Food and Drink – drive-in pallet racking is highly beneficial for the food and drink industry, especially for storing bulk quantities of perishable goods. The ability to organise products in a FIFO (First In, First Out) manner ensures optimal product rotation, reducing spoilage and waste.
Drive-In and Drive-Through Pallet Racking
Advantages | Considerations
- Efficient storage option
- Reduced risk of product damage
- Ideal for chilled or frozen storage
- Low maintenance and assembly costs
- Enhanced safety
- High storage capacity
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What Are Drive-In Pallet Racking Systems?
Drive-in pallet racking systems are high-density storage which allow products to occupy most of the available space. The system best suits a LIFO system (Last-In, First-Out) with pallets fixed on rails and accessible from one end. If the system is configured for drive-through, pallets can be accessed from both ends for a First-In, First-Out (FIFO) stock rotation.
Drive-in pallet racking systems will vary depending on the requirements of the warehouse and the products being stored although some of the common specifications include:
- Dimensions and Weight Capacity – drive-in racking is usually designed to accommodate standard pallet sizes but can be customised to other dimensions if needed. The weight capacity per pallet position is a critical specification and can vary significantly – your unique requirements need to be taken into consideration with the initial design stage.
- Height and Depth – the height and depth will depend on the size of the available area within the warehouse – although they can be up to ten pallets deep and some systems can reach over nine metres high.
- Materials – most drive-in pallet racking systems are made from high-strength steel to be capable of withstanding heavy product loads as well as the wear and tear of forklift traffic.
- Rail Design – the rails are typically adjustable to accommodate different pallet weights and can be reinforced for additional strength.
Forklift Access – the design needs to allow for the turning radius and lifting capacity of the forklifts used – including the height and width of the entry points into the racking system.
A variety of drive-in racking system accessories are available to help organisations optimise the system for their specific needs and uses and to ensure a safer, more organised and efficient warehouse. Some accessories include:
- Guide Rails – installed on the floor along drive-in lanes will help direct forklifts as they enter and exit racking lanes.
- Column Protectors – installed at the base of the rack uprights to protect against potential forklift impacts.
- Guards and Bumpers – able to help protect the racking from forklift impacts.
Wall or Back-to-Back Ties – to anchor racks to each other or the wall for additional stability. - Safety Netting – attached to the sides or back of racks to prevent pallets or products from falling and enhance safety in the warehouse.
Safety Signs and Labelling – clear labels and signs are crucial for safe and efficient operation including load capacity, operating instructions and safety warnings. - Back Stops – placed at the rear of each lane to prevent pallets or products from falling through when loaded.
- Entry Guides at the Front of Rails – used to help guide the pallet into the bay without causing damage to either side.
Applications
Drive-in pallet racking systems are the ideal solution for a range of different industries – providing the density of storage that is vital for their operations.
Carpet and Flooring storage solutions – drive-in racking is a practical solution for the carpet and flooring industry. It accommodates long rolls of carpet or flooring materials in a compact, vertical manner. It also allows for easy access and handling, which is vital for managing diverse flooring products.
Benefits of Drive-In Racking Systems
Efficient Storage Solutions
Drive-in pallet racking systems offer exceptional efficiency in space utilisation making them a perfect choice for warehouses where floor space is a premium. They can minimise the need for multiple aisles and allow forklifts to load or unload pallets with easy access.
Reduced Risk of Product Damage
Drive-in pallet racking is designed to store pallets in a continuous block. The design minimises the need for forklifts to manoeuvre between racks, reducing the risk of collision, and, as pallets are supported along their length, the risk of product shifting is reduced, minimising losses due to damage.
Chilled and Frozen Storage
Drive-in racking is ideal for chilled and frozen storage environments as the dense storage capabilities reduce the volume of air that needs chilling, lowering energy consumption and costs.
This is particularly beneficial for storing large quantities of perishable goods, which require specific temperature conditions.
Low Maintenance and Assembly Costs
With fewer moving parts and a straightforward structural layout, there’s less need for ongoing maintenance. The robust construction of drive-in racking is typically made from high-strength steel components, which resist damage – lowering maintenance requirements further.
These systems are easy to install thanks to their modular design and simple to reconfigure or expand.
Enhanced Safety
Drive-in racking systems are designed with safety first. They reduce the need for forklifts, minimising the risk of accidents and the structure is robust and stable, offering a secure environment for storing heavy, bulky items and preventing them from falling, reducing the likelihood of workplace injuries or damage to goods.
High Storage Capacity
Optimised for space efficiency, drive-in pallet racking offers high storage capacity in a dense configuration, maximising the usable footprint of the warehouse. This is particularly beneficial for warehouses with limited floor space but a high stock volume.
Drive-in racks enable more pallets to be stored per cubic metre than other conventional pallet racking systems.
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Drive-In Racking FAQs
If you have more questions about our drive-in racking systems, see our frequently asked questions below or get in touch with a friendly and expert member of our team.
How much floor space can drive-in racking save?
- How the saving is made – Drive-in pallet racking can substantially reduce the floor area required for pallet storage because forklift access aisles are replaced by deep storage lanes.
