Pallet racking vs longspan shelving: which fits?
Pallet racking vs longspan shelving: which fits?
Choose pallet racking when goods arrive, are stored and leave on pallets moved by forklift; choose longspan shelving when people pick cartons, parts or long items by hand from levels within easy reach. Pallet racking typically carries 1,000 to 3,000 kg per beam level at heights up to 12 m, while longspan shelving carries up to about 1,000 kg per level at 2 to 3 m.
The deciding factor is rarely the weight of the stock. It is how each item is handled: by truck or by hand. Many warehouses end up with both, side by side, and the useful question is where each one belongs.
Key takeaways
- Handling method decides the system: forklift and pallets point to pallet racking, hand picking to longspan.
- Pallet racking is built for heavy unit loads and height; longspan for flexible, hand-height storage.
- Longspan sets shelves at a 25 mm pitch, against 75 mm on our pallet racking frames, so shelf heights can follow the stock closely.
- Both are work equipment: manual handling, work at height and inspection duties apply to each.
- Combining the two, or adding a multi-tier or mezzanine level, often gives the best use of space.
What is the core difference between pallet racking and longspan shelving?
Pallet racking stores unit loads placed by a truck; longspan shelving stores loose items placed by a person. Everything else follows from that. Pallet racking uses heavy upright frames, beam pairs with locking pins, and floor anchors, so it can stand tall and take impact-prone, mechanised loading. Longspan shelving uses lighter boltless frames and step beams carrying chipboard, steel or mesh decks, so goods sit on a continuous shelf at a height a person can reach.
That is why the two are not simple substitutes. A bay of longspan cannot be loaded safely by a forklift, and a pallet racking bay is an awkward place to pick single cartons from above shoulder height.
How do they compare on loads, heights and space?
Pallet racking wins on load and height; longspan wins on flexibility and hand access. The table compares typical values for our standard ranges.
| Feature | Pallet racking | Longspan shelving |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded by | Forklift or reach truck | Hand |
| Typical height (m) | 2.0 to 12.0 | 2.0 to 3.0 |
| Typical frame depth (mm) | 900 / 1,100 | 600 / 900 |
| Typical load per level (kg) | 1,000 to 3,000 | up to about 1,000 |
| Level adjustment pitch (mm) | 75 | 25 |
| Decking | Optional mesh decks or support bars | Chipboard, steel or mesh as standard |
| Floor fixing | Anchored | Depends on height and design |
| Aisle width | Set by the truck | Set by people, trolleys and steps |
The load figures are typical upper values, uniformly distributed. A longspan level carries its rating only when the load is spread across the deck; a heavy item on a single point is a different case and should be checked. For heavier hand-loaded goods across wide bays, widespan heavy duty racking sits between the two systems.
How do aisle space and floor area compare?
Pallet racking needs wider aisles but stores far more per square metre of floor, because it uses height. Longspan needs narrower aisles but stops at about 3 m, so the space above it is often left empty.
A pallet racking aisle is sized for the truck that works it: counterbalance trucks need the widest aisles, reach trucks less, and very narrow aisle trucks least, with each truck maker publishing the working aisle its machine needs. A longspan aisle is sized for people, trolleys and any steps used to reach the top shelf, and must stay wide enough for safe two-way movement at busy times.
Keep forklift traffic and pedestrian picking apart where you can. HSE guidance on workplace transport puts separating people from vehicles at the centre of a safe site (HSE, workplace transport). In practice that means locating longspan zones away from the main truck routes, or protecting them with barriers where the two meet. Plan both systems together on one drawing so the aisles, cross-aisles and exits work as a whole rather than as two separate layouts.
When is pallet racking the right choice?
When your stock moves as whole pallets and you have the trucks to handle them. Typical cases are inbound goods put away by pallet, bulk replenishment stock, raw materials in a factory and finished goods waiting for dispatch. Adjustable pallet racking gives direct access to every pallet and uses the height of the building, which longspan cannot.
It also brings duties. Pallet racking should be installed by competent people, carry a load notice for each run, and be inspected at three levels: staff reporting damage, regular checks and an expert inspection yearly or twice-yearly depending on risk (SEMA, guide to pallet racking inspections). Aisle widths are set by the truck, so decide the truck before the layout. Our guide to warehouse storage solutions compares the pallet systems in more detail.
When is longspan shelving the right choice?
When people pick by the item or the carton. Longspan suits small parts, spares, e-commerce lines, archive boxes, bulky but light goods and long items that would overhang a standard shelf. Because shelf heights adjust in small steps, you can fit levels to the stock and avoid wasted air above each shelf.
The height of the top shelf is a handling question, not just a storage one. HSE guidance requires employers to avoid hazardous manual handling where possible, assess what cannot be avoided, and reduce the risk; the law sets no fixed weight limits, but weight and position both affect the risk (HSE, manual handling at work). Keep heavy, fast-moving items between waist and shoulder height and lighter, slower lines on the top and bottom levels. If staff need steps to reach the top shelf, the work at height rules apply (HSE, work at height).
The range chart shows the gap between the two systems. Once you need more than about 3 m of storage height for hand-picked goods, the answer is usually not taller shelving but another level: a multi-tier shelving system or a mezzanine floor, with stairs, handrails and a safe loading point.
Can you combine pallet racking and shelving?
Yes, and many sites should. Common combinations are:
- Pick face and reserve. Pallet racking holds reserve stock above, and the floor or first beam level becomes a hand pick face for fast lines.
- Separate zones. Pallet racking for bulk and inbound stock, longspan runs near the packing benches for small items.
- Shelving inside racking bays. Decks fitted to low pallet racking levels for cartons, with pallets above.
- Two-level picking. Multi-tier shelving with a walkway for high item counts in a tall building.
Where people pick by hand beneath pallet loads, keep the forklift and pedestrian routes clear of each other, and fit mesh decks or other measures so nothing can fall into the pick aisle. Our industrial shelving range includes longspan, widespan, rivet and heavy duty shelving that can sit alongside pallet racking in the same layout.
How do you decide for your warehouse?
Work through the stock, not the catalogue. Five questions usually settle it:
- How does each product line arrive and leave: full pallets, part pallets, cartons or single items?
- Who moves it: a truck, a person, or both?
- How heavy is the heaviest item a person would lift, and from what height?
- How much clear height do you have, and can it be used for pallets or for another floor level?
- How often is each line picked?
Lines that score "pallet, truck, heavy, slow" belong in pallet racking. Lines that score "carton, person, light, fast" belong on shelving. The specification of storage equipment standard, BS EN 15629, sets out the site, load and handling information a specifier needs, which is the same list (BSI, BS EN 15629).
Frequently asked questions
Can longspan shelving hold pallets?
Longspan is designed for hand loading, not for forklifts placing pallets. If goods arrive on pallets and are put away by truck, use pallet racking, or widespan racking where a person places the load.
Is longspan shelving cheaper than pallet racking?
Per bay it usually uses less steel, but the two do different jobs. Compare the cost per usable location for the way your stock is handled rather than the cost per bay.
Does shelving need inspecting like pallet racking?
Both are work equipment and should be maintained and checked. Pallet racking has the more formal regime, with regular checks and expert inspections, because of the loads and truck impacts involved.
How high can longspan shelving go?
Our standard longspan runs from 2.0 to 3.0 m. Above that, picking from the top level usually needs steps, so a second level on a multi-tier system or mezzanine is often the better route.
Send us a list of your stock types, pallet and carton sizes and your building height, and we will propose a layout that puts pallet racking and shelving where each works best.
