Pallet Racking Depth Guide

The depth of your pallet racking system directly affects features like storage density, pallet accessibility, and pallet selectivity. That’s why determining the right pallet racking depth for your storage system is crucial. So, we’ve put together this short pallet racking depth guide.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the racking depth measurement in detail, tell you how it affects the storage capacity of your system, and show you how you can choose the right depth for your pallet racking system.

What is Pallet Racking Depth?

The pallet rack depth is a horizontal measurement between the front and rear beam lengths of your pallet racking system. This measurement determines the number of pallets that can be stored on any given rack level. 

The final depth measurement depends on your pallet racking system and the type of inventory you want to store. That’s why there’s no standard pallet racking depth. However, there is a standard practice of keeping the pallet rack depth 6 inches less than the depth of the pallets you use.

For example, if you use the standard 40-inch pallets, your pallet rack frame depth should be 34 inches. This creates a 3-inch overhang on both sides of the racking system and improves the stored pallet stability.

Single-Depth Vs. Double-Depth Pallet Racking

While there are no types of pallet racking depths, there are two major setups- Single-Depth Pallet Racking and Double-Depth Pallet Racking. Here’s a detailed table that compares the two setups.

How to Calculate Pallet Rack Depth?

The depth of your pallet racking system directly affects two major features- Storage Capacity and Accessibility. Coincidently, these two have an inverse relation. If you need higher storage capacity, you must compromise on accessibility. And if you want better accessibility, you will lose some storage capacity.

To strike the perfect balance between storage capacity and accessibility, you must choose the optimal pallet rack depth for your pallet racking system.

1. Choosing the Right Depth Setup

Single-depth pallet racking is the best option if you want quick and direct access to every stored pallet and don’t mind the lower storage density. However, if you need higher storage density and can work with limited pallet accessibility, a double-depth pallet racking setup is the only choice.

There is a third option too, called Shallow Depths. It’s a smaller setup designed for smaller warehouses that use half-pallets for temporary or seasonal storage.

2. Calculating the Pallet Racking Depth Size

Here’s how you can calculate the depth size of your pallet racking system:

• Measure Your Pallets: Accurately measure the width of the pallets that you will use to store inventory in your pallet racking system. This will help you determine the minimum pallet racking depth size.

• Allow for Overhang: Once you decide on the depth size, subtract 6 from it to allow for a 3-inch overhang on both sides. 

Using a standard 48-inch pallet, here’s an example of how the calculations work:

Racking Depth = Pallet Depth – Overhang

Racking Depth = 48 – 6

Racking Depth = 42 inches.

However, that’s not all. There are a few more factors that you should consider when deciding the pallet rack depth size. 

3. Other Key Factors to Consider

When sticking to the standards, determining the optimal pallet racking depth is straightforward. However, if you are designing a custom pallet racking system for your warehouse, you might have to consider a few more factors when deciding the pallet racking depth size.

• Pallet Type: As we’ve seen above, pallet width will directly affect the depth size of your pallet racking system. Wider pallets will need deeper pallets for safe and stable storage. 

• Warehouse Layout: The layout of your warehouse as well as the available space will also affect the depth size of your pallet racking system. Warehouses with limited floor space will have to suffice with single-depth pallet racking to leave ample room for handling equipment. 

• Handling Equipment: You want to leave enough room for forklift maneuverability and ensure that the forklift can access all pallets. If you opt for double-depth pallet racking, you will need specialized equipment that might need wider aisles to operate. This can limit the depth of your pallet racking.

• Height-to-Depth Ratio: When deciding the pallet racking depth size, make sure you consider the standard 6:1 height-to-depth ratio. For every 6 feet of racking height, you should have at least 1 foot (12 inches) of racking depth. For example, an 18-foot-high pallet racking system should have a minimum of 3 feet depth. This is crucial for the stability of your pallet racking system.

Conclusion

Pallet racking depths can affect your pallet racking system’s storage capacity and operational efficiency. That’s why choosing the optimal pallet rack depth size for your storage needs is important. Hopefully, our guide will help you choose the right pallet racking dimensions for your warehouse.

You can also ask your pallet racking manufacturer to help you with these measurements and ask for custom-sized depth. Just make sure they allow for the overhang, handling equipment, and ample aisle space.

FAQs

1. Is Double-Depth Pallet Racking Better Than Single-Depth?

There is no best option when it comes to pallet racking depth. It’s all about what works best for your storage needs. For high storage density, double-depth pallet racking is the best. But, if you need high accessibility and selectivity for quick inventory retrieval, single-depth pallet racking is the best option.

2. What is the Standard Depth of Pallet Racking?

For standard-size pallets, the standard pallet racking depth is 42 inches. This standard size allows for a 3-inch overhang on both sides and accommodates all standard pallets.