How to Save Money When Buying selective pallet racking

If you’re planning a facility upgrade or renovation, or if you’re building a new warehouse, the process of adding new equipment and systems can be overwhelming. 

Check now

The most common kind of warehouse racking system is pallet racking, and for good reason. These systems can bring a wide range of benefits to a warehouse, including usage versatility, increased space, and improved organizational efficiency. But these benefits can come at a hefty cost. The solution: high-quality used pallet rack.

Saving money by implementing used pallet racking allows you to either lower the overall project cost or invest your savings in other aspects of the company or project. But how can you ensure your team makes informed buying decisions that maximize the value of your investment? 

The process for buying the right used pallet rack systems can be broken down into five steps.

Let’s discuss each step in detail to make sure your team purchases quality products that are best suited to your needs.

Step 1: Determine Your Needs

Before you make any major purchases, take a moment to consider the needs of your operation. Meet with your team to discuss some of the following considerations:

• Storage capacity and requirements
• Timeline for installation
• Workflow
• Volume and throughput
• Traffic level
• Type of equipment being used
• Budget

Another thing to keep in mind is the type of pallet rack that is best suited for your particular facility. The ideal type of pallet racking will depend on the volume of inventory, the type and level of traffic, and other various factors unique to your warehouse.

Here’s a brief overview of some common types of pallet racking:

• Selective Pallet Rack: This is the most common type of pallet racking system. Selective pallet rack provides more accessibility than push back and other FILO systems. These systems are suited to operations that benefit from ample access to pallets.
• Pushback Pallet Rack: These systems are not recommended for high-volume packing operations or other applications that require a high level of accessibility. First in, last out (FILO) operations are more compatible with this system.
• Drive-in Pallet Rack: These systems offer great vertical storage solutions for warehouses that have less space or operations that focus on staging and SKU separation.
• Narrow Aisle Pallet Rack: These systems are ideal for facilities with minimal aisle space and that need to store multiple low-volume SKUs. These systems are not recommended for facilities that use forklifts and other heavy machinery, due to OSHA aisle width standards.

Once you determine your needs and have a clear understanding of what pallet racking to look for, it’s time to do some design and configurations. If you’re unsure, most companies that sell racking can also help with warehouse design and determining what pre-owned warehouse rack will work best for your application.

Step 2: Locate Companies Near You Selling Used Pallet Racking

Before you can buy it, you have to find it. There are a few ways to find reputable dealers near your location. You could search on Google, peruse your local business-to-business listings, or reach out to industry connections for recommendations.

There are likely multiple options for companies selling used pallet racking in your area. So, how do you decide which ones are reputable?

The first way is by connecting with a representative. You’ll likely understand in a single call whether a company has a focus on providing excellent customer service.

Another way is to browse reviews and past customer testimonials. A trustworthy source is the Better Business Bureau. Using a combination of verified customer reviews, rankings, and accreditations, they make it easy to determine if a company has a solid reputation.

Step 3: Contact Vendors to Compare Prices

Once you have a list of companies in the area that sell used pallet racking, reach out and contact them to find out about pricing and any discounts.

Narrow this down enough to help make the decision easier, but not so much that you don’t have a variety of choices. This way, you’ll be able to confidently proceed with a purchase knowing you’ve considered all available options.

UNISTAR Product Page

Step 4: Inspect the Products Offered

Well, it is, in fact, used equipment — which can come in a whole range of varying conditions — so you want to be sure the condition is what’s being advertised to you. If possible, inspect the racking to make sure it will suit your needs and is in a safe condition. 

There will be times when you can’t personally inspect the used pallet racking that you buy.  In these cases, request high-resolution images from multiple angles. And be sure to inquire about the return policy should the products not align with what was described or shown.

Step 5: Finalize the Purchase

This requires two things: negotiating the best deal possible and negotiating the delivery of your used pallet racking. 

Negotiating the deal will entail discussing payment methods and terms (Cash, COD, Net30, etc). You may also be able to negotiate using the information you gathered on discounts and bonuses from competitor companies. 

