The simple Gaylord box is vital in the wholesale book industry. It connects resellers, bookstores, libraries, schools, and collectors in the supply chain. These big, sturdy containers help move hundreds or thousands of books at once. This saves money for book businesses, no matter their size. This report covers the history, specs, buying options, and logistics of Gaylords filled with books. It helps us understand their role in today’s book industry.
The Origins and Evolution of Gaylord Boxes
The term “Gaylord” isn’t just any bulk container. It has specific business roots from the early 20th century. The Gaylord Container Corporation started as “J.C. Bulis” in St. Louis, Missouri. It focused on selling small wooden shipping boxes. In 1920, founder Robert Gaylord bought the company. He renamed it “Robert Gaylord, Inc.” Later, it became “Gaylord Container Corporation.”
The word “gaylord” comes from the Old French word gaillard. It meant joyful or high-spirited. Later, it became a family name from Norman French. Robert M. Gaylord (1888-1980) might be linked to the company’s founding family. He worked at Ingersoll Milling and became president in 1928. He held that role for 40 years.
The modern Gaylord Container Corporation began in 1937. It was formed by merging the Bogalusa Paper Company with Robert Gaylord Incorporated. For eighteen years, the corporation made large boxes. These boxes were meant to hold bulk goods on pallets.
Corporate Evolution and Acquisitions
The corporate history of Gaylord Container reflects the dynamic nature of the American packaging industry. The company went through several transformations:
- In 1955, Crown Zellerbach acquired the original Gaylord Container Corporation, renaming it the “Gaylord Container Division”.
- In 1985, Crown Zellerbach underwent a hostile takeover by Sir James Goldsmith, resulting in the company’s break-up.
- In 1986, the less profitable container division of Crown Zellerbach became “Gaylord Container” and was sold for $260 million to Midwest investors led by Warren Hayford and Marvin Pomerantz.
- In 2002, after less than 16 years as a revived company, Gaylord Container was acquired by Temple-Inland for approximately $65 million to shareholders and roughly $782 million to bondholders. The acquisition was delayed until Gaylord could resolve tort claims arising from a 1995 chemical explosion at its plant in Bogalusa, Louisiana.
- In 2011, International Paper expanded its empire by acquiring Temple-Inland for $4.3 billion ($3.7 billion in cash plus $600 million in debt assumption), boosting International Paper’s share in the corrugated-packaging market from 27% to approximately 37%.
Despite the company no longer existing under its original name, the term “Gaylord box” has persisted in industry terminology and is now used generically for any durable single-use corrugated box designed for bulk shipping.
Specifications and Technical Details of Gaylord Boxes
Knowing the technical specs of Gaylord boxes is key for the book industry. Many rely on these containers for transport and storage.
Standard Dimensions and Configurations
The standard Gaylord box is 48″ x 40″ x 36″. These dimensions help optimize transport and storage efficiency. This standard size fits a standard pallet. It allows for double stacking in trucks when loaded with inventory. About 500 to 550 standard boxes can fit on one trailer. This depends on how the boxes are stacked.
Other common dimensions include:
- 40″ x 40″ x 40″ Pallet Containers: They have similar weight and carrying capacity to the standard size.
- 40″ x 30″ x 30″ Pallet Boxes: Smaller than the standard size but still substantial.
- 36″ x 36″ x 36″ Small Corrugated Gaylords: Ideal for locations with space constraints.
Wall Construction and Strength Ratings
The strength and durability of Gaylord boxes depend on their wall construction. This is measured by the number of corrugated layers.
- Single-wall: Supports only 65-95 lbs, depending on cardboard grade employed.
- Double-wall: Supports between 95-120 lbs.
- Triple-wall: Usually holds 120-280 lbs. Some stronger cardboard grades can support up to 300 lbs.
- Quadruple-wall (Four-ply): These strong containers have reinforced bottoms with wood pallets. This design makes it easy to move them around warehouses. They can support between 2,000-2,500 lbs.
- Five-wall (Five-ply): These premium Gaylords are very strong and tough against rough handling. They usually have reinforced pallet bottoms and can hold 4,000-5,000 lbs.
The standard Gaylords, sized 48″x40″x36″ with four or five walls, can carry 4,000 to 5,000 lbs. This makes them great for shipping heavy books.
Box Construction Features
Modern Gaylord boxes typically come in either rectangular or octagonal shapes. The octagonal design provides uniform weight distribution, enhancing stacking strength. Most Gaylords have two parts: a bottom and a lid. Both are made from heavy-duty corrugated cardboard.
Triple-corrugated cardboard walls are common in traditional Gaylord boxes. Now, the term refers to any single-use corrugated box made for shipping. These containers have many names. They are called pallet boxes, pallet containers, tote boxes, skid boxes, and bulk bins.
Book Content and Variety in Gaylord Boxes
Gaylords filled with books differ a lot by supplier. Many provide special categories to meet buyers’ specific needs.
Typical Content Distribution
When purchasing non-specialized Gaylords, buyers can generally expect certain content patterns:
Zubal Books offers Gaylords containing approximately:
- 85% non-fiction (primarily social sciences, humanities, science, and technology)
- 60% hardcover and 40% softcover
- 90% English language (remainder mainly French, Italian, Spanish, and German)
- 90% published from 1970 to present
Bulk Book Warehouse gives Gaylords about 800 books each. They remove all magazines, encyclopedias, and textbooks. Their offerings include mixed genre boxes for $80 each.
