What type of pallet rack do I need?

Selective teardrop rack is the default for mixed SKUs. Pushback holds 2–6 pallets deep with LIFO by SKU; pallet flow suits FIFO or dated stock; drive-in suits bulk stock with few SKUs; cantilever supports long loads; carton flow serves case picking.

What aisle width do I need?

Aisle width is set by your lift truck and the load it handles. Counterbalance trucks generally need about 12–13 ft, reach trucks about 8–10 ft, and very-narrow-aisle equipment about 5–6 ft. We confirm the working aisle against your truck specifications; aisle width is a major driver of storage density.

How much weight can pallet rack hold?

There is no single capacity for pallet rack. Beam capacity is rated per pair, per level; frame capacity depends on frame height and beam spacing. We size beams and frames from your heaviest pallet and provide capacities on load plaques.

Do you install pallet rack?

Yes. We handle design, supply of new rack material, and installation by experienced installation crews we schedule and manage. The rack is anchored to the floor, and the finished configuration has load plaques showing capacities.

Drive-In Rack system in an industrial warehouse

Drive-In Rack Systems in Charlotte, NC

Bulk consumer-goods receipts near I-85 can occupy the aisles a Charlotte warehouse needs for daily shipping. Reserve deep lanes for repeat SKUs and keep mixed orders outside the drive-in zone.

Charlotte freight routes meet at I-85 and I-77, while Steele Creek connects warehouse operations with the airport and intermodal corridor. A storage plan here has to separate reserve inventory from dock staging instead of treating all empty floor as rack space. Drive in pallet rack stores repeated pallets on supporting rails while the forklift travels into the lane. Deep reserve can reduce aisle area, but access and rotation become the important tradeoffs. We check the actual forklift width, mast, load backrest, pallet support, and inventory depth before drawing the block. A free comparison shows where drive-in warehouse racking belongs and where selective access should remain, with the component scope priced in writing.

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Why Charlotte Warehouses Work With Us

We plan Charlotte projects around the actual building and inventory, not a broad claim about every warehouse in the metro. A Westinghouse Boulevard receiving area and a Northlake order-picking operation can need different lane depths, replenishment routes, and work windows. The first drawing makes those differences visible.

For drive-in rack specifically, the local design decision is straightforward: reserve deep lanes for repeat SKUs and keep mixed orders outside the drive-in zone. We review this against the actual Steele Creek building and its working-stock requirements before the quote is approved.

A drive-in design starts with your handling equipment, because the truck must enter the structure safely with a load. We check rail elevations, pallet bearing, mast and backrest clearances, protection, and the approach into each lane. Inventory depth matters just as much: a partly filled lane holding one SKU may provide less useful storage than the position count suggests. We compare that block with a selective or hybrid layout and explain the rotation implications. Drive-in normally loads and unloads from one face; drive-through requires opposite-end access and a defined inventory procedure. The quote identifies the rails, supports, frames, guarding, and installation checks for the approved configuration.

How Drive-In Rack Works

Continuous rails, not beams

Pallets rest on rails carried by upright frames rather than individual beam levels, so a lane accepts pallet after pallet at the same elevation.

The truck enters the lane

The driver travels inside the bay to place or retrieve each load. Lane width, rail height, and mast clearance get dimensioned to that specific truck, not a generic one.

One open end or two

One open end gives LIFO access to deep reserve. Two open ends give FIFO with slightly fewer positions, since each lane now needs clearance from both sides.

Guarding built into the design

Guide rails, column guards, and rail-end protection are part of the spec from the start, to help limit forklift contact with the structure.

Drive-in pallet rack lanes fitted with continuous rails

Drive-in warehouse racking loaded with bulk pallets

Where It Fits Best

High volume of a small number of SKUs

Seasonal or buffer inventory held in bulk

Cold storage and freezer rooms where cube matters most

Product too fragile to floor-stack more than two high

Buildings where floor space, not height, is the binding constraint

What We Need to Design It

What forklift will enter the lanes, and what are its exact dimensions?
How many pallets do you hold per SKU?
Do you need LIFO, or does the product require drive-through FIFO?
What's the clear height and floor condition in the storage area?
How many total pallet positions are you trying to reach?

What a Project Includes

For Charlotte, start with the floor plan and the operating constraint: reserve deep lanes for repeat SKUs and keep mixed orders outside the drive-in zone. The scope is reviewed against your Steele Creek site, not a catalog example.

The design starts with the forklift, not the rack. Mast height, overall width, load backrest, and turning clearance decide lane dimensions, so truck specifications get collected before anything is drawn.

Next we look at SKU depth. Drive-in rewards deep lanes of a single product and punishes variety - if a lane never fills, you've built an expensive way to store less than you could have with selective. Where the inventory profile is mixed, we'll usually recommend a hybrid: selective at the pick face, drive-in behind it for reserve.

The quote itemizes frames, rails, rail supports, guide rails, and column protection, with a CAD drawing showing lane depth, rail elevations, and total positions. Experienced installation crews we schedule and manage ensure the rack is anchored to the floor, plumb and aligned, then verify loaded travel before handover.

Inspect drive-in rails and guards for impact damage and keep affected positions unloaded pending assessment. The handover includes load plaques and guidance for operating the specified configuration.

Before work is released, the final scope confirms the approved layout, capacities, accessories, installation responsibilities, and access requirements. Our team handles the permit side for you. Changes in load, pallet construction, or handling equipment should be raised before ordering so the drawing and quote describe the system your team will actually use.

Phone consultation

CAD layout

Itemized quote

Delivery & installation