Excerpts from the report Summary: Methods and equipment for moving and handling empty apple boxes at storage houses in Washington State were studied to provide a guide to the industry in utilizing the practices that are most efficient and least expensive. Handling of empty boxes accounts for a substantial part of the costs of the apple storage operation. Moving empty apple boxes from storage and loading them on road trucks or orchard trailers is accomplished in three ways: Manually, or by using clamp-type 2-wheel hand trucks, or by using industrial fork-lift trucks and pallets. In the manual operation, boxes are moved out of box houses and loaded on trucks. By the other two methods, boxes are moved from storage points inside the warehouse.