How is cantilever rack different from pallet rack?

Pallet rack has a front beam and stores discrete, boxed loads. Cantilever has an open front, so long material loads from the side and slides in without clearing an obstruction - that's the entire reason the system exists.

How far apart should the columns be?

Close enough that the load doesn't sag between arms. A common starting point puts arm spacing at roughly half the load length, with the remainder overhanging each end evenly. We check that math against your heaviest bundle before finalizing spacing.

Straight arms or inclined arms?

Straight arms suit boxed, banded, or sheet goods. Inclined arms, usually fitted with a lip, keep pipe, tube, and round stock from rolling forward off the arm. Many runs mix both across different levels.

Can arms or levels be added later?

Yes. Arms mount at set increments up the column, so levels can be added or repositioned as your product mix shifts, as long as total load stays within the rated capacity of the column and base.

Does cantilever rack need to be anchored to the floor?

Yes - bases are anchored to the floor, and taller or double-sided runs get braced between columns. Anchors and bracing are priced into the quote rather than left for the installer to sort out on-site.

Can cantilever rack sit next to pallet rack in the same building?

Routinely. It's common to run cantilever along one wall for long stock and selective or another pallet system through the rest of the building - we lay out both in the same drawing so aisle widths and clearances line up.

Cantilever Rack warehouse storage project

Cantilever Rack Systems in Tulsa, OK

Cantilever rack exists because pallet rack has a front beam and long material doesn't care about pallets. Arms extend out from a column with no obstruction across the front, so lumber, pipe, tube, bar stock, sheet goods, and furniture load from the side and come off the same way, without lifting over anything.

Choose it whenever product length, not weight or SKU count, is what's driving the storage problem - the alternative is usually leaning bundles against a wall or floor-stacking them where forklifts have to work around them. Arm length, capacity, and column spacing get set by the bundles you actually handle, not a generic length.

We quote single-sided runs for a wall and double-sided runs for open floor, both with the layout attached so arm count and levels are settled before steel is ordered.

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How Cantilever Rack Works

Columns and anchored bases

Upright columns sit on bases anchored to the floor. Base depth is set by load and arm length so the run stays stable even under an off-center pick.

Arms at adjustable heights

Arms bolt or pin into the column at set increments and move as your product mix changes. Straight arms suit boxed goods; inclined arms with a lip hold round or loose stock in place.

Column spacing against sag

Spacing between columns is set so bundles don't sag between arms. A common starting rule places arms about half the load length apart, with the ends overhanging evenly.

Single-sided or double-sided

Single-sided runs go against a wall. Double-sided runs stand in open floor and load from both faces, doubling capacity per base without doubling the footprint.

Cantilever warehouse racking holding steel tubing

Cantilever rack storing lumber and wood products

Why Tulsa Businesses Work With Us

Tulsa warehouses handle a wide mix of energy-service parts, manufacturing material, distribution stock, and outbound orders. A rack choice needs to reflect that mix, not just the available floor area. Along I-44 and US-169, the useful question is how receiving, reserve storage, and picking will share the building. We compare cantilever rack with the alternatives using your actual storage requirements and a layout you can review before making a purchase.

Through Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co., you have one point of contact for design, quotation, and installation coordination. The recommendation explains where this system fits, where it introduces an access or rotation tradeoff, and which components belong in the proposed configuration. We put position counts, load considerations, and project inclusions in writing. For businesses near the Port of Catoosa or across the Tulsa metro, that makes it easier to compare options without mistaking a dense drawing for a workable storage plan.

Where It Fits Best

Lumber, plywood, and sheet goods

Pipe, tube, conduit, and bar stock

Steel service center inventory

Furniture, doors, and windows

Long or awkward loads currently sitting on the floor

What We Need to Design It

What are the dimensions of the product being stored, length included?
What's the typical weight per bundle?
Straight arms or inclined arms - do you need lips to hold round stock?
Single-sided along a wall, or double-sided in open floor?
What's the clear height and the reach of your handling equipment?

What a Project Includes

Cantilever specification starts and ends with the load. We collect bundle dimensions, weight per bundle, and how material is handled - forklift forks, a side loader, or by hand off a cart - because that determines arm length, arm capacity, and how much clearance each level needs.

From there we set column height and spacing, choose straight or inclined arms, and decide whether lips are needed to keep round stock from rolling. Single-sided runs get positioned along a wall; double-sided runs get aisle dimensions matched to whatever's moving material in and out.

The quote itemizes columns, bases, arms, bracing, and anchors, with a CAD drawing showing the run, arm levels, and rated capacities per arm. Installation partners anchor bases, plumb columns, brace the run, and set arm elevations to the drawing.

The result is arms you can reposition as inventory changes, capacity ratings for every level, and the floor space that long material used to occupy.

Before the order is finalized, review the layout against the quoted components and confirm which storage requirements each section is intended to meet. Any change in pallet weight, product dimensions, lane use, or proposed beam elevations should be checked against the rated configuration rather than handled as an informal adjustment. The project documents provide a reference for future additions as inventory changes.

Phone consultation

CAD layout

Itemized quote

Delivery & installation