Field notes from the dock
Seven pieces on the parts of this trade that cost people money: grading, freight, wall count, closed loops and what actually happens to a box at the end.
Get a written quote in one business day
Tell us what you have or what you need. A real person in Houston reads every one of these — usually within a couple of hours during dock time.
Used vs. new gaylord boxes: the honest comparison
A used Grade A gaylord box costs 35–55% of new, carries the same load in practice, and avoids roughly 12 lb of CO₂e per box. Here is where used wins, and the three cases where it does not.
Operations · 6 minHow to grade a gaylord box in 90 seconds on your own dock
A repeatable six-point inspection your dock team can run in a minute and a half: corners, bottom, walls, flaps, moisture and odour. Includes the pass/fail thresholds we use on our own yard.
Logistics · 8 minThe freight math nobody shows you: why the empty leg costs more than the box
A 53-foot trailer holds about 480 knocked-down 48×40×36 gaylord boxes, or roughly 26 pallets of assembled ones. Here is how to calculate landed cost per box and why buying local beats buying cheap.
Specification · 7 minWall count, edge crush, and the myth of the 5-wall box
2-wall, 3-wall, 4-wall and 5-wall gaylord boxes explained — what each actually holds, how edge crush test values work, and why more walls is often the wrong answer.
Programs · 8 minClosed-loop container programs: what actually makes them work
Reusable gaylord box pools cut packaging spend 40–60% when they are designed right. The four things that decide whether a closed loop works: density, distance, discipline and a repair path.
Sustainability · 6 minWhat happens to a gaylord box after its last trip
Follow a retired gaylord box from the grading line through baling, the OCC market, the mill and back into new liner — plus the four things that get a bale rejected.
Comparison · 7 minGaylord box vs. plastic bulk bin vs. IBC tote: choosing the right container
A direct comparison of corrugated gaylord boxes, plastic bulk bins and IBC totes across cost, weight capacity, lifespan, sanitation, freight and end-of-life.