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What Are the Different Types of Pallet Racking Systems?

  • Writer: Westbow Systems
    Westbow Systems
  • 2 days ago
  • 4 min read

Choosing the right pallet racking system can affect how effectively a warehouse uses its available space, organizes inventory, and supports day-to-day material handling.


Different facilities have different priorities. Some operations need convenient access to a large number of SKUs, while others need to store higher volumes of similar products within the available footprint. Product dimensions, inventory movement, handling equipment, and storage requirements can all influence which configuration makes sense.


Westbow Systems offers several pallet racking solutions designed around different warehouse needs. Understanding the differences between them is a useful starting point when planning a new storage system or reviewing an existing one.




Selective Pallet Racking

Selective pallet racking is designed to provide convenient access to stored inventory while making use of available vertical space.


This makes selective racking well suited to warehouses where accessibility and product variety are important considerations. It can provide organized pallet storage for operations managing multiple products or large SKU counts.


Selective pallet racking can also be customized around factors such as available surface area, building height, stored goods, accessibility requirements, and material-handling equipment.




Cantilever Racking

Cantilever racking is designed for long, bulky, or irregularly shaped materials that may be difficult to store within conventional pallet rack bays.


Its open design and adjustable arms can accommodate products of different lengths. Materials such as lumber, pipes, steel bars, timber, and metal sheets are examples of products that can be stored using this type of system.


Cantilever racking can be used in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail operations, and other environments where oversized materials need to be organized and accessed efficiently.




Push-Back Pallet Racking

Push-back pallet racking is designed for higher-density pallet storage.


Multiple pallets can be stored within the same lane using carts that move along inclined rails. As pallets are loaded, the carts move farther into the rack. Loading and retrieval take place from the aisle face, allowing facilities to create more pallet positions without requiring a separate access aisle for every row.


Push-back systems can be used in applications such as cold storage and staging areas where denser pallet storage is needed.




Double-Deep Pallet Racking

Double-deep pallet racking stores pallets two positions deep rather than placing every pallet directly along an aisle.


This configuration can reduce the number of aisles required and increase storage density within an existing warehouse footprint.


Because the system uses a deeper storage arrangement, warehouse layout and handling equipment are important considerations when determining whether double-deep racking is suitable for a facility.




Drive-In Pallet Racking

Drive-in pallet racking is another high-density storage configuration designed around deeper storage lanes and fewer conventional aisles.


It is suited to high-volume, low-variation storage where a facility holds larger quantities of similar inventory. Applications can include cold storage, food processing, long-term inventory, raw materials, and finished goods.


For operations where storage density is a higher priority than direct access to every individual pallet, drive-in racking may be one option to consider.




Pallet Flow Racking

Pallet flow racking uses a gravity-fed configuration to move pallets toward the picking face.


Inventory is loaded from one side of the system and moves through the rack using gravity, supporting first-in, first-out inventory movement.


This type of racking can be useful where inventory rotation is important. Applications can include perishables, batch-sensitive inventory, time-critical orders, cold storage, and distribution environments.


Pallet flow racking can provide denser storage while supporting an organized approach to inventory movement.




Structural Steel Pallet Racking

Structural steel pallet racking is designed for more demanding warehouse and industrial environments where strength and durability are important considerations.


It can be used in applications involving heavy loads, high-traffic aisles, frequent forklift activity, cold storage, manufacturing operations, and other demanding storage conditions.


For facilities with more intensive storage requirements, structural steel racking may be considered as part of the overall warehouse storage plan.




Related Option: Carton Flow Racking

Carton flow racking is designed for smaller-item storage and picking rather than traditional pallet storage.


Gravity-fed lanes move cartons and totes toward the picking face, supporting organized first-in, first-out inventory movement. This type of system can complement pallet racking in facilities that need to manage both palletized inventory and smaller products.


Which Pallet Racking System Is Right for Your Warehouse?

There is no single pallet racking configuration that suits every warehouse.


Selective racking focuses on accessibility and SKU variety. Push-back, double-deep, and drive-in systems provide different approaches to increasing storage density. Pallet flow supports organized inventory rotation, while cantilever racking is designed for long or irregular materials. Structural steel racking can support more demanding warehouse environments.


The right choice depends on what your facility stores, how inventory needs to be accessed, the equipment being used, the space available, and the way the warehouse operates.


Westbow Systems' Planning and Design process considers factors such as available space, workflow, storage requirements, and facility goals when developing a tailored warehouse layout.


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