Plastic pallet boxes and pallet containers
A plastic pallet box is a container and pallet in one piece: walls moulded onto a base that takes forks. It comes rigid or folding, and in US footprints from 32 x 30 in up to 78 x 48 in, so the first question is always which footprint your plant runs on.
Specifications
| Line | Imperial | Metric | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 x 30 in | 18, 25, 30, 34, 39 in high | 813 mm x 762 mm | 1 |
| 48 x 40 in | 16, 25, 30, 34, 39, 42, 48, 50 in high | 1,219 mm x 1,016 mm | 1 |
| 48 x 45 in | 25, 29, 33, 34, 39, 42, 48, 50 in high | 1,219 mm x 1,143 mm | 1 |
| 56 x 48 in | 19, 25, 34, 42 in high | 1,422 mm x 1,219 mm | 1 |
| 64 x 48 in | 19, 25, 34, 42, 50 in high | 1,626 mm x 1,219 mm | 1 |
| 70 x 48 in | 19, 25, 34, 41, 50 in high | 1,778 mm x 1,219 mm | 1 |
| 78 x 48 in | 25, 34 in high | 1,981 mm x 1,219 mm | 1 |
| 1200 x 1000 mm | 47.2 x 39.4 in | 1200 x 1000 mm | 2 |
Metric figures are converted from the maker's imperial figures (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 lb = 0.4536 kg, 1 US gal = 3.785 L) and rounded. Sources last reviewed 14 November 2026.
Footprints it comes in
Options
- Rigid or folding
- Rigid if it lives in one building; folding if it rides a truck empty.
- Lids
- A lid for dust, washdown or stacking a full box.
- Base
- Four-way entry, or runners for conveyor and some racks.
- Doors and vents
- A drop door for hand picking, vented walls for airflow, solid walls for cleaning.
Which footprint
Measure what you have, not what you think you have: the rack beam depth, the station on the line, the conveyor width. A 48 x 40 in box drops into most pallet racking built for a standard pallet. 48 x 45 in is common on automotive lines. The long 56 to 78 in footprints carry long, light parts that won't fit the short side. If you ship on metric pallets abroad, the 1200 x 1000 mm footprint keeps the box matched to the pallet at the other end.
Rigid or folding
A rigid box has no hinges to wear and costs less for the same size. A folding box costs more and pays it back only when empties travel. That one question decides most of the quote, and the collapsible or fixed wall guide goes through it.
Ask with the numbers
Footprint, height you have room for, heaviest fill and how many. With those four we can name the box and write its load, tare and trailer count into the quote.
Questions about plastic pallet boxes and pallet containers
- Is a pallet box the same as a plastic gaylord?
- Near enough. "Pallet box" is the wider term and includes rigid boxes; "plastic gaylord" usually means a folding container on a gaylord footprint.
- Can it go outdoors?
- Ask for UV-stabilised resin if boxes stand in the sun, and a lid if rain shouldn't collect in them.
- Do pallet boxes nest?
- Rigid boxes with tapered walls can nest; straight-walled ones can't. Folding boxes fold instead.
- Do they need a separate pallet?
- No. The base is the pallet, with fork entries on all four sides.
- How are they moved?
- By forklift or pallet jack from any side, like a pallet. Runners on the base help on roller conveyors.
- Are they stackable?
- Full ones stack, usually two or three high depending on the rating; check the maker's figure for your load.
- Are they washable?
- Yes, with solid walls.
- Indoor or outdoor?
- Either; shade extends life.