Octagonal vs rectangular gaylord: volume and fit
An octagonal gaylord cuts its four vertical corners at 45°. That stiffens the walls against bulging under a loose bulk load, but it costs volume: on a 46 × 38 in footprint with 6 in corner cuts, 4.1% of the rectangular volume goes.
Volume lost to corner cuts
| Corner cut (leg), in | Volume, ft³ | vs rectangular |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (rectangular) | 36.42 | — |
| 3 | 36.04 | −1% |
| 4 | 35.75 | −1.8% |
| 6 | 34.92 | −4.1% |
| 8 | 33.75 | −7.3% |
| 10 | 32.25 | −11.4% |
Volume = (L × W − 2k²) × H for four 45° corners with legs k.
Choosing
- Loose, flowing loads (resin, grain, scrap) push outward; the shorter flat walls of an octagon bulge less.
- Rectangular bins hold more and pack cases with less waste.
- Either way, load and test the bin; McKee-style estimates are not made for bulk bins.
Have extra gaylords? Sell your surplus: tell us what you have and Packgent passes it to buyers in the Repackify network.