The 30-second answer
A Gaylord box (also called a bulk box, pallet box, tote box or bulk bin) is a heavy-duty corrugated container built to the footprint of a standard pallet — most often 48 by 40 inches.
It replaces dozens of small cartons with one large container, cutting handling, film and labor. Depending on wall construction it holds anywhere from 300 to over 2,000 pounds.
Where the name comes from
The term traces back to the Gaylord Container Company of St. Louis, which manufactured these bulk bins in the mid-20th century. Like "Dumpster" or "Band-Aid," the brand name became the generic word for the product.
Today "Gaylord" refers to the format, not a manufacturer — any pallet-sized bulk corrugated bin qualifies.
Standard sizes and wall types
The classic Gaylord footprint is 40×48 inches, with heights from 36 to 48 inches. Wall construction ranges from single-wall (lightest duty) through triple-, 4- and 5-wall for heavy or dense loads.
More walls mean more stacking strength and load capacity. Our size reference breaks down each configuration with capacities and typical uses.
How many times can a Gaylord be reused?
A well-kept Gaylord can cycle five to ten times or more before the fiber is spent. Reconditioning — cleaning, cut-downs, re-flapping and re-lining — extends that life further.
Reuse is dramatically greener than recycling: it skips the energy of re-pulping and keeps the embodied carbon of the board in service.