Carton Flow Rack
Carton flow is pallet flow's smaller sibling — gravity-fed roller or wheel tracks built into rack shelves so cases and cartons roll forward as you pick from the front. It turns a static pick face into a self-replenishing one, cutting walk time and keeping the most-picked items within arm's reach.
Learn more about carton flow rack ↓Carton Flow Rack Suppliers (22)
A-Lined Handling Systems
A-Lined Handling Systems is a turnkey material handling integrator and authorized Steel King distributor serving Connecticut and the Northeast.
Advance Storage Products
Advance Storage Products is a leading manufacturer of push-back pallet rack and other high-density storage systems. They operate manufacturing facilities in California Georgia and Utah.
AR Racking Inc.
International manufacturer of industrial racking and storage systems with US operations in Charlotte, NC. Part of the Arania Group. Designs, manufactures, and installs a full range of storage solutions with a 5-year quality warranty.
BITO Storage Solutions US
German manufacturer with US subsidiary offering pallet racking, cantilever systems, mezzanines, shelving, and flow racking. Provides concept-to-completion service including design, consulting, and installation.
Certified Handling Systems
Full-service material handling distributor established in 1967 offering pallet racking shelving cantilever and conveyor systems with installation and warehouse consultation.
Cisco-Eagle
Cisco-Eagle is a full-service material handling systems integrator and distributor providing pallet rack shelving conveyor mezzanine and warehouse automation solutions since 1970.
Culver Equipment LLC
Arizona largest used pallet rack supplier offering new and used warehouse equipment with CAD layout design custom fabrication and professional installation services.
Custom Equipment Company
Family-owned authorized distributor of industrial material handling, storage, and packaging equipment serving businesses across the US for over 40 years. Carries a wide range of warehouse racking, shelving, dock equipment, containers, and safety products from major manufacturers.
DACO Corporation
Pacific Northwest material handling, storage, and packaging solutions distributor founded in 1972. Specializes in pallet racking systems, industrial shelving, mezzanines, and turnkey warehouse solutions. Multi-year MHEDA MVP Award winner.
EQSolutions
Warehouse systems integration division of Equipment Depot, America's largest material handling dealer group with 50+ locations. Designs and implements racking, shelving, mezzanines, AS/RS, and automated storage systems.
Euroroll USA
Dynamic warehouse storage solutions since 1982. Specializes in pallet flow, carton flow, and custom racking systems.
Frazier Industrial Company
Frazier Industrial is the largest producer of 100% structural steel pallet rack systems in North America. With 10 fabrication facilities they serve industries including manufacturing automotive cold storage and e-commerce.
Gauer Metal Products, Inc.
Gauer Metal Products was the first manufacturer of carton flow shelving in the world beginning in the 1940s. They manufacture the Flo-Rak carton flow rack system and custom metal fabrication from their Kenilworth NJ facility.
Mallard Manufacturing Corporation
Mallard Manufacturing is a premier gravity flow rack systems manufacturer operating two state-of-the-art facilities. They specialize in pallet flow carton flow push-back rack and gravity conveyor systems with nationwide sales and support.
Quality Material Handling
Full-service warehouse solutions provider and licensed General B Contractor offering warehouse design permitting installation and custom fabrication since 1991.
Rack Builders Inc.
Rack Builders designs and manufactures structural storage rack systems built to RMI specifications by licensed structural engineers. They specialize in selective push-back pallet flow and carton flow systems.
Rusty Rack Guys
Licensed and bonded general contractor selling installing and removing new and used pallet racking cantilever drive-in pushback carton flow and industrial shelving.
Southwest Solutions Group
In business since 1969 with 7 offices across TX, OK, KS, and CO. Provides industrial mobile storage, pallet racking, cantilever, and flow rack with design and installation.
Steel King Industries
Steel King Industries is a leading single-source manufacturer of structural steel storage racks and material handling products. Founded in 1970 they manufacture all products in the USA using only US steel.
UNARCO Material Handling
UNARCO is the oldest pallet rack manufacturer in the United States founded in 1934. They manufacture structural and roll-formed pallet racking and engineered warehouse storage systems.
UNEX Manufacturing, Inc.
UNEX Manufacturing designs and builds engineered-to-order material handling and storage solutions. They specialize in carton flow systems gravity conveyors and high-density pick storage with over 60 years of experience from their Lakewood NJ facility.
UNIRAK
UNIRAK manufactures quality pallet rack and storage products made in the USA at their Taylor Michigan facility. They offer selective drive-in push-back carton flow and mezzanine systems with quick-ship options.
When to Choose Carton Flow Rack
- ✓Each-pick or case-pick operations with high SKU counts
- ✓Order pickers spend too much time walking between picks
- ✓You need a self-replenishing pick face that stays organized
- ✓FIFO rotation at the carton level is required
- ✓You're designing a pick module or mezzanine pick area
Key Specs to Ask About
- •Track type (wheel rails, full-width rollers, or tilted shelf inserts)
- •Lane width (sized to your carton/case dimensions)
- •Number of lanes per shelf level
- •Shelf depth (typically 3-6 cartons deep per lane)
- •Knuckled tracks or flat — knuckled helps with heavier cartons
- •Integration with pick-to-light or voice-pick systems
Common Applications
- •E-commerce piece-pick and pack stations
- •Grocery and convenience store distribution
- •Auto parts picking operations
- •Pharmaceutical unit-of-use dispensing
- •Any pick module with high picks-per-hour targets
How It Compares
| Factor | Carton Flow | Static Shelving |
|---|---|---|
| Replenishment | Self-replenishing — gravity feeds product forward | Manual — must restock shelf positions |
| Pick speed | 250-400+ picks/hour achievable | 80-120 picks/hour typical |
| Best for | High-volume each-pick and case-pick | Low-velocity items, parts rooms |
| Cost | $$$ (flow tracks add to rack cost) | $ (basic steel shelving) |
| Space efficiency | Moderate — lanes are sized to carton dimensions | High flexibility — any item on any shelf |
Carton flow makes sense when pick speed is the priority — the gravity-fed lanes keep product at the pick face without manual restocking. Static shelving works for lower-velocity items where the simpler system is adequate. Most pick operations use both — carton flow for fast movers, shelving for slow movers.
Buyer Tips
Map your carton dimensions before spec'ing lane widths. Mixing wildly different carton sizes in a carton flow system leads to jams and wasted space.
Tilted shelf inserts (drop-in flow tracks) are a cheap way to add carton flow to existing selective rack without replacing the entire shelf level.
Front stops matter. Without them, cartons roll off the pick face onto the floor. Seems obvious, but it's a common oversight in initial designs.
Consider ergonomics. The best carton flow designs put the highest-velocity SKUs between waist and shoulder height. Knees and overhead are for slow movers.
The best carton flow operations achieve 250-400+ picks per person per hour. A static shelving setup doing the same SKU count is lucky to hit 100.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between carton flow and pallet flow?
How much does carton flow rack cost?
Can I retrofit carton flow into my existing rack?
How deep should my carton flow lanes be?
Before carton flow existed, order pickers in the 1960s walked an average of 12 miles per shift. That's nearly a half marathon, five days a week, in steel-toed boots.
Coverage Map
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