Skip to content

To the average consumer, pallet racks might all kind of look the same. They’re very tall, they hold a lot of items, and why worry too much about it otherwise?

You might be surprised to learn there are different kinds of pallet racks, and while one isn’t necessarily better than the other it’s still good to know the differences when it comes time to purchasing a new one or maintaining a current one.

The most important things to look for are the shape of the slots on the support beams:

 

Teardrop Slots

“Teardrop” slots are the most common type of slotting, especially on older pallet racks, and will be the one you’re most likely to encounter. They get their name from the unique shape of their slots, which start as a circle at the top and taper downward into a smaller endpoint. Most name brand pallet racks are designed for compatibility with teardrop slots, so whenever you encounter a pallet rack the chances will be good it will work with teardrops.

 

Double Slotted Racks

Double slotted racks are slightly newer and not seen as frequently as teardrop slots, but they have plenty of their own benefits and uses. These are arranged in pairs of two angled vertical slots, and are slightly heavier to allow for greater weight distribution. Not as many rack components are compatible with these yet, due to their newer design, so it’s good to know what you’re working with in order to get the correct parts.

 

Of course, these sort of racks can also vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so we’ve provided a handy Pallet Rack Identification Guide to help distinguish between the different types and designs you might encounter in your facility. Hopefully this helped shed a little light on your rack needs!

Comments are closed.

Back to top