Notes from the dock
85 articles, newest first. Page 2 of 5.
Gaylord Box Reuse vs. Recycle: When to Do Which
A pallet of empty gaylords is either an asset or a disposal cost. Here's how to inspect them and decide whether to reuse, resell, recycle, or dispose.
How to Prep Gaylord Boxes for Pickup or Recycling
A working guide to prepping accumulated gaylord boxes: sort reusable from recycle-only, keep sellable boxes intact, break down and bale the rest, and stage dense, palletized loads a truck can take in one stop.
How to Set Up a Packaging Recycling Program at Your Facility
A practical, six-phase playbook for ops and warehouse managers: audit your streams, segregate at the source, decide reuse vs. resell vs. recycle, and measure what you recover.
Acceptable Condition Standards for Reuse & Recycling
A practical reference for sorting used pallets, gaylords, IBC totes, drums, and bulk bags into three buckets — good enough to resell, recycle-only, or reject — with concrete acceptance criteria for each.
IBC Tote Conditions: Reconditioned vs. Rebottled vs. Rinsed vs. Used
How a used IBC tote was processed — reconditioned, rebottled, washed, or sold as-is — sets both its price and what you can safely put in it. Compare the grades and pick the right one.
Gaylord Box Walls: 2-Wall vs. 3-Wall vs. 4-Wall vs. 5-Wall
Wall count is the spec that sets a Gaylord box's strength and price — not its footprint. This guide compares 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-wall bulk boxes: stacking strength, typical loads, and which to buy.
How to Store Wooden Pallets Safely
How to store wooden pallets so they stay dry, hold their grade, and don't become a fire or tip-over hazard — covering indoor vs. outdoor storage, stack height, idle-pallet fire load, and FIFO rotation.
How to Sell Surplus Packaging for the Most Money
A seller's playbook for recovering the most cash on surplus pallets, totes, drums, and gaylords — sort by grade, build to truckload quantities, document honestly, and route to multiple buyers.
How to Load a Truckload of Packaging Efficiently
Packaging is light and bulky, so a trailer almost always cubes out before it weighs out. Learn how to win the floor, stack flats densely, secure the load, and describe freight accurately so you don't get reclassed.
How to Inspect a Used IBC Tote Before You Buy or Fill It
A component-by-component inspection guide for used IBC totes — what to check on the bottle, cage, valve, fittings, and UN markings, and the red flags that should end a deal.
How to Buy Used Industrial Packaging (Without Getting Burned)
A practical buyer's playbook for sourcing used pallets, gaylords, IBC totes, drums, and bulk bags — defining the right grade, hitting truckload minimums, pricing landed cost, and verifying condition before you pay.
What Is an SDS Sheet? Why Buyers of Used Totes & Drums Ask for One
An SDS (Safety Data Sheet) is the 16-section hazard document behind every chemical product. Here's why reconditioners ask for it before quoting your used IBC totes and drums, where to find one, and what happens to your offer without it.
What Is an IBC Tote? The Complete Guide (275 vs 330, Grades, Food Grade & Hazmat)
An IBC tote is a reusable 275 or 330 gallon caged container for liquids. This guide covers the grade ladder (new, rebottled, reconditioned, used), why prior contents and SDS sheets decide a tote's value, and how totes actually load on trucks.
What Is a GMA Pallet? The 48 × 40 Standard, Grades & Pricing
A GMA pallet is the 48" x 40" wooden stringer pallet that moves most freight in North America. This guide covers its exact dimensions, the Grade A / Grade B / recycled grading system, weight capacity, and what one actually costs by the truckload.
Pallet Grades Explained: Grade A vs. Grade B vs. Recycled
Pallet grade is what you actually shop on — not size. This guide breaks down Grade A (#1), Grade B (#2), recycled, and remanufactured pallets: condition, price, and which to buy for the job.
Skid vs. Pallet: What's the Difference?
A skid has no bottom deck — just stringers and a top. A pallet adds a bottom deck for stability and stacking. Here's when each one is the right call, plus standard skid sizes.
Pallet Recycling: The Complete Guide (How, Where & What You'll Get Paid)
How pallet recycling works, where to recycle pallets near you, what recyclers pay for them, and how to set up free pickup. Turn surplus pallets from a disposal cost into revenue.
Who Buys Pallets? Where to Sell Wood Pallets in 2026
Pallet recyclers, brokers, and direct end-users buy used pallets year-round at $2–$8 each for Grade B and $0.50–$2 for Grade C. Here's how to find a buyer near you, what your pallets are worth, and how to sell them by the pallet or by the truckload.
Pallet Weight & Load Capacity: How Much Weight Can a Pallet Hold?
An empty 48 × 40 GMA pallet weighs 30–48 lbs. Loaded, it carries up to 4,600 lbs dynamic, 7,500 lbs static, and 2,800 lbs racked. Full chart of weights and ratings by pallet type.
55 Gallon Drum Dimensions: Steel, Plastic, Tight-Head & Open-Top
A standard 55 gallon drum is 22.5" diameter × 33.5" tall, holds 208 liters, and weighs 38–55 lbs empty (steel) or 22 lbs (plastic). Full chart of dimensions, weights, and types.