What to check
Start at the top rail and run a hand down every vertical bar, then along each horizontal. Look for a bar that bows, a tube that is kinked at a forklift tine strike, and any weld that shows a hairline crack or rust bleeding from a joint. The corners are where cages fail, so look at each one.
On a 330 gallon tote there is one more level of tube than on a 275 gallon, so the middle bar between the two is the common fault. Check the cage from the inside through the bars, too: a bottle pressed against a bar at one point has been leaning on it.
| Fault | What it looks like | Effect on grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bent bar | A bar bowed out or kinked, often at a corner | Damaged until straightened or replaced |
| Cracked weld | Hairline crack, rust bleeding from a joint | Damaged; cannot carry a stack |
| Surface rust | Orange on the galvanizing, no section loss | Cosmetic if bars are sound |
| Missing bar | A gap in the grid | Damaged; bottle is exposed |
| Straight and sound | All bars true, welds clean | Reusable; worth a new bottle |
Why the cage is the part that matters
The cage carries the stacking load, which is on the plate in kilograms, and it protects the bottle from forklift tines and neighbouring totes. It is also the part that outlasts the others. A galvanized steel cage on a sound base can be fitted with a new bottle again and again, which is the idea behind rebottling.
When you see a straight cage on a cracked bottle, you are looking at the most valuable part of the tote. Do not scrap it. Flag it as a rebottling candidate in the grader.
Fix, swap or scrap
- Surface rust with sound bars: leave it, or note it.
- A single bent bar on a lightly damaged cage: some shops straighten it. Ask before you assume.
- Cracked welds or several bent bars: replace the cage or take the bottle and scrap the steel.
- Never weld a cage with the bottle in it; heat damages the plastic and the galvanizing.
A note on galvanizing
The cage is galvanized, which means coated in zinc. A light white bloom on the surface is zinc oxide and harmless. Orange rust means the coating has gone and the steel is corroding. Sand and paint small spots; a cage with large rusted areas should be graded down.
Questions people ask
Is a rusty cage unusable?
Not by rust alone. Galvanized steel can show surface rust; bars that have lost section or welds that have cracked are the problem.
Can I replace just the cage?
Yes, but it is usually cheaper to replace the cage and keep the bottle only when the bottle is good. Ask in the request.
Sources. Last reviewed 2026-11-11.