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Nine pallet racking systems. One decision.

The choice is a trade-off between storage density, pallet selectivity, stock rotation and the handling equipment already on site. Filter the table against your own operation, then read the system entry underneath it.

Aisle widths are given in metres for each truck class. They are confirmed against your own fleet, mast type and load dimensions at survey.

Systems compared
9 + 1Nine racking types plus shuttle lanes
Narrowest working aisle
1.6mGuided narrow aisle truck
Counterbalance aisle
3.5 to 4.2m
Rotation rules
FIFO · LIFOOr either, by system

Standard bays and components, in stock

Bays, beams, frames and decking in standard sizes, priced and ready to order. A designed layout still starts with a measured survey.

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Types of pallet racking, side by side.

Every row links to its own page. Filter by your rotation rule, then by density or by the trucks you already run. The tenth row is pallet shuttle lanes: a semi-automated way of working deep lanes, listed because it is the system most often compared against drive-in.

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10 of 10 systems shown

Nine racking systems plus pallet shuttle lanes, compared on stock rotation, pallet selectivity, storage density, aisle requirement, handling equipment and best fit. Aisle widths in metres.
SystemRotationSelectivityDensityAisleHandling equipmentBest fit
Adjustable pallet rackingEither100%Low2.7 to 4.2mCounterbalance or reachMany SKUs, few pallets per SKU, mixed or uncertain stock
Narrow aisle rackingEither100%Medium1.6 to 1.9mGuided VNA, man-up or man-downFull building, high SKU count, flat floor available
Drive-in and drive-through rackingLIFO or FIFOPer laneVery highNone within blockCounterbalance or reach into laneFew SKUs, many pallets each, cold stores and bulk
Double deep rackingLIFO50%Medium2.9 to 3.4mReach truck with telescopic forksTwo pallets per SKU minimum, aisle count halved
Push back rackingLIFOPer laneHigh2.7 to 4.2mStandard, no specialist truck4 to 10 pallets deep, mixed pallet sizes on rollers
Pallet live and gravity flow rackingFIFOPer laneHighSeparate in and outStandard at each faceDate critical, perishable and high turnover stock
Mobile pallet rackingEither100%Very highOne open aisleCounterbalance or reachCold stores to minus 30C, high value floor area
Cantilever rackingEither100%Low3.0 to 4.5mSideloader or counterbalanceTimber, bar, tube, sheet, extrusion, tool and jig storage
Coil racking and cradle storageEither100%Low3.0 to 4.2mCounterbalance with coil ram or craneSteel coil, reels and cylindrical loads
Pallet shuttle lanesTenth row: semi-automated lanes, not a static racking typeSoftware selectedPer laneVery highFace onlyTruck stays at the faceHigh volume per SKU, cold chain, full pallet in and out

Adjustable pallet racking

Stock rotation
Either
Pallet selectivity
100%
Storage density
Low
Aisle requirement
2.7 to 4.2m
Handling equipment
Counterbalance or reach
Best fit
Many SKUs, few pallets per SKU, mixed or uncertain stock

Read the adjustable pallet racking page

Not sure what you already own? Use the rack identification guide. Want a rough capacity figure first? Try the warehouse space calculator.

Aisle width by truck class, in metres.

Almost nobody publishes this, and it is the single most searched specification in the category. Treat these as working ranges for layout, not as a design figure. Load overhang, mast type and turning method move them.

Typical working aisle width between pallet loads, by truck class. Confirmed against your fleet at survey.
Truck classAisle widthWhat it means for the layout
Counterbalance3.5 to 4.2mStandard forklift, no guidance, most flexible on mixed duties.
Reach truck2.7 to 3.2mThe usual choice for adjustable pallet racking at height.
Reach, telescopic forks2.9 to 3.4mNeeded for double deep. A fleet decision as much as a racking one.
Articulated1.8 to 2.1mWorks aisle and yard, no guidance required.
Guided narrow aisle1.6 to 1.9mWire or rail guidance and a flat floor survey required.
Counterbalance
3.5 to 4.2mStandard forklift, no guidance, most flexible on mixed duties.
Reach truck
2.7 to 3.2mThe usual choice for adjustable pallet racking at height.
Reach, telescopic forks
2.9 to 3.4mNeeded for double deep. A fleet decision as much as a racking one.
Articulated
1.8 to 2.1mWorks aisle and yard, no guidance required.
Guided narrow aisle
1.6 to 1.9mWire or rail guidance and a flat floor survey required.

Narrow aisle needs a flat floor survey before anything else. Read narrow aisle racking for guidance options and floor checks.

What each system is actually for.

Ten entries: a tag line, three specifications, what the system does, and what it is not for. The last section of each is the one most suppliers leave out.

