Drive-In and Drive-Thru Pallet Racking

While there are many ways your pallet racking could be set up, there are a couple of ways that could be beneficial if you have lots of inventory that moves around very often. A drive-in and drive-thru racking systems could be the key to staying organized through the mass amounts of products being shipped in and out regularly.

Normal pallet racking systems are there to allow room between isles and many rows to be put in, however, using drive in and drive through methods allows for more dense and compact maneuvers to be put into place. This can allow more products to be stored. Using these systems allows you to create a more compact shelving unit to hold more necessary things.

How Are They Used

Since using this method of pallet racking means that the shelving is more compact and dense within itself, to get the product you would come from the front and the sides. By using forklifts, you can get the product needed. This means that the last piece put onto the shelf is the first piece to be taken off later.

While this is a much more condensed way of organizing your products, it has been found that doing the drive in or drive through method is able to use the same amount of store can be got in a much tighter area as the other traditional pallet racking systems. Since lanes are not needed with this method, the forklift can access the product from the front and as deep as it needs to go, hence the “drive in” name it was given.

How is it Helpful?

Using this method has also shown that it decreases storage and retrieval time which can be great if you are under a time crunch or you are pumping out products faster than most. With those benefits, it will increase efficiency and worker productivity.

Taking up less room to store the same amount of product can also save money when it comes to heating and cooling of your building, while also bringing down your bottom line of more storage room per dollar spent on racking. With it being more condense, your forklift drivers will need to be properly trained to maneuver in smaller areas and get products from higher spaces as well.

Different Configurations

Depending on your warehouse, there may be a better way to set up your drive in and drive through pallet racking system.

A one way drive-in is when the product is stored and retrieved from the same side. Meaning that the first product to go into the shelving unit is the last to come out. You could see this in freezer setups.

A two way drive-in is when you would be able to enter to get produce through two sides, helping you maximize your space.

A drive-thru is when you would access from both ends of the product, allowing you to also do a first in/first out situation as well compared to the one-way drive in method.

Overall, there are endless possibilities when it comes to pallet racking and it can all depend on your products’ needs and how your warehouse is built. However, there is no end to how organized you can be.