Question 1

Do you install all types of pallet racking systems, including selective, drive-in, push-back, and pallet flow?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Warehouse Cubed installs all major pallet racking systems (selective, drive-in, push-back, pallet flow, and more) tailored to your load profiles, throughput goals, and space constraints. Our experienced crews handle turnkey installation nationwide, ensuring every rack is code-compliant, level, and ready for safe, efficient operation.

Pallet racking systems are a core part of our warehouse consulting services, and we install major styles to match your operational needs. After a detailed warehouse layout design and safety review, our engineers specify the right mix of selective, drive-in, push-back, or pallet flow racks, and sometimes blending them with cantilever or carton flow systems to balance density with pick speed. Because Warehouse Cubed is an independent integrator, we source from leading rack manufacturers, design the seismic calculations, and provide stamped drawings where required.

Our trained crews arrive with the right equipment and clear phasing plan so installation can happen during normal shifts or a scheduled shutdown. They level uprights, torque all hardware to spec, anchor foot plates, and add rack protection so your new system meets RMI/OSHA standards from day one. If existing racks need to stay in service, we perform pallet rack repair or re-slotting in parallel to minimize downtime.

Clients in e-commerce fulfillment centers, food & beverage plants, and 3PL distribution hubs use our turnkey pallet racking projects to gain up to 80% more storage capacity and reduce travel time between picks. After commissioning, we remain on call for warehouse safety audits, ongoing maintenance, and future warehouse optimization or automation solutions as your volume grows. That holistic approach means you can treat us as one partner for material handling systems integration and distribution center optimization, not just rack installers.

Question 2

How can we improve dock flow and shipping performance?

Accepted Answer

Start by analyzing current bottlenecks, then redesign traffic lanes, staging space, and equipment. Upgrading to air-powered dock levelers, smart locks, high-speed doors, and conveyor or pallet-flow lines from pack stations cuts dwell time. Add clear floor striping, LED dock lights, and real-time WMS integration to boost shipping throughput and safety.

Dock congestion often starts with a layout that forces workers and lift trucks to compete for space. Warehouse Cubed begins with warehouse consulting services and a CAD-based warehouse layout design. Our consultants map inbound and outbound paths, right-size staging areas, and set one-way traffic lanes so trailers turn faster. If floor space is tight, we reposition high-velocity SKUs into pallet racking systems or carton-flow lanes close to the doors.

Next, we recommend material handling equipment that speeds every move. Air-powered or hydraulic dock levelers, dock seals, trailer locks, and LED dock lights create a safer, all-weather interface. Adding high-speed doors and HVLS fans keeps temperatures comfortable and energy costs down. For sites that load mixed pallet heights, yard ramps and dock lifts maintain an ergonomic work height while protecting workers.

To shrink travel time between packing and shipping, we integrate conveyor systems and other material handling systems, powered roller beds, or pallet-flow tunnels that feed cartons directly to each door. Automatic stretch wrappers, print-and-apply labeling, and optional AS/RS shuttles transform manual touches into warehouse automation solutions. Our team links these tools to your WMS so supervisors see door status, labor usage, and carrier cut-off times in real time.

Finally, a warehouse safety audit adds floor striping, guardrails, wheel chocks, and dock bumpers—warehouse safety equipment that prevents accidents and downtime. The result is a smoother, safer dock flow that boosts orders-per-door per hour, reduces detention fees, and supports broader warehouse optimization and distribution center optimization.

Question 3

How do I know if I need warehouse consulting services or just new equipment?

Accepted Answer

Choose warehouse consulting services when your challenges go beyond a single piece of equipment—for example, chronic congestion, poor pick paths, or fast growth that demands a full operational redesign. If you simply need to replace an aging rack, conveyor, or forklift, new equipment alone may solve the problem.

Warehouse consulting services make sense when the root cause of slow throughput or lost space is unclear or touches several functions. Typical red flags include:

floor area blocked by overflow pallets
Pickers walking more than they pick
Frequent forklift traffic jams or near-misses
Rising labor costs outpacing order volume
Upcoming SKU or ecommerce growth with no clear expansion plan

In these cases, Warehouse Cubed begins with a warehouse safety audit and layout design review. Our consultants map product flow, slotting, labor steps, and safety hazards, then model warehouse optimization scenarios. Recommendations may pair new pallet racking systems, conveyor systems, or automated storage and retrieval systems with process changes and material handling systems integration. The result is a roadmap that boosts capacity, accuracy, and safety before you spend on hardware.

If your operation runs well and only one asset is worn or undersized—say damaged selective rack, a slow stretch wrapper, or a missing guard rail—purchasing replacement material handling equipment is faster and cheaper than a full study.

Still unsure? We offer a quick discovery call; if we see that a single piece of equipment will fix the issue, we’ll tell you. When the data shows broader warehouse automation solutions or redesign is required, our team delivers a phased plan that matches your budget and future growth goals.

Question 4

What does a warehouse consulting engagement typically include?

Accepted Answer

A typical warehouse consulting engagement from Warehouse Cubed starts with an onsite assessment, progresses to data-driven layout and process redesign, delivers clear recommendations for rack, automation, and safety improvements, then provides project management, installation oversight, and ongoing support—giving you a measurable, scalable roadmap for warehouse optimization and cost savings.