Adjustable pallet racking

Also called wide aisle racking

Frame depth
900 or 1100mm
Beam length
1500 to 5000mm
Selectivity
100%

Every pallet is directly accessible from the aisle, one pallet deep. It is the default system and the most widely installed, because it suits the widest range of stock. Beam levels reposition in 50 to 75mm increments depending on the manufacturer, so the system adapts as the stock changes.

Not for: Operations with very few SKUs and hundreds of pallets each, where the aisles are paying for access nobody uses.

Adjustable pallet racking in detail

Narrow aisle racking

Same structure, half the aisle

Aisle width
1.6 to 1.9m
Versus counterbalance
Roughly half
Guidance
Wire or rail

The same structure as adjustable pallet racking with the aisles compressed to the minimum a guided truck needs. It recovers a large share of the floor given to aisles while keeping every pallet accessible. It needs wire or rail guidance and a floor flat enough to run guided trucks safely at height.

Not for: Buildings with an uneven or untested floor slab, or fleets with no route to guided trucks.

Narrow aisle racking in detail

Drive-in and drive-through racking

Aisles removed entirely

Rotation
LIFO or FIFO
Density
Highest static
Damage risk
High, protect ends

The truck drives into the lane and pallets rest on continuous steel rails. Drive-in is loaded and unloaded from one face and runs last in, first out. Drive-through is open at both ends and runs first in, first out. It is strongest in cold stores and freezers, where cubic space is expensive, and for seasonal or bulk single-product stock.

Not for: High SKU counts. One product per lane means the lane count caps your SKU count, and trucks entering lanes cause most of the impact damage we repair.

Drive-in and drive-through racking in detail

Double deep racking

Two rows back to back

Selectivity
50%
Rotation
LIFO
Truck
Telescopic forks

Two rows are placed back to back so pallets are stored two deep from a single aisle, roughly halving the aisle count. It needs a reach truck with telescopic or pantograph forks to reach the rear position, which is a real budget line that most suppliers fail to mention.

Not for: Sites with a single pallet per SKU, or fleets that cannot be upgraded to telescopic forks.

Double deep racking in detail

Push back racking

Gravity does the retrieval

Depth, carts
4 to 6 pallets
Depth, rollers
Up to 10
Rotation
LIFO

Pallets sit on nested wheeled carts or full-width inclined roller beds and are loaded and picked from one face. Each new pallet pushes the row back up the incline. Removing the front pallet lets the rest roll forward under gravity at a controlled rate. It works with standard trucks.

Not for: Strict first in, first out stock. It is last in, first out by design, and the cart variant will not accept mixed pallet sizes.

Push back racking in detail

Pallet live and gravity flow racking

Automatic FIFO, no operator input

Rotation
FIFO, automatic
Aisles
Input and output
Control
Brake rollers

Inclined roller lanes are loaded at the high end from a dedicated input aisle and picked at the low end from a separate output aisle, with brake rollers and speed controllers regulating descent. Rotation is first in, first out with no operator intervention, and goods-in traffic is separated from goods-out.

Not for: Slow moving stock. Lanes tie up capacity per SKU and only pay when the product turns.

Pallet live and gravity flow racking in detail

Mobile pallet racking

Very high density with full selectivity

Cold store
To minus 30C
Selectivity
100%
Standard
BS EN 15095

Racking is mounted on powered mobile bases running on rails set flush into the floor slab, with only one aisle open at a time. It gives very high density while keeping every pallet accessible, which is the key advantage over drive-in. Compacting the footprint also reduces the volume being lit, heated or refrigerated.

Not for: High throughput operations. Waiting for an aisle to open is a real cost when movements per hour are high.

Mobile pallet racking in detail

Cantilever racking

For stock that will never fit a pallet

Stock
Timber, bar, tube, sheet
Arms
Height adjustable
Outdoor
Galvanised, roofed

Arms project from a central column with no front upright obstructing the load, so long lengths load sideways along their length. Single-sided against a wall or double-sided and freestanding. Galvanised for outdoor use, with optional roofing and cladding that turns unused yard into covered storage.

Not for: Palletised goods. A pallet on cantilever arms wastes both the arm capacity and the height.

Cantilever racking in detail

Coil racking and cradle storage

Cylindrical loads that cannot sit on a flat beam

Load type
Coil, reel, cylinder
Support
Shaped cradle
Access
Ram or crane

Heavy duty cradles hold steel coil, reels and cylindrical loads that cannot sit safely on a flat beam. The cradle stops rolling and spreads the point load, and is specified on coil diameter, width and weight.

Not for: Anything that sits stably on a flat beam. A cradle costs more and stores less per bay.

Coil racking and cradle storage in detail

Pallet shuttle lanes

Tenth row. Semi-automated lanes, not a static racking type.

