Drive-in Racking: Maximum Density, Minimal Footprint
When you store many identical pallets and the speed of individual retrieval matters less than the quantity you can accommodate, drive-in racking fills the warehouse by eliminating almost all aisles. The forklift enters the structure and deposits pallets deep inside.
We design and manufacture drive-in racking in our facilities in Mornico al Serio (Bergamo) since 1975, sized for your specific pallet and forklift.
When Drive-in Racking is the Right Choice
Drive-in racking is not “a cheaper pallet rack.” It is an accumulation structure: it performs best with few SKUs and many identical pallets, where you can forgo direct access to individual pallets in exchange for density.
If you have many different SKUs and high turnover, selective pallet racking remains more efficient: that’s the first thing we check.
Custom Drive-in: Density Comes from Sizing, Not Standard
Poorly designed drive-in racking leads to lost pallets and damage; well-designed racking utilizes every cubic meter of the warehouse.
The difference lies in the sizing: lanes, guides, and heights calculated for the actual pallet and the forklift that enters the structure.
Drive-in racking configurations.
We start with goods rotation and volumes: from there, we define channel depth, number of levels, and flow logic.
LIFO — access from one side
Loading and unloading from the same side: the last pallet in is the first out. For accumulation and goods without strict rotation requirements.
FIFO — flow-through
Loading and unloading from opposite sides: the first pallet in is the first out. For perishable products and orderly rotation.
Seismic-Resistant
Sizing according to NTC for areas with significant seismicity, where deep loads require specific verifications.
Integrable with Mezzanine or Pallet Racking
Combinable with other structures in the same warehouse, to manage accumulation and selectivity together.
From site survey to final testing, without intermediaries
We manufacture the structure, and our technicians oversee the installation. In drive-in racking, the sizing of the guides is crucial, which is why the team that calculates is the same that installs.
What we achieve is a short supply chain: a single point of contact, changes managed in real time, and clear responsibility at every stage.
Compliance and safety of drive-in racking.
Drive-in racking operates with the forklift inside the structure: sizing and inspections are more critical than elsewhere. UNI EN 15629 and UNI EN 15635 standards require periodic inspections by qualified personnel, and the employer is responsible. We design according to current regulations, with NTC seismic criteria where necessary.
Drive-in Racking Installations, Explained in Detail
Frequently Asked Questions about Drive-in Racking
Drive-in racking is a compact high-density storage system: pallets are stored in depth on rails, and the forklift enters the structure to load and retrieve them. By eliminating aisles between rows, it accommodates significantly more pallets in the same area compared to selective pallet racking.
Pallet racking provides direct access to every pallet (maximum selectivity); drive-in racking sacrifices individual access for density. The former is ideal for many SKUs and high rotation, while the latter is best for few SKUs and many identical pallets.
Drive-in systems are better than Autosat when product rotation is low and volumes are moderate. Conversely, Autosat is preferable to drive-in when product rotation is high, volumes justify the investment, or pallet traceability is required. In a drive-in system, a forklift operator handles material movement, whereas Autosat utilizes an automatic shuttle.
Drive-in systems perform best with few SKUs and many pallets per SKU. Beyond a certain number of different SKUs, a pallet rack is likely more advantageous: we evaluate this threshold based on your specific figures.
Yes, upon request, we dimension drive-in racking according to NTC seismic criteria. For areas with significant seismic activity, this is a necessary choice.
FIFO (first in, first out) for perishable products and orderly rotation; LIFO (last in, first out) for storage without strict rotation constraints. We define the best approach based on your inventory.