- Conventional racking comparison – In conventional adjustable pallet racking, most rows require an adjacent forklift aisle. With drive-in pallet racking, several pallets are stored one behind another within a deep storage lane, allowing a large block of racking to be served by far fewer operating aisles.
- Typical space saving – Depending on the warehouse layout and inventory profile, drive-in racking can reduce the storage footprint by around 40–50% compared with some conventional selective pallet racking layouts.
- Factors affecting the saving – The exact saving will depend on:
- pallet quantity;
- number of SKUs;
- pallets per SKU;
- lane depth;
- warehouse dimensions;
- building columns;
- pallet size;
- pallet weight;
- forklift specification;
- fire escape routes.
- Where it works well – Drive-in racking works particularly well when a business stores:
- large quantities of the same SKU;
- relatively few product lines;
- multiple pallets per product;
- seasonal stock;
- batch stock;
- frozen goods;
- chilled goods;
- manufacturing inventory.
- Capacity caveat – However, maximum physical pallet capacity does not always mean maximum usable storage capacity. If there are not enough pallets of one SKU to fill a deep storage lane, unused pallet positions may become trapped behind other stock.
- Professional analysis needed – A professional warehouse racking layout and capacity analysis is therefore essential when comparing drive-in racking with standard pallet racking.
What’s the difference between drive-in and drive-through racking?
- Key difference – The main difference between drive-in racking and drive-through racking is the number of sides from which a forklift can access the pallet storage lanes.
- Drive-in access – With drive-in pallet racking, the forklift enters and leaves the storage lane from the same side. Pallets are stored several positions deep on support rails, so drive-in racking normally operates on a LIFO or FILO basis — Last In, First Out or First In, Last Out.
- Drive-through access – With drive-through pallet racking, the storage lanes can be accessed from both ends. Pallets can be loaded from one side and retrieved from the opposite side, making a FIFO — First In, First Out — stock rotation system possible.
- In simple terms –
- Drive-in racking: one access side, high-density pallet storage and normally LIFO.
- Drive-through racking: access from both ends, high-density storage and the ability to support FIFO stock rotation.
- Shared benefits – Both systems offer excellent warehouse space utilisation because multiple pallets can be stored deep within each racking lane, and both are particularly suitable for large quantities of identical or similar products.
- When drive-in is selected – Drive-in racking is often selected where maximum pallet storage density is the priority.
- When drive-through may be more appropriate – Drive-through racking may be more appropriate where:
- stock rotation is important;
- products have expiry dates;
- batches must move in sequence;
- goods need to enter and leave from opposite sides.
- Choosing between the two – The best pallet racking system depends on the number of SKUs, pallets per SKU, stock turnover, warehouse layout and forklift operation.
How much warehouse space does drive-in racking save?
- Greater storage density – Drive-in racking can provide significantly greater pallet storage density than conventional adjustable pallet racking, principally because it eliminates many of the forklift aisles found in a standard warehouse layout.
- Deep lanes replace aisles – Rather than having an aisle alongside every rack face, drive-in pallet racking creates deep storage lanes that forklifts enter directly, so a large block of pallet positions can be served using comparatively few operating aisles.
- Typical reduction – For suitable high-volume inventories, a 40–50% reduction in the floor area required for pallet storage may be achievable compared with some conventional selective pallet racking layouts.
- More than a headline figure – However, the headline percentage is only part of the calculation. Drive-in pallet racking is most space-efficient when there are many pallets of relatively few SKUs, as each lane will generally be dedicated to one SKU, batch or product type.
- When it may not suit – If a warehouse carries hundreds of products but only one or two pallets of each, conventional adjustable pallet racking or narrow aisle racking may provide better usable capacity despite requiring more aisles.
- Other influencing factors – Other factors affecting drive-in racking capacity include:
- warehouse dimensions;
- pallet size;
- warehouse clear height;
- forklift turning areas;
- structural columns;
- fire escape routes;
- product turnover;
- pallet quantity per SKU.
- Professional analysis needed – A detailed warehouse storage capacity analysis can establish whether drive-in pallet racking will genuinely increase usable pallet locations for a particular operation.
Is drive-in racking FIFO or FILO?
- Typical stock rotation – Traditional drive-in racking normally operates on a FILO or LIFO principle — First In, Last Out or Last In, First Out.
- Why this happens – This is because forklifts load and unload pallets from the same side of each storage lane. The most recently loaded pallet is positioned closest to the aisle and must therefore be removed before pallets stored further back can be accessed.
- Suited to – This makes drive-in pallet racking particularly suitable for:
- bulk storage;
- products with long shelf lives;
- large batches of identical stock;
- seasonal inventory;
- manufacturing buffer stock;
- frozen goods;
- chilled storage;
- products where strict stock rotation is not required.
- If strict FIFO is required – Where strict FIFO pallet storage is required, conventional drive-in racking may not be the best solution.
- Alternative options – One alternative is drive-through racking, where forklifts can access opposite ends of the storage lane. Another option is pallet live racking, also known as pallet flow racking, which uses gravity to move pallets from the loading side towards the picking side.
- How to choose – Choosing between drive-in, drive-through and pallet live racking should therefore be based on both warehouse storage density and stock rotation requirements.