Reclaim Wasted Warehouse Space with Over Dock Door Rack
Empty Pallets, Surplus Inventory & Supplies… Over the Dock Rack to the Rescue
Are you overlooking a key potential storage area in your warehouse? While your dock area bustles with activity, the considerable space above your dock doors often sits empty. With the right approach, you can optimize that space and improve the safety and efficiency of your operation with over dock door racking.
Over dock door pallet rack is ideal storage for the empty pallets, packing materials, and supplies that don’t require routine access. Pallet rack is also easily configured to minimize forklift interaction and prevent damage or injury despite the heavily trafficked area.
Over Dock Door Pallet Rack
- Conventional Rack
- Single-Leg Offset
- Suspended Rack
Over the Dock Pallet Rack with Guarding
Conventional Rack (right) – This configuration shown in the above illustration and in the photo to the right uses standard pallet rack uprights installed between the dock doors with decked pallet rack bays above to provide heavy-duty pallet storage.
If using a conventional racking system, you must be careful to ensure that the beam lengths will work with the dock door spacing. Additionally, we do not recommend any pallet overhang on the uprights. For example, if you have 48”d pallets, we would recommend 48”d rack vs. 42”d rack.
Column guards (below left) – an important safety element to include for any rack column that will be in the path of warehouse forklift traffic is a sturdy guard.
Heavy-Duty Column Guard
Single-Leg Offset – The single-leg design relies on offset uprights where the lower column recesses back to the wall to remove it from the path of the forklift. Find more on sloped and cant-leg frames.
Single-Leg Offset Frame
Suspended Pallet Rack – This clever design suspends the rack from the ceiling and secures it to the wall above the dock doors eliminating forklift impact altogether. Note – this rack design is usually restricted to new builds where the roof is engineered to support the structure.
Suspended Dock Rack
Advantages of Over the Dock Door Storage
- Safe, unobstructed empty pallet storage
- Orderly storage of packing materials
- Frees up useable floor space
- Eliminates dangerous obstructions
- Out of the way storage for chemical and flammable supplies
Besides the obvious advantage of using cube space that you’re already paying for over the dock door rack has real warehouse safety benefits. Empty pallets, packing materials, and supplies can cause warehouse clutter, block sightlines, and threaten injury if unstable stacks fall. It’s best to have a plan for empty pallets in particular as part of your overall warehouse strategy, and over-dock door storage is often a great option.
Expert Approach – Do It Once & Get It Right
Could you use a fresh look at your underutilized space and overall operational safety and efficiency? Apex has a team of pallet rack and safety experts who can provide you with a cost-effective, make-sense plan to address areas of waste or risk that compromise your safety goals.
Our full-service approach saves you time and money getting your project designed and installed. Apex is with you every step of the way to streamline the process and ensure your satisfaction. Contact us today to discuss your warehousing concerns and challenges. We will be happy to set up an on-site visit or zoom call to get the ball rolling.
