Common Terms

Selective Racking: The most common type when people think of warehousing. It is designed to provide direct access to every pallet stored, making it a popular choice for facilities that require high selectivity and flexibility.

A) The Upright: AKA frames, verticals, or ends. Provides the structural support for the racking system. Comes in various heights. Common depths are 36”, 42” and 48” but other sizes exist.

B) The Beam: AKA horizontal, crossbeam, or crossmember. They are attached to the upright frames and create the shelf levels on which the pallets are placed. Comes in various lengths and faces (face: the vertical measurement, sometimes called width, of the beam); a common size is 96” x 4”.

C) The Wire Deck: AKA decking, or wire mesh. Creates a rest for pallets and other objects to be placed on. Also acts as a safety measure to prevent falling material for higher levels.

A Bay or A Section: The area between two uprights where items are stored

A Run: Refers to a continuous joined setup of bays

A level: Can be called a shelf. It is the platform for items to be placed on and at minimum, consists of two beams but usually will include decking.