Product · No. 04

Drive-in racking.

Forklift drives into the rack. LIFO. No aisles between bays. The highest-density system in our catalogue — common in cold storage and same-SKU bulk.

Anatomy

The components, labeled.

Drive-in racking anatomy — lane elevation with side rails 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1
Upright Frame
Same structural frame as VNA — needs the strength to handle forklift contact loading inside the lane.
2
Support Rail (Side-mounted)
Steel angle anchored to the inside of each upright. Pallets rest on the rails, not on cross-beams. No beam = forklift enters the lane.
3
Support Arm
Cross-bracing at the front of each bay column. Provides lateral stability while keeping the forklift entry clear.
4
Guide Rail (Optional)
Floor-mounted guide rail to centre the forklift in the lane. Reduces upright impact frequency by 60-80%.
5
Top Tie Beam
Beam tying the top of each frame across the bay. Distributes lateral load + prevents racking sway under dynamic forklift loading.
6
Footplate (Reinforced)
Larger plate, more anchors — forklift entering + exiting the lane creates dynamic side loads that selective racking never sees.
7
Impact Guard
Steel pillar guards at every lane entry. Highest-impact product in our catalogue — guards are not optional, they're spec.

Why drive-in racking?

Because freezer and cooler operations want every cubic foot earning rent. Drive-in is the highest-density LIFO system in our catalog — common in food, beverage, and cold-chain pharma where same-SKU bulk dominates.

Specifications

Full technical detail.

Specification Standard Drive-In Heavy Drive-In Max-Bay Drive-In
Lane Configuration
Pallets deep4-deep6-deep8-10 deep
Levels high3-54-65-7
Density vs selective+75%+90%+95%
Capacity
Capacity per pallet2,500 lb2,500 lb3,000 lb
Capacity per lane30,000 lb45,000 lb60,000+ lb
Frame & Rail
Post profile3" structural3" structural3.5" structural
Post gauge12ga11ga10ga
Rail profileSteel angleHeavy steel angleReinforced steel angle
Slab & Anchors
Slab spec6" min6" min, 4,000 PSI8" min, 4,000 PSI
Anchor size5/8"5/8"3/4"
Impact guardsRequiredRequiredRequired
Finish & Compliance
FinishPowder-coat or galvGalvanizedGalvanized
CSA A344-17 aligned
Cold storage ratedOptionalStandardStandard
Operations
Lead time2-3 weeks3-4 weeks5-6 weeks
Install crew size4-55-66-8
Permit requiredUsuallyYesYes
Applications

Where drive-in racking wins.

Cold storage / freezer

Lowers cubic footage requiring HVAC. Standard configuration in -20°C freezer and 2°C cooler operations.

Same-SKU bulk

Where each lane stores one SKU end-to-end. Common in beverage, frozen food, and seasonal-bulk operations.

Slow-moving / stable SKU

Where pallets sit for weeks-to-months. LIFO ordering matters less; cube efficiency matters most.

Get a written quote

Drive-In Racking — engineered to your spec

Send your warehouse dimensions + SKU profile + throughput target. We'll come back with a stamped layout + itemized quote within 5 business days.

Download Spec Sheet (PDF)