Delivery of containers and pickup of empties, arranged through partner suppliers and their carriers.
Empty boxes are light and enormous, which makes them awkward freight: a trailer fills on cube long before it reaches its weight limit. That is why freight is often the biggest variable in a landed price.
Delivery and pickup are available through partner suppliers in our network. Tell us the origin or destination, dock hours and equipment limits, and the supplier will include freight in the quote.
Scroll the rail.
Origin, destination, dock hours, equipment and any access limits.
Ask for freight as its own visible line.
The bill of lading comes from the supplier or carrier.
Appointments are set with the partner supplier.
Sets the construction. The single most common mis-specification.
Sets the maximum container height, minus pallet and clearance.
Frequently lower than the rack, and the real constraint.
Stops you buying cube you will never fill.
Inside dimensions, not outside, decide whether it fits.
Decides grade and corner protection.
Drives the derating, and sometimes a construction step.
Keeps accessorials off your invoice.
Gauge, gusset, grade and length.
Buy it on the same quote or expect corner failures.
A date gets a date. 'ASAP' gets a question and loses a day.
Usually the largest single saving in the whole exercise.
What a careful supplier checks on every used unit, and what you can check at receiving. The cheapest rejection happens first, which is why odor and moisture come before anything cosmetic.
Thirty seconds in open air, nose at the opening.
Any persistent smell — instant rejection.Hand and meter at the bottom score line where it hides.
Staining above the bottom score, or any delamination.Thumb pressure at knee, waist and shoulder height.
Hollow give, shear, or crush longer than four inches.Fold test on each flap; the score must hold.
Two or more dead scores sends the unit to cutting.Diagonal measurement across the open top.
Over 3/8 inch of rack drops the grade.Visual plus a wipe for residue and dust film.
Grease strike-through, product residue, staining.| Period | Supply | Demand | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| January – March | High — post-peak returns flood the market | Low | Best buying window of the year. Buy the annual pool if you have storage. |
| April – June | Tightening | Rising with early produce | Plan summer needs now, while supply is still reasonable. |
| July – September | Scarce, especially tall triple wall | Peak | Reserve inventory in June. Sell empties now — they are worth the most. |
| October – November | Moderate | High through retail peak | Confirm freight capacity early; carriers reprice light freight. |
| December | Flood in the last ten days | Falling | Opportunistic buying if you can take a load on short notice. |
Short answers to common questions. If yours is not covered, ask it on the form and a partner supplier in our network can answer it with your quote.
All 33 answersRequest graded used gaylords by the bundle or the truckload. A partner supplier in our network quotes your load.
Service 02Turn a dock corner full of empties into an offer from a partner supplier who buys used containers.
Service 03Recycling pickup for corrugated that is past reuse, arranged through partner suppliers.
The container named after a Michigan paper company that became the standard bulk box of American warehouses.
Read →A, B, C and D are not vibes. Here is what a careful grader looks at, in what order, and what gets rejected outright.
Read →Why 48×40 dominates, when 40×40 is smarter, and how to choose a height that fits your racking rather than your habit.
Read →A plain-language guide to the three numbers printed in the box maker's certificate — and which one to actually use.
Read →One form and a free, no-obligation request. A partner supplier in our network follows up in writing.
Selling empties? Describe them in the message: footprint, wall count, how many, and their condition. A partner supplier can usually quote from that and a few photos.