New gaylords and the used grades, side by side
New gaylords have never been filled; used boxes run from Grade A, clean and close to new, to Grade C, functional with cosmetic wear, and recycle-only for wet, torn or bottomless boxes.
The five grades
| Grade | What it looks like | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| New | Never filled; full rated strength | Anything |
| A, like new, single trip | Used once, clean and dry, flaps and bottom intact | Shipping and stacking |
| B, good, multi-use | Visible wear, minor creasing, old labels or print, no structural weakness | Most shipping |
| C, functional | Heavier creasing, taped repairs, fewer trips left | One-way internal use, scrap, non-stacked storage |
| Recycle only | Wet, torn, crushed or missing a bottom | OCC |
Asking for a grade
The quote form asks condition: new, like new, used, fair or damaged. Those map to new, A, B, C and recycle only. Capacity figures are for new boxes; see weight and capacity.
Single trip
Grade A is usually a single trip box.
Grading in practice
Grades are not an official standard, so the same box might be A for one seller and B for another. The way to avoid disagreement is to describe condition in words as well as letters: "no tears, clean bottom, minor scuffs on one corner." The letters are a shorthand, and the words are what the reply works from.
Asking for a grade
If you are buying, name the lowest grade you will accept for your load. If you are selling, name the grade you honestly think the boxes are and mention the worst example in the stack. Honest grading is quicker than optimistic grading, because the reply does not have to second-guess it.
How each grade reads on a dock
Grade A looks new: crisp print, no scuffs, flat flaps. Grade B is clean and sound with some light wear, such as small scuffs and a slight crease. Grade C is functional: the board may be dented or marked, but the walls stand and the bottom holds. Recycle only means the box has lost its strength or has been wet. New means never filled. The point of the scale is to help a buyer and a seller picture the same box.
Why not use only the letter
A letter compresses a lot into one character. Two Grade B boxes can differ in whether the damage is cosmetic or structural. Describe the worst thing in the stack in your own words, and add a number: how many are Grade A, how many B, how many C. A lot that is eighty percent A and twenty percent C can be placed in two stages, while one labeled B across the board cannot.
Grades and price expectations
Higher grades generally attract more interest, but this site states no prices. What a grade does is set expectations in the reply. A seller who understands the scale can judge whether an offer is fair.
Sources
Each read on November 11, 2026.