A container for the dispensing of wire or cable has an external carton which receives a reel of cable supported by two caddies. Each caddy has an inwardly extending substantially cylindrical bushing which is received in a central hole of a respective cable reel flange. The cylindrical bushings are disposed on an axis which is a first distance from an upper surface of a bottom panel of the carton. The largest radius of the reel flanges is preselected to be smaller than this first distance such that the reel may freely rotate inside of the carton on the bushings. Cable is pulled through a slot in the carton's front panel. Left and right panels of the carton each have an arbor hole formed therein which may receive an axial rod, the rod also extending through the reel and caddies. The axial rod may be used to join two or more cartons together and may further serve as a support for attachment to a dolly, hand truck, or four-wheeled cart. In one embodiment, cable may be pulled through one or more pass-through slots formed in the tops and bottoms of stacked containers, such that cable from multiple containers is drawn through one slot on the top of the stack.