Warehouse storage has a lot of options.  There are a lot of options for material handling equipment, conveyors, space utilisation, and more. Once of the biggest choices to make in warehouse storage is when it comes to pallet racking. Pallet racking isn’t a one size fits all for all storage solutions. Instead, there are different kinds of pallet racking that do the job of pallet storage in very different ways.

Drive-in pallet racking is one of these types of pallet racking that works well for certain types of storage. As the name would suggest, drive-in racking is designed to be driven into by a forklift. This allows for storage to happen multiple pallets deep while also having retrieval be relatively fast through the use of a forklift.

Drive-In Pallet Racking Can Be Very Dense

The main advantage of drive-in pallet racking is that it can allow for very dense storage. Storage density can be critical in warehouse situations because it ensures that as much space as possible is being used in the warehouse. Since the depth of storage with drive-in pallet racking is almost limitless, it’s possible to waste very little space with drive-in pallet racking.

For storage situations where there are many pallets of the same SKU, this extra density can be extremely useful. Of course, this density means that pallets at the back of a row aren’t accessible, but this loss of selectivity may be worthwhile when it’s all the same thing being stored a lot.

Drive-In Pallet Racking Has Similar Advantages To Other Dense Racking Solutions

Like other dense forms of pallet racking like double deep pallet racking, drive-in racking has the same advantages (and disadvantages) of a dense storage system.

As mentioned, with most dense pallet racking like drive-in pallet racking, it works best when a warehouse is storing many pallets that have the same SKU and in situations where first in last out storage isn’t a problem. This is because pallets at the back are blocked in.

Where drive-in pallet racking really has an advantage over other dense storage systems is that it allows for relatively fast retrieval of pallets. Since all a forklift driver needs to do is drive straight into the pallet racking, retrieval is quick and easy. What this can mean is that although drive-in racking is a first in last out system, it works well in storage situations with relatively high stock rotation.

Value Versus Cost Is Great For Drive-In Pallet Racking

The more complex pallet racking gets, the more expensive it gets too. Although drive-in pallet racking is far from the most complicated pallet racking available it is, of course, more expensive than something simple like selective pallet racking.

However, despite the increased cost of drive-in pallet racking, it can still provide a lot of value. This is purely down to its density allowing more pallet storage in the same space when compared to other less dense racking solutions. Pallet racking is a one time cost, but rent for a warehouse is an ongoing cost. Sometimes it’s a better idea to spend a bit more at first to save on the ongoing cost of a bigger warehouse.

Find Out If Drive-In Pallet Racking Is Right For Your Business

Drive-in pallet racking has a lot of great use cases, especially when dense storage and fast storage is needed. One common use is in cold storage. Although cold storage facilities may need to rotate stock, cool rooms and other cold storage facilities can be expensive to own and operate, so space is always at a premium. It’s also important to move goods quickly within cold storage.

That being said, drive-in pallet racking is limited to cold storage applications.

If you’re in need of a denser storage solution, but you’re not sure what type of racking will work best for you, feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.