Project Overview: This case involves a drive-in industrial racking system customized for a leading logistics and warehousing company in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The client, a key player in Central Asia’s cross-border trade and cargo distribution, specializes in storing and transporting bulk goods, including auto parts, construction materials, and consumer electronics—core commodities driving Uzbekistan’s economic growth. Facing the challenge of limited warehouse space and the need to optimize storage density for large-volume, low-SKU goods, the client sought a high-efficiency storage solution that could integrate with their existing forklift operations and adapt to the region’s industrial environment. After in-depth communication and on-site investigation of the client’s warehouse conditions, we designed and implemented a tailor-made drive-in racking system that perfectly meets their operational needs, significantly improving storage capacity and operational efficiency.
Client Background: The client is a Tashkent-based logistics enterprise with over 8 years of experience in cross-border logistics and warehousing services, focusing on connecting Uzbekistan’s domestic market with Eurasian supply chains. As Uzbekistan accelerates the upgrading of its logistics infrastructure, the client’s warehouse (located in the Tashkent Logistics Park, a key hub for rail and road interconnection) has been facing increasing pressure from rising cargo volumes. Their existing storage system, mainly traditional selective racking, had low space utilization (only 45%), leading to high operating costs and inefficient cargo turnover. The client’s core requirements were to maximize storage density, reduce aisle space, ensure safe operation with heavy-duty loads, and align with international standards for durability and safety—critical for supporting their long-term business expansion in Central Asia.
Client Requirements: After multiple rounds of communication, the client put forward clear and specific requirements for the drive-in racking system, based on their daily operations and cargo characteristics:
• Storage Capacity: The warehouse has a total area of 1,200 square meters and a clear height of 8.5 meters; the client required the drive-in racking system to increase storage capacity by at least 50% compared to the existing selective racking, accommodating no less than 1,200 standard pallets.
• Load Capacity: The main cargo stored includes auto parts (average 800kg per pallet) and light construction materials (average 1,000kg per pallet); thus, the racking system needed to support a uniform load capacity of 1,200kg per pallet position, with a maximum load capacity of 1,500kg per pallet to handle peak loads.
• Pallet Specifications: The client uses the internationally standard 1200×1000mm pallets (the most common size in Uzbekistan’s cross-border trade), with a pallet height of 1500mm (including goods); the racking design needed to match this size and ensure smooth forklift entry and pallet placement.
• Operational Efficiency: The system must follow the LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) principle, suitable for bulk goods with low turnover; forklift operation must be efficient, with clear guide structures to reduce collision risks and improve loading/unloading speed.
• Durability & Safety: Given Uzbekistan’s dry and dusty industrial environment, the racking system needed to be made of high-strength steel with anti-corrosion treatment; additional safety accessories (column guards, guide rails, end stoppers) were required to protect the racking from forklift impact and prevent pallet slipping.
• Certification & Compliance: The system must meet CE and CPR certifications to ensure compliance with international industrial safety standards, facilitating the client’s future expansion into other Eurasian markets.
• Installation & After-Sales: The installation period must not exceed 15 days to minimize operational disruption; on-site training for the client’s operators and a 12-month after-sales maintenance service were required.
Customized Solution Design: Based on the client’s requirements and on-site warehouse conditions, we designed a single-entry drive-in racking system (against the warehouse walls) with a scientific layout and optimized structural design, integrating industry best practices and regional adaptability:
1. Racking Structure & Dimensions: The system consists of 18 drive-in lanes, divided into 3 blocks (6 lanes per block) to ensure structural stability. Each lane is designed with a depth of 5 pallet positions (consistent with industry standards for 1,200kg/pallet loads, avoiding excessive depth that could affect forklift efficiency and safety). The racking height is 7.8 meters (reserving 0.7 meters of clear space for fire safety and ventilation), with 4 storage levels per lane. The upright frame depth is 1250mm (30mm more than the pallet width to accommodate slight pallet overhang), and the bay width is 1.2 meters, perfectly matching the client’s 1200×1000mm pallets.
