Keypoint Summary
- The right racking system depends on what you store, how fast it moves, how much space you have, and how your team handles stock, not on which system is most popular.
- Eight main racking types are used in South African warehouses: selective pallet, longspan, VNA, pallet shuttle, catwalk or pick face, drive-in, carton live or flow, and cantilever.
- Storage density and pallet accessibility pull in opposite directions, so most buying decisions come down to choosing the right balance between the two.
- Many warehouses use a combination of racking types rather than a single system, with each zone matched to the stock it holds.
- Krost Shelving & Racking is one of South Africa’s and Africa’s leading racking manufacturers, designing every system in-house around your actual stock, space, and equipment.
Choosing a racking system is one of the biggest storage decisions a business makes. Racking is a long-term structural investment, and the wrong choice shows up every day in slow picking, wasted space, damaged stock, or a system that cannot grow with the business. With eight main racking types on the market, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. This checklist walks through the questions that actually matter, in the order that makes them easiest to answer, so you arrive at a quote request already knowing what you need.
Step 1: Know What You Are Storing
Everything else follows from this, so start here. Write down the answers to these questions before looking at any system.
- How is the stock packaged? Full pallets, cartons, loose items, or long and bulky materials each point toward different systems.
- What are the dimensions and weights? Note the heaviest pallet, the tallest pallet, and the longest item you handle, not just the average.
- How many different products (SKUs) do you hold? A wide range of products and a small range of products need very different racking.
- Does the stock have a shelf life? Perishable or date-sensitive stock changes how you need to rotate it.
If your stock is mostly long materials like timber, pipe, or steel bar, cantilever racking is usually the answer and you can skip ahead. For most palletised goods, keep going.
Step 2: Decide How Fast Stock Moves
Throughput matters as much as volume. Fast-moving stock that is picked many times a day needs easy access. Slow-moving bulk stock can be stored more densely, since you reach it less often.
A useful way to think about it is to split your stock into groups. Fast movers need direct access. Slow movers and bulk stock can trade access for density. Many warehouses find that a small share of their products accounts for most of their picking, which is a strong sign that more than one racking type will serve them better than one.
Step 3: Balance Density Against Accessibility
This is the central trade off in racking. The more tightly you pack pallets, the harder it becomes to reach a specific one. Every racking type sits somewhere on this scale.
| Racking Type | Storage Density | Pallet Access | Rotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective pallet racking | Moderate | Every pallet directly accessible | Flexible, any order |
| Longspan racking | Moderate | Open shelving, hand or pallet truck loaded | Flexible |
| VNA racking | Higher | Every pallet directly accessible | Flexible |
| Drive in racking | High | Access in fixed order from one side | Last in first out |
| Drive thru racking | High | Access from both sides | First in first out |
| Pallet shuttle racking | High | Shuttle moves pallets within the lane | Either, by configuration |
| Carton live or flow racking | High | Gravity fed, picked from the front | First in first out |
| Catwalk or pick face racking | Moderate to high | Item level picking from raised platforms | Flexible |
| Cantilever racking | Varies | Open arms, easy loading of long items | Flexible |
If you need to reach any pallet at any time, you are choosing between selective and VNA racking. If you store large volumes of the same product and can accept a fixed retrieval order, the high-density systems become attractive. For a deeper comparison of the two most common high-density options, read our guide to drive-in vs drive-through racking.
Step 4: Check Your Rotation Requirements
Stock rotation is easy to overlook until it causes waste. Ask whether the oldest stock must leave first.
- First in, first out suits food, pharmaceuticals, and anything with an expiry date. Carton live racking and drive-thru racking are built for this.
- Last-in, first-out works where all stock is equivalent, such as raw materials or non-perishable goods. Drive-in racking is the common choice.
- Any order is what selective and VNA racking give you, since every position is directly reachable.
Step 5: Measure Your Space
Your building decides what is possible. Record these measurements before talking to any supplier.
- Floor area and the position of columns, doors, and loading bays.
- Clear height to the lowest obstruction, including sprinklers, lights, and roof trusses.
- Floor condition and load capacity, particularly for heavy or very tall systems.
- Aisle widths currently in use, and any fire or emergency access requirements.
