One catalogue, six jobs
The box is the same: a corrugated gaylord on a pallet footprint. The job is not. A tier-one supplier wants a backup pack that matches a returnable. A defense shop wants a full flap bottom under a gear. A plastics handler wants a lined octabin. A grower wants a ventilated bin in September. A plant wants its empties gone. A warehouse wants both: boxes for returns, and a way to clear the ones that arrive.
The Detroit region produces 1.7 million vehicles a year and hosts 25 OEM headquarters and tech centers. Michigan ranks first in the nation for automotive manufacturing jobs, at six times the national average concentration. That concentration is why auto suppliers lead this list, and why so much of the freight comes with a packaging sheet.
Which page is yours
| Trade | Usually asks for | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Auto suppliers | Backup packs on 48 x 45 or 48 x 40 in, 3-wall, Grade A | Auto suppliers |
| Defense and heavy parts | 4- or 5-wall, full flap bottom, few dozen at a time | Defense and heavy parts |
| Plastics and regrind | Octabins and tall partial-bottom boxes, liners, slip sheets | Plastics and regrind |
| Produce | Octagon bins for melons and squash, ventilated, in season | Produce bins |
| Assembly and stamping | Pickup for empties after launches and program ends | Assembly and stamping |
| Warehouses and 3PLs | Both: boxes for moves, and a way to clear arrivals | Warehouses and 3PLs |
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.)
- US corrugated boxes had a recycling rate of 96.5 percent in 2018. (epa.gov, retrieved 2026-11-10.)
Terms
- expendable packaging: One-way packaging, usually corrugated, that is not returned to the shipper; in automotive it covers long lanes, export and shortages of returnables.
- regrind: Ground plastic scrap, one of the most common loads shipped in used gaylords.
Sources
- Detroit Regional Partnership, mobility and automotive
- Detroit Regional Chamber, Michigan automotive facts
- Michigan Economic Development Corporation, automotive and mobility
The six trades
- Auto suppliersTier-one and tier-two suppliers across Oakland and Macomb use expendable gaylords for shortages, launches and service parts. How we list for them.
- Defense and heavy partsMacomb County's defense and machining shops ship dense gears and castings. Full flap bottom, 4- and 5-wall gaylords for heavy parts.
- Plastics and regrindOctabins and tall partial-bottom gaylords for pellets, flake and regrind, with liners and slip sheets. For Downriver and Detroit plastics handlers.
- Produce binsWatermelon, squash and pumpkin bins for Michigan growers and wholesalers, with the seasons they're needed in and how to request them.
- Assembly and stampingAssembly and stamping plants receive parts in gaylords and end up with stacks of empties. How we list what they sell and what they need.
- Warehouses and 3PLsRomulus, Canton and Novi warehouses and 3PLs clear single-trip gaylords and reuse them for returns and moves. Both sides, one request.