in 1955, but somehow the name stuck around for these big boxes.

Apparently “gaylord” comes from old French meaning something cheerful. Which is pretty ironic considering there’s nothing particularly cheerful about loading these things when you’re behind schedule.

There’s this whole corporate drama story from the 80s where some investors bought Crown Zellerbach’s container division for $260 million. But honestly, most warehouse workers don’t know or care about that history. They just call them Gaylord shipping boxes because that’s what everyone calls them.

Different types you’ll run into

Most places use double-wall Gaylord shipping boxes. They’re strong enough for heavy stuff and don’t fall apart when warehouse workers aren’t being gentle. Which is most of the time.

Single-wall ones are cheaper but pretty flimsy. Fine for clothes or paper products, but don’t expect much. We use these for textile shipments mostly.

Triple-wall Gaylord shipping boxes are for when you really can’t afford to have something get damaged. They cost more but sometimes it’s worth it. Nobody wants to explain to their boss why a shipment of electronics got destroyed because they went cheap on the box.

Some have holes punched in them for produce so fruit doesn’t rot. Others are treated to resist water. Most people don’t need the fancy versions though.

Where you actually see these things

Agriculture is huge for Gaylord shipping boxes. Drive past any produce warehouse and you’ll see hundreds of them filled with watermelons, potatoes, whatever. Makes sense – way easier than dealing with a bunch of smaller crates.

Manufacturing loves them too. Car parts, machinery components, bulk materials. If it’s heavy and needs to be shipped in quantity, it probably goes in Gaylord shipping boxes.

Amazon and the big retailers use tons of them to move inventory around their warehouses. With online shopping getting bigger, they need to move massive amounts of stuff efficiently.

Recycling places love these boxes because they’re cheap and you can just toss the box in with everything else when you’re done.

Environmental stuff (which actually matters)

This is one area where Gaylord shipping boxes are legitimately impressive. The EPA says corrugated boxes get recycled at a 96.5% rate. That’s crazy high – almost everything gets recycled.

Compare that to plastic containers where maybe half get recycled if you’re lucky. With these cardboard packaging boxes, they basically all get turned into new boxes or other paper products.

There was some research showing the carbon footprint dropped by almost half in the last decade or so. Not bad for an industry that moves billions of pounds of stuff every year.

Actually using Gaylord shipping boxes

Don’t max out the weight limit. Seriously. Box says 2,000 pounds, load it with 1,500 max. Contents shift during shipping, forklifts aren’t always gentle, stuff happens. Better to be safe.

Keep them dry. Humidity will destroy these things. We learned this when we stored some Gaylord shipping boxes in a warehouse with a leaky roof. Came back Monday morning and half of them were falling apart.

Don’t try to move loaded ones by hand. That’s how people end up hurt. Use a forklift or pallet jack. OSHA has all these rules about lifting, but the basic idea is don’t be a hero.

Stack them carefully. They’re designed to be stackable, but you still need to pay attention. Uneven loads, damaged boxes, weird weight distribution – all of that can cause problems.

Other options (and why they usually suck)

Plastic bins seem great until you realize they cost way more and take up space when empty. Plus they crack when it gets cold. We tried them for a while and went back to Gaylord shipping boxes.

Wooden crates are tough as hell but expensive and you need a crowbar to open them. Pain in the ass to deal with, and disposal is complicated.

Metal containers are basically indestructible but cost a fortune. Only makes sense if you’re shipping something really valuable or dangerous.

For normal stuff, Gaylord shipping boxes just work better. Cheaper and you don’t have to think about them much.

Real talk on performance

These aren’t perfect. If you’re shipping something that absolutely cannot be damaged under any circumstances, you probably need custom packaging or wooden crates or something more specialized.

They’re also mostly single-use. You can sometimes reuse Gaylord shipping boxes for storage or whatever, but they’re not built for multiple shipping cycles like plastic bins.

But for bulk shipping and warehouse storage, they’re hard to beat. Most companies that switch to Gaylord shipping boxes end up saving money and making operations smoother. Not always, but usually.

Getting started

If you’re thinking about using Gaylord shipping boxes, just order a few and see what happens. Don’t overthink it. Your packaging supplier can tell you what size you need based on what you’re shipping.

Talk to them about weight, dimensions, handling requirements, that kind of thing. Be honest about your operation – if your warehouse is rough on packages, tell them that.

Most companies that try Gaylord shipping boxes end up expanding their use over time. They’re just practical.

Downsides nobody talks about

They take up space when empty. If you’re not shipping constantly, you end up with a bunch of flat boxes sitting around.

Quality can vary between suppliers. Some make them stronger than others. You get what you pay for, mostly.

They don’t handle moisture well at all. Any humidity and they start getting soft. Keep them in a dry place.

The name still confuses new employees. Had a guy last month ask if Gaylord was someone who worked here.

Why they became so popular

Gaylord shipping boxes solve real problems. They’re not fancy or high-tech, but they work. You can fit a lot of stuff in them, they’re relatively cheap, and they get recycled when you’re done.

The agricultural industry basically runs on these things. Manufacturing depends on them. Retail uses them everywhere. They’re kind of the invisible backbone of how stuff gets moved around.

Plus, with everyone talking about being environmentally friendly these days, the fact that they actually get recycled is a nice bonus. Better than plastic containers that might end up in a landfill.

Random observations

Once you know what Gaylord shipping boxes are, you start seeing them everywhere. Costco has them full of bulk items. Grocery stores use them for produce displays. Manufacturing plants have them stacked to the ceiling.

Some companies get them custom printed with logos and stuff. Seems like overkill for a shipping container, but marketing people love that kind of thing.

The whole industry built around these boxes is bigger than you’d think. There are companies that specialize in just Gaylord shipping boxes, recycling networks, logistics firms that focus on bulk container shipping.

Bottom line

Gaylord shipping boxes became popular because they solve problems. They’re not perfect, but they’re practical. Whether you’re shipping car parts or storing inventory or organizing a warehouse, there’s probably a way these boxes can make your life easier.

The recycling thing is nice too. With sustainability being important these days, it’s good to use packaging that actually gets recycled instead of ending up in landfills.

And you get to confuse people by talking about “Gaylords” all day. That never gets old.