If space is tight but you still need full pallet access, VNA racking is worth a close look. Our guide to VNA racking explains how narrower aisles can free up significant capacity. If your building has generous height but limited floor area, a catwalk or mezzanine-style structure may add usable space vertically.
Step 6: Match Your Equipment
Racking and handling equipment must work together. A standard counterbalance forklift needs wider aisles than a reach truck, and VNA systems need specialised narrow aisle trucks. Pallet shuttle systems need compatible shuttles. Before choosing racking, confirm what equipment you already own, what you are willing to buy, and the maximum lift height it can reach.
Step 7: Think About Growth
A system sized exactly for today will often be too small within a few years. Ask how your product range, volumes, and building might change. Modular systems like selective pallet racking are easy to extend and reconfigure. Specialised systems are more efficient for a defined purpose but less adaptable. Neither is wrong, but you should choose knowingly.
Step 8: Plan for Safety and Compliance
Racking carries heavy loads at height, so safety is part of the buying decision, not an afterthought. Confirm that load ratings are clearly specified and displayed, that installation is carried out by trained teams, and that regular inspections are planned from day one. Our guide on racking safety in South Africa explains what a proper inspection covers.
Step 9: Set a Realistic Budget
Cost varies widely by system type, steel grade, height, load rating, and the complexity of your site. Specialised systems like pallet shuttle and VNA racking cost more upfront but can deliver better density and handling efficiency. Ask for an itemised quote that separates design, materials, delivery, installation, and any inspection or sign-off, so you can compare suppliers fairly.
Step 10: Choose a Manufacturer, Not Just a Supplier
The final item on the checklist is who you buy from. A reseller supplies systems made elsewhere. A manufacturer designs and builds the racking itself, which usually means better customisation, tighter quality control, and clearer accountability if anything needs adjusting later.
Krost Shelving & Racking is one of South Africa’s and Africa’s leading racking manufacturers, designing, manufacturing, and installing every system in-house. That means your racking is specified around your stock, space, and equipment rather than a generic template.
Quick Reference: Which System Fits Which Need?
| If you need… | Consider |
|---|---|
| Direct access to every pallet across a wide product range | Selective pallet racking |
| Open shelf storage for bulky or mixed-size items | Longspan racking |
| More capacity in limited floor space with full pallet access | VNA racking |
| High volume storage of a few products with faster handling | Pallet shuttle racking |
| Bulk storage and item-level picking in one footprint | Catwalk or pick face racking |
| Maximum density for bulk stock | Drive in racking |
| Automatic first-in, first-out rotation for cartons | Carton live or flow racking |
| Storage for long or bulky materials | Cantilever racking |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common mistake when choosing racking?
Choosing based on price or popularity instead of stock profile. A system that suits another warehouse may be a poor fit for yours, which is why a site assessment matters.
Can I mix different racking types in one warehouse?
Yes, and many warehouses do. Fast-moving stock might sit in selective racking while bulk stock goes into a high-density system, each zone matched to its purpose.
How do I know if I need selective racking or something more specialised?
If you have many products and need to reach any pallet at any time, selective racking is usually the right starting point. Specialised systems make sense when you have a clear need for more density, faster handling, or specific rotation.
Should I get more than one quote?
Yes, but compare like with like. Check that each quote states steel specification, load ratings, what installation includes, and whether design and inspection are covered.
How long does it take to plan and install racking?
Timelines depend on system type and site complexity. A straightforward selective racking installation can take days to a couple of weeks, while larger or specialised systems take longer. A site assessment gives a realistic timeline.
Does Krost offer a site assessment?
Yes. Krost Shelving & Racking offers a free site assessment, where a consultant reviews your stock, space, and equipment and recommends the right system.
Ready to Choose? Get a Quote Built Around Your Warehouse
You now have the questions that matter. The fastest way to turn them into a confirmed system and an accurate price is a site assessment with people who design and build racking every day. Krost Shelving & Racking will review your stock, space, and workflow, then recommend a system built around them.
Request a free quote today, or explore our complete guide to racking systems for a full breakdown of every type. If you are still getting to grips with the basics, start with what racking is or see how racking differs from shelving.
