Drive-in racking done right - planning high-density storage

When does a drive-in rack pay off?

A drive-in rack is a compact block system whose channels the forklift enters to store and retrieve pallets. The pallets do not rest on beams but on lateral support rails, so several pallets are stored one behind the other in depth.

The concept pays off with few SKUs and many identical pallets, for example in the beverage, frozen-food or food industry. Because aisles between rows are largely eliminated, a drive-in rack reaches up to 85 percent floor utilisation - far more than a selective pallet rack.

How do I size channel depth and support rails?

Channel depth drives both density and handling. Three to eight pallets per channel is common; deeper than six or seven pallets sharply raises the risk of damage and lengthens travel times. The flatter the stock profile, the deeper the channel can be laid out.

• Support rails run continuously on both sides of the channel and carry the pallet on its runners.
• A true drive-in rack has no gradient - the pallet stays where it is set down.
• Floor guide rails help the forklift enter centrally and without damage.
• Upright protectors on the corner posts shield the frames from forklift contact.
• Loading each channel with a single SKU avoids re-handling caused by the LIFO principle.

How much forklift clearance does a drive-in rack need?

Because the forklift drives into the channel, the clear width must be larger than the pallet. As a rule of thumb, allow roughly 75 to 100 mm of clearance per side between pallet and frame profile, so about 150 to 200 mm on top of the pallet width.

Vertical clearance matters too: leave at least 100 mm between the top of the pallet and the next support rail so the load can be picked up and set down safely. The aisle width in front of the rack depends on the truck type and is often 3.5 to 4.5 m for counterbalance forklifts.

Frequently asked questions