Why docks fill with empties
Parts arrive in gaylords. The parts leave the box at the line, and the box stays. A normal flow of freight gives a normal flow of empties, and a plant moves them. A launch is different: ramp-up brings a surge of inbound boxes, and a program end leaves a stack that nobody is coming for. The result is a dock that cannot take the next truck.
The same happens at warehouses and fulfillment centers after an inbound program. A stack of two hundred 48 x 40 in boxes is a floor-space problem and a storage problem. Selling or reusing them clears the space. Baling them clears it too, but gives up the value of a sound box.
How to stage them
- Keep them dry. Indoors is best. Board that has taken on moisture from a floor or a roof leak drops a grade, and soft boxes go to OCC.
- Knock down or stack. Boxes that are built can stack within the rating of the lower box. Knocked down (KD) boxes stack flat and take a small share of the floor. Strap the stack.
- Sort by footprint. A pile of mixed sizes is a harder job than three piles. Put 48 x 40 in with 48 x 40 in, and 48 x 45 in on its own.
- Photograph the stamp. One picture of the maker's stamp on a typical box saves a round of emails.
What to send
| Say | Example |
|---|---|
| Footprint and height | 48 x 40 x 36 in |
| Wall count | 3-wall |
| Bottom | Full flap |
| How many | 240 |
| Built or KD | Knocked down on pallets |
| Dry or damp | Indoors, dry |
| Print or labels | Supplier label on one wall |
That is a Grade A or B lot, and it is the kind that moves. If part of the lot is damp, say which part, so that reuse and recycling can be told apart.
Then what
A person reads the request and writes back by email. No timing or price is set, so none appears on this page. See the sell hub for the grades.
Facts and figures
- US corrugated boxes had a recycling rate of 96.5 percent in 2018. (epa.gov, 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.)
Terms
- single trip: Used once, the common description for top-grade used gaylords.
- OCC: Old corrugated containers, the recycling grade a box becomes when it can't be reused.
- knocked down (KD): Folded flat for shipping or return.