The Types of Pallet Racking
Pallet racking is the skeleton of a warehouse, and the type you choose sets your storage density, selectivity, and picking speed for the next decade. Every system trades those three against each other: the denser the storage, the fewer pallets you can reach directly.
MTLI sells, engineers, and installs every major system from 500+ manufacturer partners worldwide, new and used, so the recommendation follows your inventory profile instead of a catalog.
The Main Racking Systems
Selective racking
Every pallet position directly accessible. The default for operations with many SKUs and honest FIFO needs.
Drive-in / drive-thru
Forklifts drive into the rack structure for very dense storage of homogeneous product, LIFO by nature.
Push-back racking
Pallets on nested carts push back into the lane, 2 to 6 deep. Density with better selectivity than drive-in.
Pallet flow racking
Gravity lanes flow pallets from load to pick face, true FIFO for date-sensitive product.
Cantilever racking
Arms on columns for lumber, pipe, steel, and furniture that a pallet cannot hold.
Shuttle-ready deep lane
Racking built for pallet shuttles running inside the lane, the densest conventional-lift-compatible option.
Pick modules and mezzanine rack
Multi-level structures combining pallet, carton flow, and shelving into a vertical picking engine.
Rack-supported buildings
The racking is the building structure itself, maximizing cube on greenfield high-bay projects.
How MTLI Works With Types of Pallet Racking
Design & Engineering
It starts with your data, not a catalog: throughput, product profile, building, and budget. Our engineers design the right answer, with stamped drawings and permits where structures are involved.
Supply & Procurement
We source across 500+ manufacturer partners worldwide, brand-agnostic, new and used where it makes sense, with volume pricing passed through to you.
Installation & Commissioning
Our own crews install, integrate, and commission, phased around live operations when needed, with an MTLI supervisor on site every day and 98% on-time delivery.
Support & Lifecycle
After handover we stay: preventative maintenance programs, inspections, controls support, and 24/7 options, designed around your uptime targets.
Where MTLI Can Help You
- New facility racking layouts engineered from your inventory data
- Seismic and permit-stamped installations in any jurisdiction
- Teardown and reconfiguration inside live distribution centers
- Used racking purchase, buyback, and redeployment
- Rack safety inspections, repairs, and protection upgrades
- High-density conversions when the building is out of room
From under $100K to $100M+ turnkey. A specialist calls within one business day.
Common Questions, Answered
Which racking type is cheapest?
Selective costs least per bay but most per stored pallet; deep-lane systems reverse that. The honest comparison is cost per pallet position at your real utilization, which our engineering runs before we quote, from under $100K projects up.
Do you handle permits and seismic engineering?
Yes, every installation runs on stamped engineering with seismic design where required, and we manage permits and inspections end to end.
Can you reconfigure racking while we operate?
Yes, aisle-by-aisle phasing with off-shift crews is standard for us, including full teardown and reinstallation in operating buildings.
Do you buy used racking?
Yes, we buy back, refurbish, and redeploy used racking, which can significantly cut project cost or recover value from a closing site.