Drive-In Rack in Michigan
Drive-in rack trades selectivity for density. Forklifts drive directly into the rack structure to place and retrieve pallets, stacking them 5-10 deep in a single lane. If you store large quantities of the same SKU and don't need to access every pallet individually, drive-in makes your square footage work harder. Michigan's warehouse sector is deeply tied to the auto industry — parts storage, assembly line feeding, and finished vehicle logistics. Detroit, Grand Rapids, and the I-94 corridor between them form the core industrial market. The state is also a major cross-border trade point with Ontario, Canada.
Learn more about drive-in rack in Michigan ↓Drive-In Rack Suppliers in Michigan (4)
Interlake Mecalux
Interlake Mecalux is among the leading companies in the storage systems market specializing in the design manufacturing and sale of steel racking warehouse automation and warehouse management software.
SpaceRak
SpaceRak, a brand of Heartland Steel Products, manufactures engineered steel storage rack systems with 100% welded uprights from facilities in Marysville MI and Lodi CA. Traces roots to Eugene Welding Company (1945).
Speedrack Products Group
Speedrack Products Group has been manufacturing quality pallet racking and storage systems since 1954. They produce roll-formed and structural rack systems from their Sparta Michigan 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 Drive-In Rack
- ✓You store large volumes of a single SKU per lane (bulk storage)
- ✓LIFO (last in, first out) inventory rotation is acceptable for your product
- ✓You're running out of warehouse space and need to increase storage density
- ✓Cold storage — drive-in is the dominant system in freezer warehouses because every cubic foot of cooled space is expensive
- ✓Seasonal storage where you fill up and empty out entire lanes at once
Key Specs to Ask About
- •Lane depth (how many pallets deep — typically 5-10, sometimes more)
- •Pallet weight (affects rail gauge and upright sizing)
- •Clear height (drive-in can go 30+ feet with structural frames)
- •Rail type and profile (standard vs. heavy-duty, affects pallet guide-in)
- •Entry/exit configuration — drive-in (one entry) vs. drive-through (entries on both ends)
- •Column protection — essential, since forklifts are operating inside the structure
How It Compares
| Factor | Drive-In Rack | Push Back Rack |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory rotation | LIFO | LIFO |
| Max depth | 10+ pallets | 2-6 pallets |
| Forklift enters rack? | Yes — drives into the structure | No — loads from the aisle face |
| Damage risk | High — forklifts inside the rack | Low — no entry needed |
| SKUs per bay | 1 SKU per lane (ideally) | 1 SKU per lane, but more lanes per bay |
| Cost per position | $ (lower per position) | $$ (carts and rails add cost) |
Both are LIFO systems. Drive-in goes deeper and costs less per position, but forklifts operate inside the rack (more damage). Push back is shallower but loads from the aisle face — faster, safer, and better for operations with more SKUs.
Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes but no ocean coastline. It does, however, share the busiest trade crossing in North America with Canada. The trucks crossing that border every day carry enough auto parts to build approximately 15,000 cars.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between drive-in and drive-through rack?
How many pallets deep should my drive-in lanes be?
Is drive-in rack more expensive than selective?
How many drive-in rack suppliers are in Michigan?
A fully loaded drive-in rack system can hold more weight per square foot than the foundation of the Empire State Building was designed to support.
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