56x48 containers

ORBIS 5648 models

ORBIS is the maker we read for this footprint, and it publishes the series as four heights. Its catalog title rounds the size to 56x48; the spec sheets say 56.6 in on length and 48 in on width.

Reading the HDR5648-25 sheet

Inside, the box is 53.5 x 45 in with 17.7 in of product clearance and about 24.7 cu ft of volume. ORBIS rates it 6 high static and 4 high dynamic when loaded, based on uniform loads. The return ratio prints as 2:01, which reads as 2:1; the trailer counts agree, 88 boxes standing and 176 folded.

Doors are where this size differs. ORBIS offers 0, 1 or 2 doors on the 48 in side and puts 2 doors on the 56 in side as standard. The long-side openings are listed at 41 in wide by 12.2 in high, the short-side ones at 30.7 in by 9 in. A long part can come out through the 56 in face without anyone climbing over the wall.

Under it is an all-plastic picture-frame bottom with rounded legs, which ORBIS says eases fork handling and cuts the risk of short-forking. The deck is solid with drain holes, the walls solid, the body structural-foam HDPE. ORBIS also offers the line in side-loading Maximus styles.

Where 56x48 sits between its neighbors

Picture it against the automotive standard. The 48x45 gives 44.5 in of inside length; this one gives 53.5 in, so a 50 in part fits flat with room for dunnage at each end. Width grows less, 45 in inside against 41.5. Longer still are the 64x48 and 70x48, which keep the same 48 in width and stretch only the length.

That shared 48 in width is useful on a trailer. Working from about 630 in of inside length, 630 / 56.6 is 11.1, so 11 rows run lengthwise; two across makes 22 floor spots. Four high gives the 88 ORBIS prints for the HDR5648-25, and eight folded per spot gives 176. This is our arithmetic matched to the maker's count, not a load plan; for a real one see trailer fill.

Loads that justify the extra length

Think of anything between roughly 45 and 53 in long: bumper beams, exhaust sections, extrusions, hoses coiled loose, trim strips, long brackets. In a 48x45 those parts stand on end or sit diagonally, which wastes cube and invites rub damage. Here they lie flat on the deck, and a divider set or foam cradle keeps them from shifting under braking.

ORBIS calls the line designed for extreme-duty applications and molds areas on all four sides for identification, so a plant can tag the box with cardholders or barcode labels whichever face meets the aisle. Folded, the HDR5648-25 drops from 25.6 to 13.7 in, a little over half its standing height, which is what lets an empty return trip carry twice the count. Our how collapsibles fold guide walks through the hinge sequence.

Types and users

• Collapsible bulk containers: HDR5648-25, -34 and -42, walls fold to 13.7 in on the 25 in model.
• Fixed-wall bulk bins: HDRS5648-19 for heavy, low parts.
• Dunnage: ORBIS says custom protective dunnage is available for all BulkPak containers, which matters most in a long box where parts can slide.
• Automotive: the main market ORBIS names, with long, hard-to-fit components.
• Manufacturing: heavy-truck and appliance plants, the other two ORBIS lists.
• 3PL operators running returnable loops for those plants.

Buying used 56x48

We cannot promise a used lot in any size, and a less common length like this one may mean waiting for a program to retire or accepting mixed heights. Ask early, and tell us whether new boxes are an acceptable fallback.

With doors on both sides, there are more hinges to check than on a standard box: up to four doors, plus every wall hinge and latch. Fold every wall, open every door, and look along the picture-frame legs for fork damage. Our drop doors guide shows what a worn door looks like, and used collapsible bulk containers covers grading.

What to tell us

Send the longest and heaviest part, the height you need, and which faces need doors: the 48 in end, the 56 in side, or both. Tell us whether the boxes must stack with 56x48s you already run, how high you stack loaded, and how many you need delivered where. Mention any rack, conveyor, turntable or automated guided vehicle the boxes must clear, and whether the ORBIS side-loading Maximus style interests you. New, used or refurbished all quote through the quote form.