How much floor space does drive-in rack actually save?

Trading aisles for lanes typically shrinks the footprint for the same pallet count by roughly a third, sometimes more in a taller building. We give you the side-by-side numbers in the layout rather than a rule of thumb.

What's the difference between drive-in and drive-through rack?

Drive-in is open at one end and runs LIFO - highest density. Drive-through is open at both ends and allows FIFO, at the cost of some positions and a second access aisle.

Does drive-in slow down put-away?

It can, since the truck has to travel into the lane for every pallet. It works best for bulk moves rather than piece picking - pairing it with a selective pick face keeps daily order fulfillment from bogging down.

How do you keep lift trucks from damaging the rack?

Floor-mounted guide rails steer the truck through the lane, and column guards plus rail-end protection absorb the contact that still happens. Both get specified with the system up front, not bolted on after the first repair.

Will new drive-in rack tie into rack we already have?

Usually. We identify the manufacturer, connector style, and frame profile from photos or measurements first, then design the addition so it matches your current aisle pattern instead of creating a second standard in the building.

Our dock is tight and we cannot receive a full truckload at once. Does that change anything?

It changes the delivery plan, not the design. We stage material in smaller drops timed to your receiving hours, and sequence installation zone by zone so a tight dock does not hold up the schedule.

Drive-In Rack system inside a Kentucky warehouse

Erlanger, Kentucky

Drive-In Warehouse Racking in Erlanger, Kentucky

Name: Cincinnati Pallet Racks - Erlanger
Address: 2345 Ashland Ave., Cincinnati, OH, 45206, US
Telephone: (513) 957-3017
Price range: $$

Most freight forwarding and air cargo support operations in Erlanger outgrow the layout before they outgrow the building, usually starting with seasonal inventory that swallows floor space three months a year. Drive-In Rack is the system we reach for when the floor is full but the air above Commonwealth Avenue racks is not.

We take the pallet weights, lift truck, and usable height from your airport freight corridor site, weigh it against the highest density available for a small number of SKUs, and come back with a drawing, a position count, and a priced bill of material. Call (513) 957-3017.

(513) 957-3017

Why Erlanger Warehouses Work With Us

Buildings around the Dolwick Drive industrial area and Commonwealth Avenue are rarely uniform. Column spacing, dock aprons, and usable height differ enough from one Erlanger site to the next that a layout copied from another building wastes positions.

That is part of why drive-in rack fits Erlanger operations: aisles traded for lanes to push positions per square foot. A short design consult tells you quickly whether that tradeoff works for your SKUs, or whether another system carries more of the load in a Dolwick Drive industrial area footprint.

Being close to Erlanger matters on the small things too: short delivery runs, a quick answer on a drive-in rack revision, and parts on hand when a lift truck clips a frame.

Free warehouse consultation

CAD layout with position counts

Installation by trusted installation partners

Operations We Rack Around Here

Nearby areas we work in regularly include the Dolwick Drive industrial area, Commonwealth Avenue, the airport freight corridor.

Freight forwarding

Air cargo support

Auto parts distribution

Contract logistics

Drive-in pallet rack lanes fitted with continuous rails

Drive-in warehouse racking loaded with bulk pallets

How Drive-In Rack Works

No aisles. The forklift enters the structure, and the floor holds more pallets per square foot than any other system.

Continuous rails, not beams

Pallets rest on rails carried by upright frames rather than individual beam levels, so a lane accepts pallet after pallet at the same elevation.

The truck enters the lane

The driver travels inside the bay to place or retrieve each load. Lane width, rail height, and mast clearance get dimensioned to that specific truck, not a generic one.

One open end or two

One open end gives LIFO and the highest density available. Two open ends give FIFO with slightly fewer positions, since each lane now needs clearance from both sides.

Guarding built into the design

Guide rails, column guards, and rail-end protection are part of the spec from the start, because a lane that takes daily contact from forklifts is a lane that will eventually need repair.

What a Drive-In Rack Project Includes

A drive-in rack quote for Erlanger starts from measurements, not assumptions — clear height, slab condition, dock access, pallet weights, and which SKUs turn daily versus monthly.

The deliverable is a drive-in rack drawing and a priced bill of material: positions, elevations, aisle widths, and capacities for your Commonwealth Avenue building. Since the design turns on aisles traded for lanes to push positions per square foot, we normally include a denser alternative on the same plan so the freight forwarding tradeoff is explicit.

Drive-In Rack freight is staged to fit airport freight corridor access, and installation partners build the system exactly as drawn, then verify plumb, anchor torque, and capacity tags. Phasing keeps your Erlanger floor operating during the install, and the same crew handles later additions or a relocation.

High volume of a small number of SKUs

Seasonal or buffer inventory held in bulk

Cold storage and freezer rooms where cube matters most

Product too fragile to floor-stack more than two high

Buildings where floor space, not height, is the binding constraint

Call (513) 957-3017

Recent Installations

Racking projects completed for warehouses across Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

View More Projects

Get a Drive-In Rack Quote for Your Erlanger Warehouse

Send the basics and we will follow up with a layout and pricing. Prefer to talk it through? Call (513) 957-3017.

Cincinnati Pallet Racks

2345 Ashland Ave.

Unit #584

Cincinnati, OH 45206

(513) 957-3017

Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Name *

Company *

Email *

Phone *

Where are you located? *

Approximate warehouse size *

Expected timeframe *

Additional Information

I consent to receive SMS and email communications from Cincinnati Pallet Racks regarding my quote request. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.

We respect your privacy. Your information will never be shared.