Negotiating the delivery will entail discussing possible delivery dates for your used pallet racks with the vendor. If you have the means, picking up your pallet rack is a great way to save money.

Buy Used Pallet Rack For Your Warehouse

That said, with the cost savings used pallet rack offers it also does come with some risk that you and your business should consider. One of the major risks involved in buying used material for your warehouse involves the warranty of the rack system. Almost all used pallet rack is “sold as is” and does not come with a warranty or any type of return policy. These simple terms often found on used pallet rack quotes can easily be overlooked, so it’s up to you – the buyer – to understand the risk you are taking when making the purchase.

Another risk that you are taking when buying used pallet rack is the limits it puts on your business when you need to make changes or add to your rack system in the future. Often times used pallet racking is discounted because that style racking is not desired or does not fit the sizes found in many rack systems in warehouses today. It’s important to understand that teardrop pallet racking is the most commonly found style or design of pallet rack in warehouses, so you should try and find the teardrop style (pictured in the header) when shopping for your used racking. This will make it easier to find replacement components in the future.

Our used pallet rack inventory consists of mainly frames, beams, and wire decking, although we often carry other used material handling products as well (ladders, shelving, bins, stack racks, etc…). These used products come from clients who are either moving or relocating their warehouse. All of our products are thoroughly inspected when they arrive in our warehouse so our clients can have confidence when buying used products. We rate all the racking that is delivered to our warehouse and price it accordingly. We do mention these features of used pallet rack with caution because not all distributors or pallet rack sellers are the same. Some distributors buy racking in bulk and do not take the time to inspect the racking they simply broker it to the first available buyer and sell it as is.

New Pallet Rack

Are you looking for a fresh start with some new pallet racks for your warehouse? We offer top trade-in value to our customers for their products who are looking for new pallet racks. Whether big or small, many companies decide they need to renovate their warehouse after several years, which often requires new pallet racking. In terms of choosing new pallet racking over used, we generally see this choice made by larger companies and corporations – specifically when there are more legal standards and regulations to adhere to. This typically requires exact specifications because used products do not have guaranteed capacities.

New Pallet Rack Capacities

When a client approaches us with detailed specifications on their pallet dimensions and weight, along with other important numbers and measurements, we are able to supply them with the proper rack system for their products. This is important because our customers can then label their rack system with the proper capacities that are provided by the engineers who manufacturer the rack system. One of the largest benefits of buying new pallet rack is the manufacturers’ warranty and the knowledge of the exact capacities for your rack system in your warehouse.

Clean, Fresh Look

Just like any new material handling product, when a new pallet rack system is installed, it will give your warehouse a cleaner, fresher, and more professional design. Employees will become more excited and proud of your operations, while customers will be given a positive image of your company. Imagine a scenario where your team is excited to move into a brand new warehouse that will be larger, and operations easier for everyone inolved. Imagine then, that the ‘new’ racking comes in with issues such as rust, general dirtiness, missing bolts, broken welds, and unsafe decking. You can imagine how your staff would be disappointed, and not excited about dealing with faulty products in their brand new space, especially if fixing racking leads to the structural integrity being compromised.

The Golden Question — Pallet Rack Pricing

Often one of the first questions we receive from our clients is, “What is the Price Difference Between a New & Used Pallet Rack?”.

This can be a very easy yet complex question to answer when figuring out pallet racking costs. Take a look at the current pallet rack price for a standard beam from our online catalog at www.akequipment.com:

New Pallet Rack Beam
96-inch long standard beam
-pound capacity per pair
Price: $30.27

A similar USED beam typically comes in at a 20-30% discount from the new version. Please remember that we offer our clients fair pricing for the used pallet rack they submit for trade. We are confident in our used products, as we only invest in high-quality, used pallet rack. You may be able to find used pallet racking in the $15-18 range (40%-50% discount), but keep in mind there are factors such as the condition of the racking, where the racking is being stored, and man-hours put into the items, that contribute to that pricing. Please keep in mind that plenty of variables will come into play depending on the distributor you choose to buy from.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit selective pallet racking.