2. Material & Load-Bearing Design: The racking components are made of high-strength Q235B cold-rolled steel, which has excellent load-bearing capacity and durability. The uprights adopt a 100mm section (suitable for racking heights over 6.5 meters), and the load beams are 120×50mm rectangular tubes, ensuring a uniform load capacity of 1,200kg per pallet position. All components are treated with hot-dip galvanizing and electrostatic spraying (RAL 7035 gray, the client’s specified color) to resist corrosion and dust, adapting to Uzbekistan’s industrial environment.
3. Safety Accessories: To ensure operational safety, the system is equipped with multiple safety components: column guards (installed at the bottom of each upright to prevent forklift impact), guide rails (installed along the inner sides of each lane to assist forklifts in centering and entering safely), end stoppers (installed at the end of each lane to prevent pallets from slipping due to gravity), and anti-collision buffers at the entrance of each lane. Additionally, the top beams and back bracing are reinforced to enhance the overall stability of the racking system, addressing the lower stability issue of drive-in racks compared to selective racks.
4. Operational Matching: The system is fully compatible with the client’s existing counterbalanced battery forklifts (the most commonly used forklift type in Uzbekistan’s warehouses). The main approach aisle width is designed to 3.5 meters, and the internal lane width is 1.2 meters, ensuring smooth forklift entry, loading, and retrieval operations. The LIFO operation mode is adopted, which is perfectly suited for the client’s bulk goods with low turnover, such as construction materials and auto parts.
5. Installation & Training: The installation team was dispatched to Tashkent within 3 days after the components were delivered to the client’s warehouse. The installation process strictly followed international standards, with on-site quality inspection at each step to ensure structural stability and safety. The entire installation was completed in 12 days, 3 days ahead of the scheduled period, minimizing the impact on the client’s normal operations. After installation, our technical team provided 2 days of on-site training for the client’s operators, covering forklift operation skills in the drive-in lanes, racking safety precautions, and daily maintenance methods.
Project Implementation Results: After the completion of the drive-in racking system and a 3-month trial operation, the client achieved remarkable results, fully meeting and exceeding their expected goals:
1. Storage Capacity Improvement: The drive-in racking system increased the warehouse’s storage capacity from 800 pallets (with traditional selective racking) to 1,350 pallets, a 68.75% increase—far exceeding the client’s 50% growth requirement. The space utilization rate of the warehouse increased from 45% to 82%, maximizing the use of available floor space and vertical space, which is crucial for warehouses in high-logistics-cost areas like Tashkent.
2. Operational Efficiency Enhancement: The LIFO operation mode and optimized lane design reduced forklift travel distance by 40%, shortening the average loading/unloading time per pallet from 8 minutes to 4.5 minutes. The guide rails and safety accessories reduced forklift collision incidents by 100%, ensuring safe and efficient operations. The client’s daily cargo turnover increased by 35%, significantly improving their service capabilities for cross-border trade clients.
3. Cost Savings: The increase in storage density eliminated the need for warehouse expansion, saving the client approximately 200,000 USD in warehouse rental and expansion costs per year. The durable material and anti-corrosion treatment reduced the racking’s maintenance costs by 60% compared to traditional racking, further lowering operational expenses.
4. Compliance & Future Expansion: The system fully meets CE and CPR certifications, laying a solid foundation for the client’s future expansion into other Eurasian markets. The modular design of the racking allows for easy expansion—if the client’s cargo volume increases in the future, additional lanes or levels can be added without major modifications to the existing system.
Client Feedback: “The customized drive-in racking system has completely solved our storage space and efficiency problems. The high storage density and safe operation have greatly improved our logistics service capabilities, allowing us to better meet the growing cross-border trade demand in Central Asia. The professional design, efficient installation, and thoughtful after-sales service have exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation for future warehouse upgrading projects.” — Logistics Director of the Uzbekistan Client
Project Summary: This drive-in industrial racking project for the Uzbekistan client fully demonstrates the value of high-density storage solutions in solving the pain points of limited warehouse space and low efficiency. By combining the client’s specific operational needs, cargo characteristics, and regional industrial environment, we designed a tailor-made solution that not only meets the basic storage and load-bearing requirements but also considers long-term operational efficiency, safety, and compliance. The success of this project not only strengthens our cooperation with clients in Uzbekistan but also provides a professional reference for drive-in racking applications in Central Asia’s cross-border logistics and warehousing industry, helping local enterprises optimize their storage systems and enhance their competitiveness in the Eurasian supply chain.
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