Is lane storage better than floor stacking for packed fruit?

Usually, yes, when cartons cannot carry the weight of loads above them. Rails support each pallet independently, so you gain height without crushed product.

Can a Fowler shed with low clear height still benefit?

Yes. Removing aisles across a deep block adds positions even if only two or three levels fit. We model the exact clear height you measure.

What happens to lots that must ship oldest first?

Drive-in storage releases the newest pallet first. For date-ordered release, drive-thru lanes or pallet flow rack keep older pallets at the pick face.

How deep should each lane be?

Match lane depth to your typical lot size. If most lots run six pallets, a six-deep lane fills and empties cleanly.

Fowler, California

Drive-In Rack in Fowler, CA

Drive-in rack in Fowler earns its place during harvest, when packed fruit stacks up faster than trucks can haul it away. Packing operations along Adams Avenue and the SR-99 frontage run long batches of one variety, one pack style and one label. Those batches fill lanes neatly.

Floor stacking is the usual alternative. It works until loads crush, stacks lean or the bottom pallet must leave first. A lane system lifts each pallet onto its own rails, so height becomes usable without loading weight onto the cartons underneath.

Consider a Fowler shed holding raisins or stone fruit by the lot. With drive-in rack, each lot occupies its own lane on several levels, so a crew can count, hold or release an entire lot without disturbing its neighbours. The packing floor stays open for palletizing, and drivers stop shuffling stacks to reach a buried load.

(559) 620-5206

Drive-In vs Drive-Thru Racking for Packed Fruit

Both designs use rails and open lanes; the difference is whether the back of the lane is closed. Fowler sheds often have wood posts or uneven bays from past additions, so we measure every column before fixing lane positions.

Drive-in

One entry face. The truck loads deepest positions first and removes the front pallet first. Suits single-lot reserve that ships as a block.

Drive-thru

Entry at both ends. Loading happens from one side and picking from the other, giving rough first-in, first-out flow at the cost of a second aisle.

Rail sizing

Rail profile and spacing are chosen for the pallet width, load weight and bottom-board direction. Packed fruit on standard pallets usually suits a common profile, but we confirm with your loads.

Lane depth

Depth should match a normal lot size. A lane that holds exactly one lot avoids honeycombing, where half-empty lanes trap usable space.

Harvest Reserve: Where Drive-In Pallet Rack Helps Fowler

Fowler packing sheds tend to be older, lower-clear buildings. In an 18 to 24 foot shed, adding even one more storage level across a deep block can change how much seasonal product the site holds.

We look at how batches leave. If a buyer usually takes a whole lot at once, last-in, first-out is no problem. If lots are released in date order, we discuss drive-thru racking or pallet flow instead.

Our team belongs to Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co., a company supplying and installing storage equipment since 1997, and we bring that packing-house experience to every Fowler layout.

Drive-in pallet rack does not require a new building or tall ceilings. In many Fowler sheds, the gain comes from removing aisles across the back half of the room and using two or three rail levels.

Free warehouse consultation

CAD layout with position counts

Installation by trusted installation partners

Drive-in pallet rack lanes fitted with continuous rails

Drive-in warehouse racking loaded with bulk pallets

Merced Street Docks and the Fruit Loading Floor

Packing lines near Merced Street need open floor for palletizing and truck loading. The dense block should sit behind that floor, not across it.

Fruit packing

Food processing

Agricultural distribution

Planning a Fowler Install Around the Season

Harvest leaves little room for construction, so we usually plan Fowler installs in the off-season. Share your expected peak pallet count and normal lot size, and we will compare lane depths against the building.

Experienced installation crews we schedule and manage handle assembly, anchoring the structure to the floor. Summer work in non-air-conditioned sheds gets early-morning scheduling where possible.

Drive-thru racking deserves a look if your shed has doors on both ends. Fruit can enter from the packing side and leave from the shipping side, which keeps forklifts from crossing. Where only one face is available, drive-in rack with lot-sized lanes handles the season well. Either way, we show the position count lane by lane, so you see exactly which lots fit where before ordering material.

See the Fowler service area and the drive-in rack overview for more. For mixed lots, compare Fowler pushback rack; for strict date rotation, review pallet flow in Fowler.

Single-variety packed fruit

Seasonal overflow

Low-clear packing sheds

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Recent Installations

Racking projects completed for warehouses across Fresno and the Central Valley.

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Get a Drive-In Rack Quote for Your Fowler Warehouse

Send the basics and we will follow up with a layout and pricing. Prefer to talk it through? Call (559) 620-5206.

Fresno Pallet Racks

5730 N First St

Ste 105 #252

Fresno, CA 93710

(559) 620-5206

Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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