What is drive-in pallet racking?

Drive-in pallet racking system is a cost-effective high density storage solution that maximizes required space and height within the warehouse and allows deep compressed designs for the storage of pallets by reducing the space required for forklift operating aisles. Drive-in rack systems are usually used against a wall, while traditional rack storage systems allow you to store pallets in pallet racking with aisles between individual rows, drive-in pallet racking   allows a rather more dense, compact arrangement to store the materials.

Drive-in pallet racks are equipped by utilizing standard pallet rack uprights in conjunction with horizontal rail beams to store the pallet loads within the full depth of the rack with opposite side forklift entry and exit, referred to as a drive-thru configuration. It is made up of easy to assemble and reset modular structures and is found in an open area for the forklifts drivers to drive completely through the rack system.

Advantages:

• High-density pallet racking ideal for high volume storage
• Enables maximum available space in both area and height
• Allows many SKU as loading lanes with 10+ pallets deep of lane depth per lane
• Single-aisle access with Last-In/First-Out (LIFO) stock rotation storage system
• Rigid control of entry and exit

Protecting your drive-in pallet rack to ensure warehouse safety

Drive-In pallet rack is best used in warehouses and distribution centers storing many materials as drive-in pallet racking cost is much affordable and has a high-density storage system for the storage of pallets and products. However, Drive-In is far more vulnerable to impact damage compared to other storage systems because the forklift must be driven into and back for each load. Drive-in rack storage does come with potential disadvantages below are some tips for protecting your drive-in pallet rack   to ensure warehouse safety:

Quality Pallets

Pallets used in drive-in pallet rack systems must be made of quality materials as the products must be unloaded to reach the last pallet. Consistent sizing is also crucial because drive-in pallet racking dimension is precise. Quality materials help the pallet to remain intact and protect pallets from damage. Quality materials and consistent sizing help ensure loads to easily glide into pallet ends after being placed on the beam rails without additional prodding by the forklift operator.

Drive-In rack protection accessories

Row end and column protectors are must-have drive-in design safety features for a straight leg frame. Row end protector is a single-piece structural guardrails made up of heavy-duty steel that should be used in a cantilever frame design as well along the outside aisle.

Single column protectors are placed at the base of every front upright column in the pallet rack system. Both types of protector accessories are bolted to the floor instead of rack to absorb impact damage directly and without distributing it to the rack. They are painted yellow to make them easy to spot for warehouse employees.

Heavy-duty bottom horizontal rub rails bolted onto the upright adds a measure of protection for the rack system that keeps it off from twisting if hit by a forklift.

Angle stops are bolted at the end of the lane to the floor to provide guidance when placing floor position pallets and ensure them to remain in the lane.

Pallet stops are placed at the end of rails to keep the pallets from sliding off the end of the rail.

Floor channels are bolted between the uprights and the floor and are run down the frame line to guide the forklift drivers and protect the frame line from damage.

Drive-In pallet rack forklift training

All forklift operators must be well-trained per OSHA guidelines to ensure the effective system performance, but additional training should be provided as well to check broken pallets before attempting loading and unloading materials in the drive-in pallet racking. Regular inspections of drive-in pallet racks are important to identify because each hit to the racking compromises the steel’s structure as well as storage capacity of the system. Damaged or broken racking should be replaced to keep employees safe and prevent damage to the racking systems.