What is Drive-In Racking?
Drive-in pallet racking is a first-in, last-out pallet storage system. Drive-in offers compact, high-density storage and functions similarly to push-back pallet racking. Instead of roller carts pushing each pallet into place, a forklift must drive into the system and manually place the pallet in its position.
Drive-in racking can store anywhere from 2-10 pallets per lane. These systems typically sit against a wall, so there is one single access aisle. If the system isn’t against a wall, it becomes a drive-through rack system allowing a forklift to enter one end and exit the other.
Drive-In Benefits
Drive-In Pallet Rack Manufacturers
Drive-in racking is available from the following manufacturers. Click on the logos below to learn more about each manufacturer’s products and get connected to drive-in through WPRP today:
When to Recommend Drive-In Racking
If your customer is looking for low-cost, high-density storage or has multiple pallets of the same SKU, drive-in may be the right fit. Having the same SKU for drive-in is more important than push-back racking.
Drive-in is at a much higher risk of forklift damage since lifts regularly drive into the system to retrieve pallets. For this reason, storing pallets of the same SKU minimizes unnecessary rearranging and system overuse.
Lots of food distribution centers utilize drive-in systems. Drive-in makes storing, loading, and unloading an entire lane of beef patties or eggs, for example, fast and efficient. Fast-paced companies with high quantities of the same product like having all their like-products in one place. It is much less labor-intensive to store this way compared to push-back.
Common Drive-In Issues to Avoid
One of the most common issues we’ve seen with drive-in systems is incompatible forklifts. If your forklift doesn’t fit the aisle, you will not be able to access your products, rendering the system useless.
A second circumstance that makes drive-in a hassle is storing multiple SKUs in the same lane and needing to access one further back. To access buried product, every preceding pallet must be manually removed and then replaced once said pallet is out of the system. This process exposes the rack to a higher-than-necessary risk of damage.
Have Questions About Drive-In Racking?
WPRP is a resource for dealers in the material handling industry. If you have a customer looking for a drive-in or a similar system, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We want to help our dealers connect customers to the right storage solutions every time. We’re happy to walk alongside you from quote to sale.
Call 888-578-1579 today or fill out a quote form to get in touch with a pallet rack expert!
