The humble gaylord box is one of the world’s most widely used shipping and storage containers. The versatility of gaylord boxes is well-known, so you can find them in nearly every industry. They’re often used to ship, store or sort different products and materials as they move throughout the supply chain. These large, bulk containers are known for hauling large volumes of goods or products.
The gaylord box is also one of the least expensive shipping and storage containers you can buy. While they’re not quite as durable as other types of containers, they can be used to store or ship a wide variety of goods. Thanks to their low cost, they’re perfect for storing or shipping low-cost items, such as food, clothing, fabric and plastic goods. Another benefit is that you can use these boxes more than once, helping you reduce your overall shipping costs. Look for used gaylord boxes to save even more.
We’re taking a moment to honor this handy shipping container. Learn about the top four industries that utilize gaylord boxes.
1. Food Processing
Gaylord boxes have become the face of the food and beverage industry, especially when it comes to buying local produce and other food items. If you visit your local farmers market, you’re bound to find dozens of boxes full of fresh fruit and vegetables. They’re often used to ship and store bulky items, like watermelon, cantaloupe and large quantities of food.
These containers are also used during the food and beverage manufacturing process. Workers will often use these containers to ship and store raw materials, such as corn, flour and other dry materials.
Considering the size of these containers, manufacturers and processors will often use them to ship large quantities of food and beverages to retail outlets and grocery stores. The next time you visit your local supermarket, chances are many of the items you see were transported in a gaylord box.
The food and beverage industry represents a considerable chunk of all U.S. manufacturing. In 2016, food manufacturing plants accounted for 16 percent of the value of shipments from all U.S. manufacturing plants.
2. Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry is no stranger to the gaylord box. These facilities may need to transport and utilize dozens of different raw materials during the manufacturing process. You will often find gaylord boxes throughout the facility. They may be used to store raw materials, such as clothing, fabric and other tools or supplies. Manufacturers will also use these boxes to collect scrap items that have been left on the manufacturing floor. Employees can easily push these boxes around as they clean up after their colleagues.
Businesses of all sizes can also use these containers for recycling. You and your team can toss unused or recyclable products in the bin to keep your facility organized.
3. Charitable Organizations
Charitable organizations and resellers often use these containers as well. It’s a quick and easy way to transport or store large quantities of goods, such as food and clothing for the homeless, toys for tots and other dry goods. Again, these containers are some of the cheapest you can find, so charitable organizations can keep their costs as low as possible. The cargo is also generally used or low cost, so the organization won’t have to spend as much money keeping these products safe and secure.
When organizing inventory for a charitable organization or the general public, it’s best to keep these items out in the open and easily accessible. When you visit your local Goodwill or another thrift store, you can quickly sort through different used items in a gaylord box until you find what you’re looking for.
4. Plastics and Scrap Metal Companies
Gaylord boxes are perfectly suited to used or scrap materials, so it should be no surprise to see plastics and the scrap metal industry on this list. Companies that work in this industry often specialize in turning one person’s trash into another person’s treasure. They spend their time collecting and refining used or scrap materials so they can sell them to the public for a profit. Again, the merchandise isn’t all that valuable, so sellers can easily load up a gaylord box full of non-similar items without worrying about damaging their cargo.
Using gaylord boxes keeps non-similar items accessible, so buyers and employees can quickly sort through the lot until they find the exact part they need.
As you can see, you can put gaylord boxes to work for your business in more ways than one. Whether you’re looking to reduce your shipping costs, improve the sorting process or donate a shipment to a charitable organization, these boxes are up to the task at hand.