- Walls
- 2 layers of corrugated
- Capacity sellers cite
- 800 to 1,200 lb
- Heights cited
- 30 to 36 in
- Common footprint
- 48 x 40 in
What double wall carries
Sellers cite 800 to 1,200 lb for a 2-wall gaylord, and Container Exchanger gives common heights of 30 to 36 in. A double-wall gaylord is also the box that one distributor lists at 275#/ECT-48. It is lighter to move and easier to fold, and it is the right box when the contents are bulky and light: film, textiles, packaging, empty components and light assemblies.
Individual wall thickness varies, so the number is a guide. Read the maker's stamp on the box. Where the stamp and the seller's range disagree, the stamp wins.
When double wall is not enough
Dense parts push a double-wall box past its range quickly. A short pallet of machined parts can weigh more than 1,200 lb in a box that fits on the pallet, so check the weight, not the volume. The spec finder flags a weight above the range cited for the wall count you pick.
A box that is stacked is another test. Stacking loads the lower box through its walls, and damp air makes it worse: corrugated loses about half its compression strength when humidity goes from 50% to 90%. If you stack, or store for weeks in a damp building, step up to triple wall.
What we ask
- The weight of a full box, or the part weight and the pack quantity.
- Whether the boxes stack, and how high.
- Whether the building is heated and dry.
Sizes that suit 2-wall
The sizes in our catalogue that sit inside the 30 to 36 in heights makers cite for 2-wall:
- 48 x 40 x 36 in: 40 cu ft, 1,500 lb in one distributor's listing (triple wall)
- 48 x 48 x 36 in: 48 cu ft, 1,400 lb in one distributor's listing (triple wall)
- 36 x 36 x 36 in: 27 cu ft, 1,200 lb in one distributor's listing (triple wall)
- 40 x 30 x 30 in: 20.8 cu ft, 1,200 lb in one distributor's listing (triple wall)
- 46 x 38 x 36 in octagon: octagon, 1,300 lb in one distributor's listing (triple wall)
Boxes needed to move a given weight in 2-wall
| Total weight (lb) | Boxes at 800 lb | Boxes at 1,200 lb | Boxes at 70% of the low figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | 7 | 5 | 9 |
| 10,000 | 13 | 9 | 18 |
| 15,000 | 19 | 13 | 27 |
| 20,000 | 25 | 17 | 36 |
| 30,000 | 38 | 25 | 54 |
| 40,000 | 50 | 34 | 72 |
| 45,000 | 57 | 38 | 81 |
Facts and figures
- The Cary Company lists gaylords in single wall 200#/ECT-32, double wall 275#/ECT-48 and triple wall 1100#/ECT-90 across sizes from 36 x 36 x 36 to 48 x 40 x 36. (thecarycompany.com, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
- Container Exchanger gives common gaylord heights of 30-36 in for 2-wall, 34-40 in for 3-wall, 36-41 in for 4-wall and 36-46 in for 5-wall boxes. (blog.containerexchanger.com, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
- Gaylord boxes range from 2 to 5 layers of cardboard, and many are sized for 40 x 48 or 45 x 45 inch pallets. (blog.containerexchanger.com, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
Terms
- wall count: How many layers of corrugated board form the side walls, from 2 to 5; more walls, more stacking strength.
- ECT: Edge crush test, a rating of how much top load a board's edge carries; a stacking-strength number.
- burst test (#): Mullen burst rating in pounds, written as 200#, 275# or 1,100# TW; an older way to rate board.
- Container Exchanger, the gaylord box guide
- The Cary Company, gaylord boxes: history and handling
- Uline, triple-wall boxes (1,100 lb test)