Two operating faces
One aisle can serve replenishment and the opposite aisle can serve withdrawal, provided both lane mouths remain open, protected and clearly assigned.
Pallet Racking
Drive-Through Racking
Deep lane storage with separate entry and retrieval faces for batch flow control.
Quick Answer
What is Drive-Through Racking?
Drive-Through Racking is a deep-lane pallet system with an operating aisle at each end. Forklifts can replenish from one face and retrieve from the opposite face, creating a FIFO-capable route when direction is enforced. The layout therefore depends on two clear staging areas, coordinated inbound and outbound traffic, compatible pallet batches and procedures that prevent either end from being used against the intended flow.
Typical applications
Where This System Fits
- Batch inventory needing FIFO-capable movement through a deep lane.
- Facilities with receiving and dispatch or production routes on opposite sides.
- Pallet groups that can remain dedicated to one controlled channel.
- Operations able to assign separate replenishment and withdrawal responsibilities.
- Buildings with safe forklift access and staging space at both rack faces.
Operating logic
How This Product Works
Review the operating principle, load movement and main configuration checkpoints before comparing a system for the application.
Directional pallet route
Inventory is loaded by forklift from one end and retrieved by forklift from the other, creating a FIFO-capable route when teams preserve the nominated direction.
Separated traffic zones
Inbound staging, outbound staging, forklift turning and pedestrian routes must be coordinated at both sides instead of concentrated at one rack face.
Flow control inputs
Confirm batch release rules, face ownership, aisle capacity, truck clearance, pallet condition, signage, guarding and emergency access at each end.
Technical notes
- A drive-through lane remains open at both ends. The replenishment truck enters from the nominated loading side, while retrieval is organised at the opposite side.
- When the first pallet placed into the lane is also the first removed from the other end, the process is FIFO-capable. That outcome depends on enforced direction rather than the rack alone.
- The warehouse plan should connect the two faces to a real material-flow path, such as receiving on one side and dispatch or production withdrawal on the other.
- Both ends need turning space, staging boundaries, lane-mouth protection, signage and pedestrian separation. Blocking either operating aisle removes the intended flow advantage.
- Forklifts still travel within the structure, but they approach from different zones. Truck envelopes and driver rules must be checked for each face and for any one-way or crossing traffic nearby.
- Product assignment should prevent operators from searching through mixed stock or reversing direction to reach an unrelated pallet. One controlled batch per lane supports a clear release sequence.
- Supervisors should define which team owns replenishment, which team owns withdrawal, how empty lanes are released and how exceptions are communicated between the two ends.
- Drive-through fits buildings where inbound and outbound routes can remain physically separated. For a site with only one practical aisle, compare drive-in and push-back storage for tighter process control.
- Fire access, emergency routes and services must be reviewed at both faces because the rack cannot be planned as a single-ended block.
System strengths
Advantages
- Supports directional batch movement between two operating zones.
- Can make the oldest pallet available first when lane direction is maintained.
- Separates replenishment work from retrieval work instead of sharing one aisle face.
- Uses deep pallet lanes while keeping the stock-flow objective visible.
Conditions to check
Limitations and Trade-Offs
- Requires an operating aisle, protection and staging control at each end.
- Random access from both sides can break FIFO and confuse batch ownership.
- Forklift travel inside the lanes still creates guidance and impact-management needs.
- In buildings without a practical through-flow route, drive-through storage sacrifices space without adding process control.
Configuration brief
Technical specifications available on request
Final specifications for Drive-Through Racking are confirmed from the actual load, site and operating requirements.
- Pallet footprint, underside, loaded height, stability and weight range.
- Batch quantity, replenishment frequency and required release sequence.
- Nominated loading face, nominated retrieval face and FIFO control procedure.
- Forklift types, turning envelopes and aisle demand at both ends.
- Receiving, production or dispatch staging connected to each operating side.
- Lane-mouth guarding, directional signage, traffic separation and inspection responsibility.
- Fire access, emergency routes and service clearances around both faces.
Standards and compliance
Applicable Standards and Project Requirements
RUNDA RACK products are designed, manufactured, supplied and installed in accordance with applicable international standards, project specifications and destination-market requirements. The engineering package aligns the product family, load data, site conditions, fire strategy, equipment interfaces and required documentation.
Review the standards framework →FEM 10.2.07
Design of drive-in and drive-through racking
Current listed editionAuthoritative source ↗EN 15620
Steel static storage systems — Tolerances, deformations and clearances
2021Authoritative source ↗EN 15629
Steel static storage systems — Specification of storage equipment
2008Authoritative source ↗EN 15635
Steel static storage systems — Application and maintenance of storage equipment
2008Authoritative source ↗Practical comparison
Compare Common Alternatives
- Drive-In Racking
- Drive-in is same-face LIFO; drive-through separates loading and retrieval faces.
- Pallet Flow Racking
- Pallet flow uses gravity rollers for FIFO; drive-through relies on forklifts through the lane.
- Pallet Shuttle Racking
- Shuttle channels reduce forklift lane travel and can be arranged for FIFO or LIFO.
Configuration inputs
What to Confirm Before Selection
- Pallet footprint, underside, loaded height, stability and weight range.
- Batch quantity, replenishment frequency and required release sequence.
- Nominated loading face, nominated retrieval face and FIFO control procedure.
- Forklift types, turning envelopes and aisle demand at both ends.
- Receiving, production or dispatch staging connected to each operating side.
- Lane-mouth guarding, directional signage, traffic separation and inspection responsibility.
- Fire access, emergency routes and service clearances around both faces.
Product questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is Drive-Through Racking different from Drive-In Racking?
- Drive-through keeps both lane ends open, allowing loading and retrieval to be assigned to opposite sides. Drive-in has one operating opening and normally follows LIFO.
- Is Drive-Through Racking automatically FIFO?
- It is FIFO-capable, but only if procedures preserve one loading direction and the opposite retrieval direction for each assigned batch.
- Why are two aisles important?
- Each end needs forklift approach, turning and staging space. The second face adds value only when both operating zones remain available and safely controlled.
- What traffic rules should be defined?
- Define face ownership, one-way lane direction, batch release, signage, pedestrian separation, exception handling and communication between replenishment and withdrawal teams.
Planning resources