Pallet Rack Systems | New & Used Warehouse Racking in Ohio

From a buyer’s perspective, deciding between used vs. new pallet rack systems can be confusing. Let’s first briefly discuss the advantages of purchasing USED equipment. Obviously, the overriding thought when considering purchasing USED equipment is cost. A secondary, but equally important benefit is the USED equipment is on-site and available immediately, saving time and freight costs.

Now for the reality… Many buyers wrongly think that purchasing USED Pallet Racking and Wire Decking is similar to that of purchasing a used car (for example), that there is a 50% or 60% savings over the cost of NEW. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.

But Why?

When we are contacted by a seller who has USED equipment available, the vast majority of the time, the racking is still standing and needs to be disassembled. Once we send a crew into disassemble the Rack, we then need to stack, band and prep it for shipment. Once complete, the USED Pallet Rack needs to be shipped, via flatbed to our location. 

Due to its size and length, USED Racking/Wire Decks are generally stored outside, allowing the powder coated finish to begin rusting and oxidizing. One item of note, many buyers have little regard for the discoloration or aesthetic appearance of the USED Racking, they simply want it to work! Add all of that up and the NEW vs. USED savings is somewhere in the vicinity of 15%-20%.

One other very important consideration… historically, we have rarely sold USED Pallet Rack Uprights as they generally have some sort of column damage (probably 4 out of 5 Uprights sustain damage from forklift forks or skids) usually located at the lower 12”-24” of the two front Upright columns. 

* NOTE: If there is ever a ding or dent in an Upright… BUYER BEWARE! The structural integrity of the Upright has been compromised and the Upright should be discarded. There are disreputable companies and social media sellers out there that will sell them, but we won’t (we won’t sell them and you should not buy them)!

While we stock and sell a significant amount of USED equipment (primarily Pallet Rack and Wire Decks), the quality and condition of the USED equipment we sell is exceptional. We only sell USED material that has an overall condition rating of 8-9 out of 10, we do not sell anything with any lower condition rating. All of our USED Racking has a condition rating applied to it at arrival and is always furnished and noted on our proposals. Of course, pictures are always available when the Racking cannot be viewed in person or we are shipping it out of area. You can always trust our condition ratings to be accurate and thorough.

Modern manufacturing techniques have improved to the point that, many times, purchasing NEW can actually be less expensive than buying USED. Even more so, the same holds true for USED Pallet Rack purchased at auctions or auction settings, but that’s a conversation for another day. Additionally, another great geographical advantage he have is the majority of our NEW Wire Mesh Deck Panels are manufactured (ITC Manufacturing) right here in Columbus, Ohio! Pick them up and save the freight!

Absolutely not! The vast majority of our customers install it themselves. Of course, we offer a wide range of installation services when the size, complexity or the quantity of the components is too large to do it yourself. Generally, all that is needed to install pallet rack yourself is a rubber mallet and nothing more. The beams simply lock into the upright columns. Once you hear the safety pin “click” you have a safe and secure connection. 

One person can do it themselves (for shorter uprights and beams) but a helper is required, especially for taller uprights and longer length beams, particularly the 144”L Beam. Anchoring Uprights to the concrete is suggested by all manufacturers, but is not required. Anchoring Uprights to a wall, column or building is NEVER RECOMMENDED.

One of the unique aspects of Selective Pallet Racking is the ability to put it up wherever you want it, take it down and relocate in a new location. Pallet Rack can change as your needs change.

If you can’t do it yourself or simply do not have the time, WE INSTALL WHAT WE SELL! For those with larger or more complex installations or the scope of the install is too large, we offer full custom installation and dismantling services. For more information, please see… Midwest Material Handling, LLC Installation and Dismantling Programs

We represent virtually every major Pallet Rack and Wire Deck Manufacturer in the country including… Interlake-Mecalux, Husky Rack & Wire, Ridg-U-Rak, Unarco, Bulldog Rack, Lyon Metal, Penco Products, Steel King, Nashville Wire Products, Nelson Wire, Cogan Wire and ITC Manufacturing.

Simply measure from the inside of Upright column to inside of Upright column.

Beam capacities are calculated as a combination of the height and length of the Beam.

Yes and no. Most Manufacturers make a proprietary style which is all their own and is not interchangeable with any other brand. Standard Teardrop style is fully interchangeable, regardless of the Manufacturer or when it was built.

96”L is by far the most common. It is the perfect length to store two standard sized skids (48” x 40”) side-by-side.

We have found that the 96”H, 144”H and 192”H Uprights are the most commonly sold.

The 42” depth is by far the most common as it is the perfect depth to store 46″-48”D x 40”W standard size skids/pallets.

This is an often asked and often misunderstood question. While no specific OSHA requirement like that exists, it is universally recommended by all Manufacturers that the Uprights be bolted to the floor.

Remember though, there is NO REQUIREMENT.

We use a 1/2” x 3 ¾-4” Wedge Anchor with washer and nut. For Post Protectors, we use a 1/2″ x 4.25″ Wedge Anchor with washer and nut.

The age-old question… While it is impossible to totally prevent this type of damage from occurring (short of improved forklift operator training), we have found that while many products exist in the marketplace to try to prevent damage, the basic 12”H, 18”H or 24”H Steel Protector works the best! They are probably also the least expensive method to protect Uprights from damage.

Absolutely! Any Upright column post above the height of the lowest Beam level becomes wasted Upright and in turn, wasted $!

Yes. All new Beams include safety clips which vary in design from Manufacturer to manufacturer. For USED Beams we suggest a nut and bolt, which is the safest, most assured way to preventing a Beam from becoming dislodged.

One important, but often overlooked detail is to make sure you include the width of the Uprights in your layout. The vast majority of Pallet Rack Uprights we sell have a 3” column width.

One of the costliest parts of purchasing a Pallet Rack system (small or large) is freight/shipping. While the cost difference in NEW vs. USED is comparatively small, the real cost savings comes by having the ability to pick the material up locally. Our central location and proximity to many major neighboring industrial cities allows our customers to pick up material and… SAVE THE FREIGHT!

We stock the most common sized pallet racking and most associated components for same day pick-up and substantial freight savings. The reality of shipping pallet rack (due primarily to its size and unusual dimensions) is it can be difficult to ship and expensive.

For those who cannot pick the material up, we offer local cartage from a local freight vendor who have used for decades. For larger projects, pallet rack can be shipped LTL or for full truckload quantities, we recommend flatbed trucking (tarped or un-tarped). Flatbed trucking is the easiest method to ship pallet rack as it can be unloaded from the sides of the truck in a short period of time. This method of unloading also significantly reduces freight/shipping damage.

We deal with freight every day, it is a large part of what we do! We have strategic partnerships with local freight companies and national third-party logistics (3PL’s) companies and have national contracts with all major full truckload and flatbed carriers (like Landstar). Allow us to assist in the freight selection process, we will get it there the most economical way and with as little freight damage as possible.

It’s simple, we dont mark up freight and shipping like the big national retailers do. They will mark down an item only to “get it back” in freight (where you have no option but to ship it with them). With us, freight is sold at cost, with no markup. Or better yet… pick it up and save the freight!!

The term “common member” refers to the two rows of vertical teardrop holes on the column of an upright. Both beams  is attached to the each side of the upright, making it a “common member”.

For example… 2 uprights makes 1 section (the most costly), 3 uprights makes 2 sections, 4 uprights makes 3 section and so on.