Manufacturers, large retailers and distributors use one of many variations of industrial pallet racking to facilitate loading and unloading of goods at warehouses. The system is based on stacking quantities of palletized items on specially designed racks with multi-level storage. Without such a system in place, warehousing would need huge additional resources.

The required storage density and availability of floor space and height are among factors that decide what kind of system should be used. Selective racking is the traditional option, made simply with frames, spacers and beams. Wire-meshes and supports for pallets are sometimes included.

Single deep selective racks are the traditional option, being something of a one size fits all solution that is also the cheapest choice. It has lower density than other types of racks. But it offers flexible loading with access to all positions and placements for the pallets.

Apart from the benefit of a widely used design, low cost and commonly available components, selective single deep racks are also easy to assemble. They can be quickly setup for any one of several different configurations depending on the type of aisles and trucks to be used. For example, it can be a wide aisle design using sit-down trucks, or a narrow aisle design with reach trucks. For very narrow aisles, turret trucks can be used.

There’s also the double deep system, which is basically sections of single deep selective racks put together so that deep reach trucks can reach four pallets. The other types of systems like push back, pallet flow and drive-in/drive-thru types are more advanced and use some kind of mechanical system to make it easier to move pallets in and out of the racks.

Consider the push-back type, which uses gravity for more density. Each bay can hold pallets stored six deep, set on carts with wheels that move along a rail. The rail’s angle and gravity push the pallets out on to the trucks without any effort. Loading is similarly easier with the pallets lined up so that each one pushes the one ahead, and the truck only has to push the last one in.

Pallet flow systems are an advanced version of the push-back type. In this case, the pallets are stored in much higher densities and use rollers to move along inclined rails set on a sloped plane. The speeds can be controlled using brakes and it uses either a first-in, first-out or a last-in, first out system.

Needless to say all these incredibly efficient industrial Warehouse Racking have been getting more sophisticated over the last century or so. But pallets of all kinds, including wooden, paper, plastic or wise-mesh, have been in use since trucks started pulling up right up to the shelves. These loading and unloading systems are not usually a top priority for businesses after they are put in place, but it is still a critical part of the distribution stage in the workflow process that saves a lot of resources.

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Once you have a system in place, keeping your warehouse organized can be very simple. The system needs to be easy to understand and to use. You don’t want employees wasting time trying to find something or spending an inordinate amount of time rearranging products to get at an item.

If you haven’t already done so, take inventory of your stock. All of it. All the products that are sold to customers and all the products necessary to run the business and support the employees. Then divide the items into categories based on type, size, frequency of use and anything else you want to consider. Ask yourself many questions about what are the priorities of your business. This will help in keeping your warehouse organized.

Perhaps you discover that there is too much of certain item. Put it on sale to make room for the items you find that are low in stock. Are there any products stacked in such a way that they are taking up more room than necessary? Take a good look at your inventory to see exactly what you have and how it has been stored up to this point.

Continue to stay organized by remembering to put heavier items on the bottom shelves and lighter products up top. You may also want to create removable labels for the sections and categories since an organizing system is constantly evolving. Carry through the physical organization by entering it into a software program. A manager or foreman can be responsible to enter this information into the computerized aspect of your business. Doing an internet search for “warehouse management systems” will yield a plethora of software choices to checkout.

Now that you have everything organized you will need a place for all the products to be stored. Solid shelving and pallet racks are necessities when setting up your warehouse. There are a variety of pallet racks on the market and you want to spend a good portion of your time determining which type to use. Pallet racks are the only kind of rack that are specially made to be used with pull trucks and forklifts.

However, it is certain that an accident will occur. There is no way around that. The pallet racks will sustain damage and when they do it will almost certainly be on the lower areas. Having access to experts in pallet rack repair is crucial. Without this you could be setting your business up for a horrible accident and thousands of dollars in damaged goods.

Having a pallet rack repair kit, at the warehouse, is a very good idea. Having at least one or two employees who know how to use the kit would be even better. Some repair kits require welding and some use bolts. Some will demand that you unload the entire pallet rack, top to bottom and end to end. Although, with engineering improvements most repairs just need the immediate items removed from the rack.

As an alternative to buying a new pallet racks system, which can be costly, you’ll want to consider buying secondhand. Many businesses and commercial auctions sell off the pallet racks as part of the liquidation process. Before you finalize the deal have an expert check over the entire system to make sure it is structurally intact.

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