Specialized Categories
Many suppliers offer specialized Gaylords focusing on particular book categories:
Better World Books Wholesale provides distinct categories with specific pricing:
- Children’s Books: $145 per Gaylord (approximately 1,000 books)
- Leather Bound Books: $115 per box (approximately 22 books)
- Vintage Books (Pre-ISBN): $95 per box (approximately 30 books)
- Textbooks: $165 per Gaylord (approximately 550 books)
Books by the Foot offers multiple specialized bulk categories:
- Boxed Books by Subject: $54.99-$64.99 per box
- Boxed Children’s Books: $49.99 per box
- Boxed Shelf Filler: $29.99 per box
- Boxed Children’s Picture Books: $59.99 per box
- Boxed Mass Market Paperbacks: $39.99 per box
- Bulk Children’s Books Sorted: $499.99 per Gaylord
- Bulk Mass Market Paperbacks: $299.99 per Gaylord
Zubal Books has Gaylord boxes made for paperbacks. They say these boxes are “Perfect for prison reading rooms,” holding 900 to 1,400 books each.
Exclusion Policies
Most suppliers maintain policies regarding what materials are excluded from their general Gaylord offerings:
Zubal Books excludes “encyclopedias, book club editions, Reader’s Digest (and similar) condensed books, textbooks for grade 1-12, college textbooks more than 3 years old, reference books superseded by later editions, outdated yearbooks, bound volumes of periodicals, directories, obviously defective books”.
Bulk Book Warehouse removes “magazines, encyclopedias and textbooks” from their Gaylords.
These exclusion policies help ensure that bulk buyers receive more marketable and relevant inventory.
Where to Purchase Book-Filled Gaylords
The wholesale book market has many options to buy Gaylord books. Suppliers differ in prices, minimum order amounts, and specializations.
Established Wholesale Book Suppliers
Better World Books Wholesale:
- Children’s Books: $145 per Gaylord (estimated 1,000 books)
- Container (40 ft HC): $5,800 (estimated 40,000 books)
- Leather Bound Books: $115 per box (22 books) or $2,200 per pallet (880 books)
- Vintage Books (Pre-ISBN): $95 per box (30 books) or $1,000 per pallet (1,200 books)
- Textbooks: $165 per Gaylord (estimated 550 books)
Zubal Books:
- Clean (non-ex-library) bulk books: $500 per Gaylord (600-900 books)
- Paperback Gaylords: $500 per box (900-1,400 books)
- Coffee-table size books: $3.50 per volume (minimum purchase 200 books)
Books by the Foot:
- Popular Softcover Bulk Books: $349.99 per Gaylord
- Shelf Filler Bulk: $299.99 per Gaylord
- Bulk Children’s Books Sorted: $499.99 per Gaylord
- Bulk Mass Market Paperbacks: $299.99 per Gaylord
Bulk Book Warehouse:
- Mixed genre Gaylords: $80 each (approximately 800 books)
- Empty Gaylord boxes: $5 each or $80 for a full skid of 20 boxes
Weight Considerations and Logistics
Weight factors help plan transport and facility needs for Gaylord boxes of books.
Book Weight Variations
Books vary greatly in weight, which affects the total weight of a Gaylord.
- Mass market paperbacks: 4-8 ounces
- Trade paperbacks: 8-16 ounces
- Standard hardcovers: 16-25 ounces
- Large format books: Up to 71 ounces (4.4 pounds)
Delivery Requirements and Handling
The substantial weight of book-filled Gaylords creates specific logistical requirements:
Books by the Foot states that buyers need a full-size loading dock. Also, truck beds must be either 2.5′ or 4′ high for pickup. If you don’t have loading docks, you can use boxing services. This costs an extra $50 for each Gaylord.
A standard Gaylord of books can weigh up to 1,200 pounds. Four and five-wall variants can hold 4,000-5,000 pounds. So, it’s important to use the right handling equipment and storage systems.
- Floor load capacity must be sufficient for concentrated weight
- Adequate space for processing and inventory management
- Proper equipment for moving heavy containers
Environmental and Sustainability Aspects
Gaylord boxes show how circular economy ideas work in packaging.
Sustainable Construction
Corrugated boxes, such as Gaylords, are made from renewable resources. They use only three ingredients:
- Wood fiber (from sustainably managed forests and recycled containers)
- Water
- Starch
The corrugated industry demonstrates commitment to sustainability throughout the box production lifecycle. This matches the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s view of a circular economy. It uses a systems-focused approach. This means it involves industrial processes designed to restore or regenerate. The goal is to keep resources and activities at their highest value for as long as possible. It also aims to eliminate waste.
Industry Impact on Sustainability
The Gaylord Container Company’s “reduce, reuse, recycle” method inspired other businesses. So, many started to follow their lead. The company used corrugated boxes with ridges and grooves. This change cut down on materials but kept the boxes strong.
When applied to the book industry, this sustainability focus manifests in several ways:
Creating efficient shipping solutions that minimize environmental impact per book moved
Diverting books from landfills through resale and redistribution
Supporting literacy initiatives through charitable donations
Recycling damaged or unsellable books into new paper products
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