- Footprint
- 36 x 36 in
- Inside height
- 36 in
- Volume
- 27 cu ft
- Listed by one distributor
- 1,200 lb, triple wall
What this size is
This is the box for small lots: a few hundred pounds of parts, a sample run, a half-load of regrind. It is easy to move, easy to hand-stack, and often fits through doors that a 48 in box will not. If your lot is small, this is the size that keeps a pallet from being mostly air.
The 1,100# triple-wall test on this size is the number that listing uses for the whole line, and 1,200 lb is its listed weight. Seen another way, that is 44 lb per cubic foot, a higher density than the listed figures for the large boxes allow. Small boxes are comparatively strong for their volume.
The numbers
| Field | Value | How it is worked |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 36 x 36 in | Length by width, matched to a pallet |
| Inside height | 36 in | Floor of the box to the top of the walls |
| Volume | 27 cu ft | 36 x 36 x 36 = 46,656 cu in. Divided by 1,728 cu in per cu ft that is about 27 cu ft. |
| Listed by one distributor | 1,200 lb | One distributor's triple-wall figure, not a maker standard |
| Wall counts cited at this height | 2-wall, 3-wall, 4-wall, 5-wall | Heights makers cite: 2-wall 30 to 36, 3-wall 34 to 40, 4-wall 36 to 41, 5-wall 36 to 46 in |
What it is used for
- Small production runs and samples.
- Mixed-parts consolidation.
- Hand-stacked loads.
- Material that needs a certified box, bought new, because a used one is not UN-rated.
Do not confuse a clean 36 x 36 x 36 with a UN-rated one. A used box is not UN-rated unless it is certified. See the UN-rated page.
How many fit on a 53-foot trailer
Computed, not promised. For the 36 x 36 x 36 in box we use round working numbers for the trailer floor: 636 in long, 100 in wide and 108 in high inside, and a 6 in pallet under each box, which makes each layer 42 in tall. Check your carrier's trailer, since inside dimensions vary.
| Step | Result |
|---|---|
| Best orientation | 17 rows of 2 across |
| Boxes on the floor | 17 x 2 = 34 |
| Height per layer | 36 + 6 = 42 in |
| Layers that fit | 2 (108 / 42, rounded down) |
| If every layer is allowed | 68 |
Stacking is limited by the box rating, the weight of the load and your carrier's rules, so the last line is a ceiling, not a plan. The trailer guide works the other sizes the same way.
Questions
What is the volume?
What does 1,100# mean?
Filling the 36 x 36 x 36 in box by height
| Fill height (in) | Cubic feet | Share of full |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4.5 | 16.7% |
| 12 | 9.0 | 33.3% |
| 18 | 13.5 | 50.0% |
| 24 | 18.0 | 66.7% |
| 30 | 22.5 | 83.3% |
| 36 | 27.0 | 100.0% |