Load at the back, pick at the front, and gravity does the rest. True first in, first out for dated and perishable stock.
If your stock has a date on it, pallet flow is the only high density system that rotates correctly without anyone having to remember to do it.
Each lane is a bed of rollers set on a gentle decline. You load from the aisle at the back and the pallet rolls forward under its own weight until it meets the one in front. Your pickers work the opposite aisle, so the oldest pallet is always the one presented at the face.
That two aisle arrangement is the whole point, and it is what separates pallet flow from push back. Push back loads and picks from the same aisle, so it runs last in, first out. Pallet flow separates the two, which is why it is genuinely FIFO.
Speed controllers and brakes regulate how fast pallets travel, and separators hold the load at the pick face so it can be lifted cleanly. It is a mechanical system, so it costs more per position and needs periodic inspection. Every system is engineered to your pallet weight and signed off on site.
Roller beds and brakes are matched to pallet weight and lane depth. These are typical ranges, not fixed limits.
| Specification | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Pallet Access | Pick face only. Next pallet arrives automatically |
| Storage Density | High. Comparable to drive-in, with far better throughput |
| Lane Depth | Commonly 4 to 20 pallets deep, occasionally more |
| Stock Rotation | True FIFO. Enforced by the layout, not by procedure |
| Aisles Required | Two. One to load at the back, one to pick at the front |
| Mechanism | Gravity roller beds with speed controllers and separators |
| Pallet Condition | Must be sound and consistent. Damaged pallets jam lanes |
| Maintenance | Periodic inspection of rollers, brakes and lane alignment |
| Best Suited To | Dated stock, food and beverage, pharma, cold storage, high volume |
Figures are typical, not a specification. Roller and brake selection depends on pallet weight and lane depth, so we need both before quoting.
Pallet flow is the most capable and the most expensive system we supply. It earns its price on dated stock and high throughput, and very little else.
This is the only dense system that rotates stock correctly on its own.
Handling dated stock? Book a free site assessment and we will check your building has room for both aisles.
Pallet flow is the most expensive system on this list. Only buy it if you need the rotation.
Try push back if one aisle is all you have, drive-in for cheaper bulk density, or selective for mixed SKUs.
The number of aisles. Push back loads and picks from the same aisle, so the last pallet in is the first one out. Pallet flow loads at the back and picks at the front on two separate aisles, so the oldest pallet is always the one presented. If you need FIFO, that difference is the whole decision.
No. Pallets roll under their own weight down an inclined roller bed. Speed controllers and brakes regulate how fast they travel and separators hold the front pallet steady so it can be lifted cleanly, but there is no motor and no controls.
Commonly 4 to 20 pallets, sometimes more. Depth is limited by the incline you can run safely and by how much weight the brakes have to hold back, both of which come from your pallet weight rather than from the racking itself.
This is the question people skip and then regret. Pallets need to be sound, consistent in size and in good condition. Broken boards, protruding nails or mixed pallet types will hang up in a lane, and clearing a jam ten pallets deep is not a quick job. If your pallet quality is variable, tell us at the assessment.
Periodic inspection of rollers, brakes and lane alignment, the same way you would service any mechanical system. We fold it into the same visit as your racking safety inspection rather than charging separately for it.
The four systems people most often weigh against pallet flow.
