Rack Comparisons
Pick the right system. Honest, side-by-side comparisons.
All Racking Systems
Selective, drive-in, push-back, cantilever, and mezzanine systems side by side.
Teardrop Pallet Rack
The default for most warehouses: fast to reconfigure, 100% pallet selectivity.
Drive-In Racking
High-density LIFO storage for low-SKU, high-volume product.
Push-Back Racking
2–5 deep density without giving up aisle access on every pick.
Cantilever Rack
Pipe, lumber, steel, and long stock that will not sit on beams.
Beam & Frame Sizing Guide
How bay width, pallet overhang, and deflection decide beam length.
Density vs. Selectivity
Every rack comparison comes down to the same tradeoff. Selective teardrop rack gives you access to every pallet but uses the most floor space per position. Drive-in, push-back, and pallet flow buy density by giving up direct access. If you run more than roughly 40 SKUs per aisle, selective almost always wins on labor cost.
Cost per Pallet Position
Compare systems on installed cost per pallet position, not on price per frame. A denser system with a higher steel cost often lands cheaper per position, but only if your SKU profile actually fills the lanes. Half-empty drive-in lanes are the most expensive storage in a building.
Forklift and Building Fit
Clear height, column spacing, sprinkler layout, and lift truck type constrain the comparison before price does. Reach trucks, counterbalance forklifts, and turret trucks each need different aisle widths, and fire code can dictate flue spacing and in-rack sprinklers on denser systems.
How NAWL Compares Systems
Send us your building dimensions, pallet weights, and SKU count. We model the position count for each viable system, price the steel at dealer tiers, and tell you plainly which one we would buy. We are a wholesale supplier, so there is no install labor markup steering the recommendation.
Need a quote?
NAWL stocks new teardrop pallet rack, cantilever, and wire decking in Venus, TX with 48–72 hour quick ship on stocked items. Send your bay sizes and pallet weights and a specialist will price it the same business day.
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