Deep lane storage with the truck kept out

Max load
1500kg standard
Lane depth
30 to 50 pallets
Freezer
Two-way to minus 40C

A battery powered shuttle runs on rails inside a deep lane and moves pallets in and out itself, so the forklift never enters the racking. Stock rotation is chosen in software rather than fixed by the racking geometry.

Not for: Low pallets per SKU, or sites where the real constraint is case picking rather than pallet movement.

Pallet shuttle lanes in detail

Considering second-hand stock? Used pallet racking is legitimate capacity when components are matched to one manufacturer and the configuration is load rated, never assembled from a mixed run.

FIFO vs LIFO, and why the racking decides it.

Stock rotation is fixed by the geometry of most deep systems. If a pallet can only enter and leave from one face, the last one in is the first one out, whatever the stock control system says.

Selective racking sidesteps the question: every pallet is on the aisle, so you can run FIFO or LIFO by discipline alone. A pallet shuttle lane is the only deep system where the rule is a software setting rather than a structural one. Read how that works on the pallet shuttle systems page.

FIFO: first in, first out

The oldest pallet leaves first. Date coded, perishable, regulated and high turnover stock. Pallet live and drive-through racking enforce it without operator input.

LIFO: last in, first out

The newest pallet leaves first. Bulk, seasonal, non-perishable and single product stock. Drive-in, push back and double deep are LIFO by design.

Either, by discipline

Adjustable, narrow aisle, mobile, cantilever and coil racking keep every load on the aisle, so rotation is a working rule, not a constraint.

Either, by software

Shuttle lanes switch between FIFO and LIFO in the controller. Useful where the same lanes hold different stock across the year.

How to choose in four questions.

Answer these in order. Most operations are down to two candidates by question three, and the survey decides between them.

  1. Step 1

    How many pallets per SKU?

    Few per SKU points to selective racking. Many per SKU points to deep lanes: drive-in, push back, pallet live or shuttle.

  2. Step 2

    What is your rotation rule?

    If FIFO is a regulatory requirement, drive-in and push back are out. Pallet live, drive-through or a shuttle lane stay in.

  3. Step 3

    What trucks do you run?

    Narrow aisle needs guided trucks and a flat floor. Double deep needs telescopic forks. Both are fleet decisions, not racking ones.

  4. Step 4

    Is floor or height the limit?

    Unused height means taller selective racking may be cheaper than going deep. Floor area at a premium means density first.

Want a number before you call? The warehouse space calculator gives an order of magnitude pallet count for five layouts.

Free to reference with a link.

If you write about warehouse storage, quote the table or the aisle widths with a link back to this page. Please describe the aisle figures as typical working ranges, because they move with load overhang, mast type and turning method.

Suggested citation

Pallet Racking Services Wales, “Racking system comparison”, https://www.palletrackingwales.co.uk/resources/racking-system-comparison

Choosing between them.

Start with pallets per SKU. Many SKUs with few pallets each means adjustable pallet racking, or narrow aisle if the floor and fleet allow. Few SKUs with many pallets each means drive-in, push back, pallet live or a shuttle lane, chosen on your rotation rule. Everything else, including budget, follows that.

FIFO means first in, first out: the oldest pallet leaves first, which suits date coded and perishable stock. LIFO means last in, first out: the newest pallet leaves first, which suits bulk and seasonal stock. Drive-in, push back and double deep are LIFO by geometry. Pallet live and drive-through are FIFO. A shuttle lane is either, selected in software.

Guided narrow aisle trucks typically work in 1.6 to 1.9 metres, against 3.5 to 4.2 metres for a counterbalance truck and 2.7 to 3.2 metres for a reach truck. Wire or rail guidance is required, and the floor must be flat enough to run a man-up truck safely at height, which is a separate survey.

Among static systems, drive-in and mobile racking give the highest density, and pallet shuttle lanes go further because only the lane face needs an aisle. Density always costs selectivity or speed: drive-in caps your SKU count at your lane count, and mobile racking makes you wait for an aisle to open.

Upright profile, perforation pattern, beam connector type and baseplate shape identify the manufacturer between them. Components are not interchangeable, so identification comes before any repair or extension quotation. Our rack identification guide shows what to photograph, or send us the photographs and we will identify it.

Yes, where the manufacturer is identified, matching components are available and the extended configuration is recalculated and load rated rather than assumed. Beam pitch adjusts in 50 to 75mm increments depending on the manufacturer.

Yes. Customer-owned and second-hand racking is installed by SEIRS registered installers, subject to a component condition check and a load rating for the configuration as it will actually be built.

Yes. The table and the aisle width ranges are free to reference with a link back to this page. The aisle figures are working ranges for layout, not design figures, so please quote them as typical ranges.

The table narrows it to two. The survey decides.

Bring your stock profile and your truck list. We will lay out both candidates over your building and give you the capacity figure for each.

Book a free site surveyRead the shuttle specifications