The checklist
| Line | Example | How we read it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pallet footprint | 48 x 45 in | Must match the returnable; sets racks, trucks and handling |
| 2. Inside height | 34 in | Holds the pack with room at the top; points to 3-wall (34 to 40 in cited) |
| 3. Standard pack quantity | 120 parts | Keeps the count the customer expects |
| 4. Gross weight | 1,150 lb | Inside the 1,000 to 1,600 lb cited for triple wall; read the stamp |
| 5. Walls | 3-wall | From height and weight together |
| 6. Bottom | Full flap | Dense, small parts; partial would need a slip sheet |
| 7. Grade | A, single trip | Backup packs should not fail at the dock |
| 8. Quantity | 300 | A few hundred at a time is typical |
| 9. Need-by | Three weeks | Tells us whether to look locally |
Where each line comes from
Lines 1 to 4 come from the customer's packaging sheet, or the returnable itself. If you have the sheet, send a photo of the page with the part numbers covered. If you do not, measure the returnable inside, weigh a loaded one and count the parts. Those three numbers cover it.
Lines 5 to 7 can be left open. Write what you know and check it against the box. Walls come from height and weight together using the ranges makers cite. The bottom depends on the parts: sharp, small or dense means full flap. The grade is nearly always A for a backup.
Lines 8 and 9 are the job. A few hundred boxes inside three weeks is a smaller job than a few thousand on a short date, so write the count and the date.
Things that trip a backup pack
- A footprint that is close but not right. 48 x 45 in and 48 x 48 in look alike on paper and do not stack with each other.
- A partial flap bottom with no slip sheet under dense parts.
- Damp board. Corrugated can lose about half its compression strength between 50% and 90% humidity.
- A weight over the range for the wall count. The finder flags it; the stamp settles it.
When you are ready, send the request with the lines you have, or open the spec finder to see which sizes match.
Facts and figures
- Automotive packaging for ocean containers is generally one-way (expendable) because returning it costs too much (Automotive Logistics, January 13, 2017). (automotivelogistics.media, retrieved 2026-11-11.)
- The longer the logistics leg, the less practical returnable packaging becomes, and spare parts shipped to service centers usually go one-way in expendable packaging. (macfarlanepackaging.com, retrieved 2026-11-11.)
Terms
- standard pack quantity: How many parts go in one container under the customer's packaging spec.
- backup pack: The expendable pack a supplier ships when its returnable containers are short; it should match the returnable's footprint and pack quantity.
- pallet footprint: The box's length and width matched to a pallet, most often 48 x 40 in.
- returnable container: A plastic, metal or wood container that cycles between a supplier and a plant; gaylords stand in for them when the returnables run short.
- Container Exchanger, the gaylord box guide
- Paper Index Academy, corrugated and humidity
- Virginia Tech, box compression and pallet overhang