The concept of “storing” something in our homes is simple. Find an open space, put down whatever you need to, and walk away.
One would think that the same concept could be applied to storage services. It actually was until pallet storage came to life. Instead of haphazardly placing goods in open spaces, pallet storage allows us to organize, sort, and retrieve the needed goods with ease.
In this post, we’ll explain pallet storage, how can it organize a warehouse, and its five types.
What Is a Pallet Storage?
Pallet storage is the process of storing goods on pallets in a warehouse. These “pallets” are flat structures that could be made of wood, plastic, or metal, depending on what’s to be stored on them.
But why do we place goods on pallets? Why not just carry them around? The answer is simple; forklifts.
These pallets slightly elevate the goods above the ground and provide space in their design for the spikes of the forklift to securely go through. This minimizes shaking and the risk of dropping valuable items.
Pallets come in different shapes and sizes, but the standard pallet can hold up to 4,600 pounds, making it ideal to withstand heavy items. Yet, the pallets themselves weigh around 30–48 pounds.
The low weight combined with the extreme compressive strength made those pallets an essential part of every warehousing service.
How Can Palleting Improve Warehouse Storage?
Here’s why pallet storage is a fantastic idea:
1. Storage Efficiency
Efficient utilization of storage space can go a long way in reducing both time and cost. For starters, you’re not limited to the ground space offered by the warehouse/storage.
Instead, you can vertically stack multiple pallets on top of each other as long as it’s safe to do so. It’s not uncommon for some pallets to reach almost the entire height of the warehouse.
Using forklifts, you can easily fetch the pallet you need and load and unload as desired.
2. Improved Inventory Management
Imagine that you have 50 books that you’re spreading on the ground of your room. Even if you take the time to organize them as neatly as possible, you’ll still struggle to reach a certain book quickly.
On the other hand, a vertically aligned bookshelf allows you to sort and arrange your books any way you see fit.
The same concept apple to storage pallets. With hundreds of goods to store, it can become challenging to reach the desired goods without a hassle.
However, arranging them vertically in the same bookshelf style improves your inventory management and allows you to reach the desired product easily.
3. Reduced Manual Labor
All you need to do while loading and unloading pallets is a forklift. You’ll still need some manual labor in micro-arranging the inventory in trucks and so.
However, major labor that involves carrying most items manually is a thing of the past. Forklifts utilizing pallets allow the workers to be more comfortable and efficient without breaking a sweat.
4. Improved Safety
Organized pallets and coordinated loading and unloading with forklifts are a huge boost to the overall safety of the warehouse personnel.
With less manual carrying, the incidents of dropped items are greatly reduced. Besides keeping the workers safe, it also maintains the integrity of the transported/stored goods.
5. Streamlined Logistics
The efficiency and time utilization of pallets improves the overall speed of the supply chain.
Besides the ease of handling inside the warehouse, pallets can be easily loaded and unloaded into trucks, trains, and shipping containers.
Everything mentioned so far doesn’t only improve time efficiency but the overall cost of the process as well.
Types of Pallet Storage
Here are the five types of pallet storage:
1. Block Stacking
Block stacking is the simplest and most basic method of stacking pallets. Instead of relying on racks or shelves, this method involves stacking the pallets on top of each other.
That doesn’t mean making towers of stacking on a singular pallet. The block stacking method places the heaviest pallets on the floor and then starts building up a pyramid-like structure on top of them.
The balance is maintained by placing the bottom layer in a square shape to maintain stability.
This method is simple but not suitable for high-density storage, especially when you are constantly retrieving pallets. It’d be a major hassle to retrieve a pallet in the heart of the pyramid, for example.
There’s also the risk of damaging the products at the bottom of the pallet pyramid because of the added weight.
2. Stacking Frames
Stacking Frames is similar to block stacking but with adding frames between the pallets for increased stability.
These frames allow for stacking up to four levels high, which is something you can’t do with basic pellet stacking.
This method is also useful if you’re concerned about the safety of the goods at the bottom as the pressure is virtually eliminated.
Moreover, stacking frames is preferred over block stacking since it provides ventilation, which is useful for foods and beverages.
3. Single Deep Pallet Rack
Single deep racking is the most common stacking method in warehousing. This method involves a series of vertical frames that are supported with horizontal beams or rests.
This allows for convenient loading of the pallets on the horizontal rests using forklifts. The best thing about deep pallet racks is how they can be modified to accommodate pallets of different sizes.
Also, you can still utilize vertical stacking without having any pallet pressuring the other. As a result, fetching any pallet at any given time will be straightforward.
4. Pallet Flow Rack
Pallet flow racks are gravity-fed storage systems that allow for quick and easy management of your inventory.
If you’ve been to an airport, you may have noticed how you slide your luggage on rotating metal pipes for them to board the plane. The pallet flow rack implements the same idea.
These inclined racks allow the pallets to move smoothly between the loading and unloading ends, which is exceptionally useful for high-density storage.
Pallet flow racks are commonly used in warehouses with FIFO (First-in, First-out) management systems, like the food and drink industry.
5. Double Deep Pallet Rack
The double deep pallet rack is a single deep pallet rack but with an additional row of pallets placed behind the first row.
On paper, this type of stacking can increase your inventory by 50% as it maximizes space usage. However, the speed and efficiency could take a hit here.
The reason is how difficult it can be to retrieve the pallets in the back. These pallets will require special forklifts with extended forks to reach those rear pallets.
That’s why the double deep pallet system is commonly seen in small warehouses where every opportunity for storage is utilized.
Pallet Storage With OnDemand
The primary issue with storage companies is how limited their available space can be, especially for large businesses with massive inventories.
The correct utilization of pallet systems isn’t the only factor controlling the available space. The number of warehouses and their availability in different states matter as well.
OnDemand isn’t just expertly utilizing the different techniques of pallet storage, we also do so in multiple states, including Massachusets, Pennsylvania, New York, and Rhode Island.
To date, OnDemand has three warehouses in Boston alone, and the service is still expanding.
Moreover, you also get temperature-controlled storage services if you’re storing temperature-critical items like foods and medicine.
You also get a pickup service, a student storage service, a labor-only service, a dedicated storage specialist, and much more.
If You Need It Then We Will Have It
OnDemand is a fully-fledged storage service that utilizes technology, organized pallets, on-site and off-site storage, and temperature-controlled storage for critical items.
With over 20 years of experience in the field, we’ll have the solution you need for your valuable items at a fair price.
You don’t even have to call us. Just reach out to us through our website and we will be the ones who call you.
