Pallet Rack 101

The Benefits of Pallet Racking

When opening a new warehouse, many owners feel limited by the space they have. In a fast-paced work environment, the accessibility to product is limited greatly by the space provided. In order to open up the work space, warehouse racking is used to stack pallets of products vertically and horizontally. The many advantages pallet rack systems provide are utilization of space, safety, durability, accessibility and convenience. When considering pallet rack, it is important to know what options are available for you and what specific style of racking is best for your business. Some of the most common types of pallet rack include:

Storage Rack

The most common and versatile of rack, storage rack allows your pallets to be accessible from the front and back and can be configured in many varieties. Wire decks are typically used with this system, which help prevent the pallet from falling through the rack. Set up is quick and simple.

Flow Rack

This type of rack is used mostly with perishable or time-sensitive products. The rack lanes are slanted allowing pallets to slide forward on rollers as the front pallet is removed, making it a first-in/first-out storage system.

Drive-In Rack

Primarily used for high density storage, this system allows a forklift operator the ability to drive into the rack to lift out heavier pallets. This style of rack maximizes the warehouse space available. Similar to storage rack, drive-in rack can be configured to use a first-in/first-out or last-in/last-out storage system.

Cantilever

This type of rack is primarily used for long bundled items. This system allows there to be multiple arrangements to hold many different sized items at once. The rack system can be one-sided where it is normally positioned against a wall or double-sided as long as there is enough clearance. Cantilever is commonly used to hold lumber, plumbing supplies, pipe and steel rods.

The many options and legal restrictions that must be considered when purchasing racking can be overwhelming. Shoppa's Mid America has a team of professionals who design these systems every day and can work with you to meet your storage needs and keep the work space safe. Shoppa's offers free CAD design layouts to suit your space perfectly. Contact us today to get started with your customized layout.

Purchasing Pre-Owned Forklifts Makes a Lot of Sense: Here's Why!

The truth is that companies close and relocate on a regular basis in today's fast-paced world, but the silver lining is that it translates to good used equipment purchase opportunities for small, mid-sized and even large operations.

Used forklifts, sweepers, scrubbers, aerial lifts, pallet rack, and booms enter the marketplace whenever a company has chosen to move on or close its doors. Much of this equipment comes from reputable mid to large sized companies that adhered to the ideal of a strict preventative maintenance (PM) practice that serves to protect the equipment from extensive damage. Many pieces even have full maintenance (FM) packages from their original purchase. This, in turn, represents a fantastic opportunity for smaller companies and even mid to large sized companies to capitalize on purchasing high-grade warehouse equipment for nearly half the price as it would cost brand new.

While the influx of used forklifts and material handling equipment has created a unique opportunity for buying quality products are reduced prices, the question at hand is where to buy it.

One major factor to keep in mind when purchasing warehouse equipment is lead time. Many distributors of new equipment can have significant lead times, as units are usually customized for each independent user. Deciding to buy used forklifts, pallet track, or other warehouse equipment can often be a much quicker way to get the item in your facility, as some material handling dealers maintain in-stock used equipment which may work for your application. They usually are able to turn an order around in a week's time or less.

While the buyer's market for quality pre-owned equipment lasts, small, mid-sized or even large operations can take advantage of it to boost their production capacity at lower prices. Those that do so will be well positioned not only during the current economy, but also when the recovery starts to take effect.

Shoppa's Mid America carries a variety of used equipment from forklifts, to sweepers and scrubbers, reach trucks and order pickers, pallet jacks and racking. Visit our website to browse our available inventory.