A trade name that stuck
Gaylord Container of St. Louis made the first bulk bins and was acquired by Crown Zellerbach of San Francisco in 1955. By then the name had already done what trade names sometimes do: it had stopped meaning one company's box and started meaning the kind of box. Plants ordered "gaylords" from anyone who made them, and the word stayed.
The corrugated gaylord was introduced in the 1930s, and by the 1950s it carried everything from plastic resin to watermelons. The same box is also called a bulk bin, a skid box, a pallet box and a bin box. In the trade the word with the longest life is the one that came from the maker.
Timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 1930s | The corrugated gaylord is introduced |
| 1950s | It carries everything from resin to watermelons |
| 1955 | Gaylord Container of St. Louis is acquired by Crown Zellerbach of San Francisco |
The other Gaylord
Gaylord, Michigan, is a town up I-75. It has nothing to do with the box. If you came here for the town, you are in the wrong place, and we say so plainly. If you are looking for the box, what is a gaylord is the place to start, and the size guide comes next.
Why it matters for buyers
Ask a seller to spell the box out in plain terms: how many fluted layers, which liner, what the stamp reads and whether the bottom is closed, flapped or open.
Because "gaylord" is a generic word, there is no single maker's spec behind it. Two boxes both called gaylords can differ in board, wall count, bottom and rating. That is why this site lists by spec: footprint, inside height, wall count, bottom and grade. The name tells you the kind of box. The spec tells you which one. See reading the maker's stamp.
Facts and figures
- Gaylord Container of St. Louis made the first bulk bins and was acquired by Crown Zellerbach of San Francisco in 1955. (Wikipedia, Bulk box, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
- The corrugated gaylord was introduced in the 1930s, and by the 1950s it carried everything from plastic resin to watermelons. (nelsoncompany.com, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
- A bulk box is also called a bulk bin, skid box, pallet box, bin box, gaylord or octabin, and is usually double-wall or triple-wall corrugated fiberboard. (Wikipedia, Bulk box, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
Terms
- gaylord: A pallet-size bulk box; originally a trade name of the Gaylord Container company, now the generic word.
- bulk bin: Another name for a gaylord or pallet box.
- octabin: An eight-sided gaylord that resists bulging; also called an octagon bin or watermelon bin.
- die-cut: Cut and scored in one press pass; most gaylords are die-cut and assembled from a tray plus a sleeve.
Why the word matters when you order
Because the name began as one maker's brand and became the general word, two sellers can use it for different boxes: a rectangular sleeve-and-tray, an octagon, even a plastic bin. Confirm the footprint, the inside height, the wall count and the bottom instead of relying on the word, and ask for the maker's stamp so that the rating is in writing.
Other names you will meet
Trade catalogues also say skid box, pallet box, bin box and bulk carton, while some buyers simply write "BB" or "TW" on an order. Ask a seller to spell out the abbreviation, because a "TW 48" could mean triple wall or a 48 in dimension, and a short question avoids a wrong delivery.
A short checklist when a seller says "gaylord"
- Which footprint, in inches, and is it inside or outside?
- How many walls, and what does the stamp rate?
- Sleeve and tray, one-piece, or octagon?
- What grade of used box, and can you see photographs of the stamp?