There are many different footprint options for collapsible bulk containers. From 30" x 32" up to 90" x 48". The most common, though, is the 40" x 48" and 45" x 48" bases. Sometimes it can be hard to know which is best for you, especially when you have a product that can fit nicely into either footprint. For collapsible bulk containers, 45" x 48" is the industry standard in America, but that doesn’t mean it is right for your application. There are a few benefits to a 40" x 48" bulk container over a 45" x 48".

 The standard wooden pallet is 40" x 48". If you are switching from wooden pallets to bulk containers but have built your process for this pallet size, it may be difficult to transition your plant for a larger footprint. However, it is only five extra inches that adds up. Before you know it, your stacks extend two to three extra feet into your walkways. Also, reprogramming your machinery takes a lot of time and money if you have an automated setup. A 40" x 48" footprint collapsible bulk container can be transitioned in without as much adjustment. 

40" x 48" bulk containers are actually superior for shipping on a 53’ tractor trailer. Though each one holds less product individually, their footprint is more compatible with a standard truck, cubing out the truck efficiently and cutting down on wasted cargo space. Compared to a standard 45" x 48" x 34" bulk container, the 40" x 48" counterpart can move almost 100 more cubic feet of space on a filled-out truck. That means you can move more of your product at a time, and less is spent on shipping air. Efficiently cubing out the 53’ trailer will lower your shipping costs, translating into more money in your pocket.
While the 45" x 48" is the standard footprint for collapsible bulk containers in the United States, this is not the case in Europe. In Europe, their standard bulk bin is 1,000 x 1,200. When you convert this from metric to standard, it comes close to 40" x 48". In fact, a few containers that we call 40" x 48" are actually 1,000 x 1,200. This means that if you have a lot of international business, it may be easier for you and your customers/vendors to go with a 40" x 48" bulk container. 
In conclusion, though the standard size for bulk containers in America is 45" x 48", there are many different reasons that you may benefit from a 40" x 48" bulk bin instead. If you have built your plant around wooden pallets but want to transition over to collapsible plastic storage, this footprint would make the transition much easier. For shipping in trucks across the country where you need to move as much of your merchandise for as little as possible, these containers fill out a truck much better than their 45" x 48" counterparts. Also, if you deal with many international customers, this size is almost the exact size of the standard for European companies.