Leasing warehouse space is a common practice among businesses today, as the option eliminates many property management responsibilities while leaving business owners with a fixed, monthly bill instead of a sizable upfront cost to build a facility. If your business requires a pallet rack system and you’re able to find a facility in your ideal locale that includes an industrial storage system, it would stand to reason that the situation would be a great deal, right? The short answer: Perhaps.

If the warehouse you have targeted has an existing pallet rack system, it could very well mean that you’ve found the perfect scenario. Then again, that pallet rack system that is in place could very well cause more trouble than it’s worth. The bottom line is that there could be advantages for many businesses to lease a warehouse that has a pallet rack system in place, but in order to find out if a particular scenario would be advantageous for your business you will have to do a bit of homework beforehand to determine if it really is the best situation.

Does the Pallet Rack System Fit the Needs of Your Business?

Just because there is a pallet rack system in the warehouse you plan to lease, it doesn’t mean that specific storage system will meet the needs of your business. The types of goods you need to store – and how much of those goods you need to store – will greatly impact what pallet rack system would be best. If you need to store machine parts and the system in place was designed for a company that stored perishable items, like food, then it likely won’t be a great match. Two of the most important things you will need to find out about the existing system are the maximum load capacity and the inventory management process – whether it operates as a last-in, first-out (LIFO) or first-in, first-out (FIFO) system. If the result is that the existing system doesn’t meet your needs, then it being in place really offers zero benefits.

Is the Pallet Rack System Structurally Sound?

A pallet rack system is no different than any other used product. Before spending your money, you will want to verify that the pallet rack system in place is structurally sound. After all, the last thing you would want to do is sign a lease and realize that you have to replace the storage system because it ends up being faulty equipment. It is always best to have a qualified pallet rack expert conduct a thorough inspection of any used pallet rack system – and to have those inspections conducted on a routine basis when the system is in use. There are certain things, however, that any person can keep an eye out for when it comes to the structural integrity of a pallet rack system, such as visible damage like dents or cracks and corrosion or rust on any system component. If any of those problems are prevalent, then you really should reconsider using that particular pallet racking system.

Is There Room for Expanding the Storage System?

If you plan on expanding your business – and what business doesn’t want to expand at some point – then you need to check to see if the pallet rack system in place can be expanded in the future. If there isn’t a lot of unused floor space in the facility, or no room between the top of the system that is in place and the roof of the facility, then you could inevitably be hamstrung in the long-run if your business needs additional storage space.

Charlie O\’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving, and his work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites.

Charlie O\’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving. His work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites. http://www.aceshelf.com/

Author Bio: Charlie O\’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving, and his work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites.

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