There are various pallet racking types, all with different features, benefits, and ideal uses. Which is best for your operation not only depends on the products that you are storing but also the selectivity and density that you require. Below is a comparison and descriptions of pallet racking types.

Pallet Racking Types Comparison Chart

Pallet Racking Types: Selective Rack

Selective rack is Designed for first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory management. It enables direct access to all stored pallets or cartons without the need to move others, making it a highly selective solution where it is necessary to have a wide variety of products stored. Numerous aisles are required to accommodate this high selectivity, making it a lower density option compared to other types of rack systems. Double deep selective rack is also available for a LIFO inventory management option.

Selective rack is ideal for warehouses or distribution centers with continuous product circulation or that require access to all palletized items simultaneously.

Pallet Racking Types: Drive-in and Drive-through Rack

Drive-in and drive-through rack is designed for last-in, first-out (LIFO - drive-in) or first-in, first-out (FIFO - drive-through) inventory management. Pallets are stored on support rails that are attached to uprights and are accessed by a lift truck that drives in to the system with the load elevated to the height of the rail and placed in the selected storage location. This provides high storage density by eliminating picking aisles, but offers low selectivity.

Drive-in and drive-through rack is ideal for storing large quantities of homogeneous products, products with long life spans, and products that require large, one time moves.

Pallet Racking Types: Pallet Flow Rack

Pallet flow rack is designed for first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory management. Rack supports inclined rollers or wheels that allow cartons to glide from the back (loading) aisle to the front (picking) aisle. Brakes can be included for speed control. These gravity systems provide excellent volume utilization.

Pallet flow rack is ideal for materials with expiration dates, freezer or cold storage, food and beverage storage, and materials that vary in size.

Pallet Racking Types: Carton Flow Rack

Carton flow rack is designed for first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory management. Rack supports inclined rollers or wheels that allow cartons to glide from the back (loading) aisle to the front (picking) aisle. Brakes can be included for speed control. These gravity systems provide excellent volume utilization. Flow options are available to handle full cartons, split cases, or piece picking. Carton flow can be configured in many different ways, such as a stand-alone system, integrated with various pallet rack types, or within a multi-level pick module.

Carton flow rack is ideal for materials with expiration dates, freezer or cold storage, food and beverage storage, and materials that vary in size.

Pallet Racking Types: Push Back Rack

Push back rack is designed for last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory management. Rack supports carts that move along inclined rails. Push back systems utilize the warehouse cube to reduce required aisle space and maximize product storage, making it a high-density pallet storage solution. A variety of layout configurations are available with variable bay widths to accommodate single-wide or double-wide pallet rows.

Push back rack is ideal for warehouses and distribution centers that require access to multiple groups of SKUs simultaneously, as well as freezer and cooler environments.

REB Storage Systems International offers all pallet racking types mentioned in this article. REB also offers engineering and project management services on all projects, large or small, when you purchase the rack from us. To learn more visit our rack engineering page and our project management page.