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Deep-lane Drive-In & Drive-Thru Pallet Rack Unique System Options

There’s certainly more than one way to store a pallet and several options to achieve high pallet density.  You’ve probably heard a lot about “deep-lane” storage for example.  Well, deep-lane storage can be achieved through a variety of pallet racking systems – pallet flow is an option we recently blogged about, but there are also, drive-in, drive-thru, push-back, and ASRS systems that provide deep-lane storage capabilities.

Why deep-lane storage?   The high-density design of these systems allows for high-volume storage while only utilizing a small portion of your warehousing square footage.  In this way, they provide an option to minimize your overall square footage or utilize your space for additional warehousing operations.  Deep-lane storage also saves travel time for loading and picking.  However, not every SKU is a good SKU for this type of storage.

Drive-In pallet racking, for example, is a high-density solution for high volume storage of low rotation or limited individual SKUs.  Unlike traditional pallet racking where pallets are loaded such that they sit in bays or carts, drive-in pallet racking uses left and right-side rails on which to rest the pallets.  The rails run the full depth of the rack system which can be designed to 10 or more pallets deep.

The system requires only one opening for the fork truck to drive into and back out of for pallet loading and unloading thus eliminating the need for surrounding aisles. A drive-in pallet racking system can save up to 35% in square footage while storing up to 75% more pallets than traditional rack.  Drive-in rack is ideal for LIFO inventory control of long shelf life, non-stackable goods.

What if you have a need for deep-lane storage of perishable or FIFO inventoried goods?  Drive-thru pallet rack is similar in design to the drive-in pallet racking but it provides a separate exit location for the fork truck.  It does require, therefore, a small amount of additional warehousing space but it is a suitable deep-lane option for food and other perishable items with expiration dates.

Drive-In Pallet Racking Advantages:

• High-density pallet rack system
• Requires a limited number of aisles
• Ideal for high-volume, low-SKU applications
• Ideal for fragile items that cannot be stacked
• LIFO stock rotation – drive-in
• FIFO stock rotation – drive-thru

Two important considerations for drive-in/drive-thru pallet racking are the potential for fork truck damage and underutilized pallet space.  With fork trucks having to actually enter the rack, you increase your potential for rack damage.  This can be avoided by using a slope leg frame design (photo right) for the front uprights.  By sweeping back the lower portion of the front upright, the truck has more maneuverability around the rack so it is less likely to come into contact with the frame.

Honeycombing may sound nice, but it’s actually something to avoid.  It refers to underutilized pallet positions within a deep-lane system.  As we mentioned at the beginning, not every SKU is a deep-lane SKU and so your system must be designed and installed to make the most efficient use of that expensive warehousing space.  We can help you choose and design the right system for your inventory and product fulfillment goals.  Give us a call today and let’s see if we can save you money and increase your capacity with a deep-lane pallet rack system.