Warehouse consulting services with Warehouse Cubed follow a proven roadmap.

1. Discovery & data gathering – expert consultants walk the floor, review KPIs and inventory mix, and talk with your team to pinpoint pain points.

2. Analysis & CAD layout design – we model alternate footprints in 2D/3D and test traffic flow to uncover space, labor, and safety gains.

3. Solution engineering – expect clear recommendations for pallet rack systems, conveyor lines, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), smart warehouse systems, safety equipment, and other warehouse automation solutions.

4. Implementation & project management – our team secures permits, sources material handling equipment, and oversees installation, integration, and system validation while keeping your operation running.

5. Training, maintenance & continuous improvement – after go-live we instruct your staff, perform rack inspections and repairs, and can run follow-up warehouse safety audits to ensure the design keeps pace with growth.

The result is a turnkey blueprint built around warehouse optimization, supply chain automation, and long-term scalability—without costly trial-and-error. Learn more about our warehouse layout design or heavy-duty rack systems.

Question 5

What is an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), and how do I know if my warehouse is ready for one?

Accepted Answer

An AS/RS is a computer-controlled system that automatically places and retrieves loads from defined storage locations without requiring a forklift operator to enter the aisle. Systems range from unit-load crane-based designs for full pallets to mini-load and shuttle systems for cases and totes. Your warehouse may be ready for an AS/RS when labor costs are climbing, order volumes consistently strain manual processes, vertical space is underutilized, and you have a WMS or ERP capable of directing automated transactions. Warehouse Cubed evaluates AS/RS readiness as part of its automation and warehouse consulting services.

An automated storage and retrieval system uses cranes, shuttles, or robotic carriers running on rails or tracks within a racking structure to store and retrieve loads on command from a warehouse management system or warehouse control system. The equipment replaces the forklift and operator for put-away and retrieval cycles, which means storage aisles can be much narrower (often just inches wider than the load), ceilings can be used to their full height, and cycle times become predictable regardless of staffing levels.

There are several common AS/RS configurations. Unit-load systems handle full pallets using a crane that travels the length of the aisle and lifts vertically to reach any storage position. Mini-load systems work on the same principle but at the case or tote level, feeding goods to a pick station where an operator builds orders. Shuttle-based systems use autonomous carts that travel horizontally within the rack while a lift moves them between levels, offering high throughput with a modular footprint. Vertical lift modules (VLMs) and horizontal carousels are smaller-scale goods-to-person systems that bring individual trays or bins to an operator at an ergonomic pick window.

Knowing whether your operation is ready for an AS/RS comes down to evaluating several factors together rather than checking a single box.

Volume and Labor Pressure

AS/RS makes the strongest financial case when manual storage and retrieval cycles are consuming significant labor hours and those hours are growing. If you are adding shifts, struggling with turnover, or watching labor costs climb faster than revenue, automation addresses the root cause rather than adding more headcount.

Throughput Consistency

If your operation needs to sustain a predictable number of pallet or case moves per hour regardless of shift changes, absenteeism, or seasonal hiring challenges, an AS/RS delivers that consistency in a way that manual operations cannot. The system runs at the same cycle rate whether it is Monday morning or Friday night.

Vertical Space

Most conventional warehouses use only a fraction of their available clear height. An AS/RS crane or shuttle system can store loads from floor level to the roof deck because it does not depend on a forklift mast reaching the top position. If your building has 30 or 40 feet of clear height and your current racking tops out at 20 feet because of forklift limitations, an AS/RS unlocks that unused cube without expanding your footprint.

SKU Profile and Order Pattern

AS/RS performs best when the storage and retrieval logic is well defined and repeatable. Facilities with a stable SKU base, consistent unit loads, and a WMS that can direct automated transactions are better candidates than operations where product sizes change constantly and processes are ad hoc. That said, modern shuttle and mini-load systems are far more flexible than older crane designs and can handle a broader range of load types.

Systems Infrastructure

An AS/RS does not operate in isolation. It needs a WMS or warehouse control system (WCS) to issue storage and retrieval commands, a reliable network and power supply, and integration with your receiving and shipping workflows. Our integration services connect AS/RS with your ERP, WMS, and other material handling equipment so information flows seamlessly across the operation. Our smart warehouse systems team handles the low-voltage and IT infrastructure that supports these connections.

Floor and Building Readiness

The racking structure in a unit-load AS/RS is often rack-supported, meaning the rack itself forms the building structure or carries significant vertical loads. The slab needs to be engineered for concentrated point loads at the column bases, and the building must accommodate the crane height and maintenance access requirements. These structural and site factors are part of the initial assessment.

If you are weighing AS/RS against other approaches, a free consultation will help you determine whether your facility, volume, and systems are ready for that level of automation or whether there are intermediate steps that should come first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you install all types of pallet racking systems, including selective, drive-in, push-back, and pallet flow?

How can we improve dock flow and shipping performance?

How do I know if I need warehouse consulting services or just new equipment?

What does a warehouse consulting engagement typically include?

What is an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), and how do I know if my warehouse is ready for one?