Pallet racks are used to store material in a warehouse or manufacturing environment. I created this simple pallet rack video to showcase the key aspects of a pallet rack.

What is a Pallet Rack?

Since I’ve already covered the basics of pallet racks extensively, I will briefly touch on the main reason to use a pallet rack compared to just shelving.

When shipping anything in large quantities, most material will travel on a skid or pallet. Pallets are a small wood or plastic platform that can be picked up with a forklift. They are also called skids.

This standard pallet delivery method is used worldwide, in trucks, containers, ships, trains and airplanes. Pallet sizes vary, but standard sizes are used so that they can fit beside each other in trucks and containers.

When it comes to storing this material, unless you have a reason to handle boxes one at a time, the entire pallet needs to be put away. And here is where the pallet rack comes into play.

Pallet racks are sized and designed to hold entire pallets of material. The load beams hold the weight of each skid, and a forklift can easily access the material. The basic design of a pallet rack is the same no matter where you go.

So if you are wondering what a pallet rack is, now you know! Specialized shelves that hold pallets of material.

Check out this main article on warehouse pallet racking for more information on the components and uses of pallet racks.