How should carton flow lanes be assigned to frequent picks near Curtis Bay?

Baltimore distributors breaking inbound pallets into smaller regional orders often lose time walking between scattered cases. Carton flow brings active SKUs to fixed pick faces while port receipts replenish from behind, so dock activity does not push workers back into reserve pallet aisles. Use busy-day picks and the time between replenishments to decide lane counts. Frequent SKUs may need several lanes, while slower cartons should not occupy the most accessible levels. Check case bottoms and widths with representative cartons, and keep replenishment access separate from the pick face.

What information helps plan carton flow rack for a Locust Point building?

A building in Curtis Bay may need room for inbound container batches while a Locust Point operation faces a tighter existing footprint. Neither should use the receiving floor as permanent reserve storage. Plan the rack footprint against the actual columns, dock approaches, and working height rather than the leased square footage alone. Send your load dimensions, weights, inventory quantities, building measurements, and current handling clearances. Review the case list again when cartons or packaging change. A different box bottom can alter travel even when the SKU stays the same. The handover plan records lane widths, pick-level heights, replenishment access, and the capacities of both case levels and any reserve storage included above them.

Can carton flow rack be planned around I-95 and I-895 receiving schedules in Baltimore?

Baltimore distributors breaking inbound pallets into smaller regional orders often lose time walking between scattered cases. Carton flow brings active SKUs to fixed pick faces while port receipts replenish from behind, so dock activity does not push workers back into reserve pallet aisles. We discuss delivery access and operating windows before confirming partner availability. The scope can be sequenced by storage zone where the building, staging room, and inventory allow; dates are agreed for the actual project rather than promised from the city name alone.

What is carton flow rack actually used for?

Case and piece picking. Cartons ride gravity wheel beds so the next unit advances to the pick face automatically, cutting walking time and keeping the line organized as SKU counts climb.

How is it different from static shelving?

On static shelving, a picker reaches into the bay and someone has to physically face the product afterward. Carton flow feeds from behind and presents at the front, so rotation is automatic and the pick position never moves.

Do soft or lightweight cartons travel consistently?

Full-width wheel beds handle mixed and flimsy cartons far better than spaced roller tracks. If your cases vary in stiffness, that's the specification we'll recommend, and we test travel with your actual cartons at installation.

Can carton flow drop into racking we already own?

Frequently. Wheel beds and track can go into existing bays when frame depth and beam spacing allow it. We verify your current profile first and convert only the bays that fit.

How many lanes should each SKU get?

Fast movers often earn two or more lanes so the face doesn't run dry between replenishments, while slow movers can share a level. We assign lanes from pick data, not by splitting the bay evenly.

Is carton flow worth it over just using pallet flow for cases?

For case picking, yes - pallet flow is built for whole-pallet FIFO, not individual carton presentation. Carton flow gives each SKU its own small, fixed pick window, which is what actually speeds up an order picker's day.

Carton Flow Rack system inside a Maryland warehouse

Baltimore, Maryland

Carton Flow Rack in Baltimore, Maryland

Carton Flow Rack in Baltimore, MD starts with a storage problem, not a catalog choice. Baltimore distributors breaking inbound pallets into smaller regional orders often lose time walking between scattered cases. Carton flow brings active SKUs to fixed pick faces while port receipts replenish from behind, so dock activity does not push workers back into reserve pallet aisles. Carton flow shelving advances cases toward a fixed pick position while replenishment works from the rear. It can reduce repeated walking and re-facing without using pallet-flow equipment for small cartons. We size wheel beds, lane widths, and levels from your case list and busy-day picks, then show the layout and replenishment access before ordering.

(410) 305-9766

Why Baltimore Warehouses Work With Us

A building in Curtis Bay may need room for inbound container batches while a Locust Point operation faces a tighter existing footprint. Neither should use the receiving floor as permanent reserve storage. Plan the rack footprint against the actual columns, dock approaches, and working height rather than the leased square footage alone.

We start with the case bottom, dimensions, weight, and replenishment interval. A light or soft carton may need full-width wheel beds instead of widely spaced tracks. Fast movers can earn additional lanes while slow inventory stays on conventional shelving, keeping the active face focused on actual demand. We plan reachable pick levels and the rear replenishment path in the same drawing. The quote defines tracks or beds, dividers, stops, and supporting rack rather than leaving those details to be selected later. Installation partners check travel with representative cartons, and reserve pallets above the pick face are included only where the configuration supports them. We discuss future inventory changes before finalizing the proposed arrangement and its component list.

Free Design Consultation

CAD layout with position counts

Installation by installation partners

Carton flow rack with gravity wheel beds and case lanes

Carton flow shelving in use on a warehouse pick line

Operations We Rack Around Here

Industrial corridors covered by our service area include Curtis Bay, Locust Point, I-95 and I-895, Port of Baltimore.

Port logistics

Food distribution

Third-party logistics

Regional fulfillment

How Carton Flow Rack Works

Cases advance to the picker instead of the picker hunting for cases.

Inclined wheel beds

A full-width wheel bed or roller track sits on a slight incline inside a standard bay, so cases move forward under their own weight without power.

Pick from a fixed position

The picker always reaches for the same forward spot in the lane. Travel time drops, and so does the time spent searching for the next case.

Restock from behind

Replenishment loads the high end of the lane from a separate aisle, so restocking never blocks or slows the pick line, and rotation stays first in, first out automatically.

One lane per SKU

Lane dividers set the width for each case size, giving every SKU its own face - a width that can be resized as your product mix shifts.

What a Carton Flow Rack Project Includes

The project starts with the case list: dimensions, weight, whether the carton bottom is stiff or soft, and picks per SKU per day. Those numbers decide wheel bed style, lane width, and how much face each SKU is worth giving up.

From there we lay out the bay - how many flow levels, at what incline, and what sits above them. In most designs, the fastest movers get the golden zone at waist height, slower SKUs move to the upper or lower levels, and reserve pallets stack overhead in the same footprint.

The quote itemizes frames, beams, wheel bed or track, lane dividers, front stops, and shelf-level accessories, with the layout showing lane assignments by SKU. Installation sets the incline, tests case travel with your actual cartons, and adjusts before the line goes live.

The payoff is a pick line where cases present themselves, restocking stays out of the way, and lane widths can be reset whenever SKUs come and go.

Review the case list again when cartons or packaging change. A different box bottom can alter travel even when the SKU stays the same. The handover plan records lane widths, pick-level heights, replenishment access, and the capacities of both case levels and any reserve storage included above them.

Case and each picking operations

Order fulfillment lines carrying many active SKUs

Grocery, beverage, and consumer goods distribution

Kitting and light assembly feed lines

Bays that need reserve pallets stacked above the pick face

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Recent Pallet Rack Projects

Racking projects completed for warehouses across the Baltimore metro.

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Get a Carton Flow Rack Quote for Your Baltimore Warehouse

Send the basics and we will follow up with a layout and pricing. Prefer to talk it through? Call (410) 305-9766.

Baltimore Pallet Racks

1400 W. Lombard St.

Unit #687

Baltimore, MD 21223

(410) 305-9766

Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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