Pallet Shelving: Perfect For Large Capacity Loads And Warehouse Use

When it comes to efficient storage of a diverse range of products, one needs look no further than their local warehouse for examples of unique storage solutions. Case in point: pallet shelving. While the name may not be a household term with the majority of Americans, it is pretty straight forward: pallet shelving is a type of shelving system designed for use with items pre-loaded onto shipping pallets. Pallet shelving is sometimes referred to as warehouse shelving or industrial shelving, but the concept is the same: these are heavy duty shelving systems designed to allow forklifts to easily load and unload heavy pallets stacked with products of virtually any kind. The products could be paper, industrial waste, toys, video games, big screen TVs, bicycles that have to be assembled, computer printers, food or virtually anything else that a company sees fit to store on a pallet. The key thing to remember is that these items are heavy, perhaps individually but certainly collectively and therefore the pallet shelving needs to be up to the task. If the reader is wondering how much weight pallet shelving systems can handle, the answer varies on the system but it is not unheard of for heavy duty pallet shelving systems to hold upwards of 21 tons. To put that in perspective, that is equivalent to a city bus, a pair of elephants and the entire defensive line of almost any major league football team put together. That is a lot of weight to bearing, so obviously pallet shelving systems are not usually assembled by amateurs. In fact, many manufacturers of pallet shelving systems will only warranty their pallet shelving system if a certified contractor installs them to demanding specifications. Similar restrictions may be placed on a warehouse by their insurer who has a vested interest in making sure that the pallet shelving system does not come crashing down. The results could be terrible at best, and calamitous at worst. The potential for property and equipment damage is astronomical before one even begins to contemplate the risk to workers. It also would not help the reputation of the pallet shelving manufacturer or the warehouse itself if such an event were to happen. There are, however, light duty pallet shelving options that are not only affordable, but are not designed to hold nearly as much weight. If one is not planning on storing heavy pallets, these light duty variants might be an option. Generally starting at around $2500 for three-tier designs that are two or three pallets wide, these options are still far from inexpensive. Whether or not these units will stand the test of time or prove to be one of the worst investments a warehouse owner/manager ever makes is also debatable, but true industrial grade pallet shelving systems are extremely expensive alternatives.