PUSH BACK PALLET RACKS

Push back pallet racks are a high-density storage system that lets pallets be loaded from a single aisle and stacked two to six pallets deep. Each pallet sits on a wheeled cart that rides along inclined rails: when a new pallet is loaded, it pushes the previous pallets back along the rail; when the front pallet is removed, gravity rolls the remaining pallets forward to the pick face.

Key features:

• LIFO (last-in, first-out) retrieval — the last pallet loaded is the first one picked
• High storage density — reduces the number of aisles needed compared to selective racking, increasing usable warehouse space
• Single-aisle access — forklifts load and unload from the same side, which also speeds up operations
• Depth options — typically ranges from 2 to 6 pallets deep per lane
• Best suited for — medium-velocity SKUs with a limited number of pallets per SKU, where FIFO isn't a strict requirement

Compared to drive-in racking, push back racks generally offer easier access and less risk of rack damage since forklifts never enter the rack structure itself.