Pallet Rack Identification Guide: Types of Warehouse Racking Styles

When retrofitting a distribution center, replacing damaged components, or integrating automated material handling equipment, accurately identifying your existing infrastructure is the critical first step. Mixing incompatible rack types severely compromises structural integrity and violates safety standards.

Use this pallet rack identification guide to recognize the most common types of warehouse racking and ensure exact compatibility across your facility.

How to Identify
Your Pallet Rack

Key Indicators To determine your exact types of pallet rack, facility managers must inspect the beam-to-upright connection points. You can build a reliable pallet rack identifier profile by checking three features:

Hole Pattern: Are the slots on the upright teardrop-shaped, rectangular, circular, or trapezoidal?
Connection Method: Do the pallet rack beam types attach using locking pins, structural bolts, hooks, or sliding clips?
Spacing: Are the upright holes spaced on 2-inch, 3-inch, or 4-inch centers?

The 5 Most Common Pallet Racking Styles

Teardrop Style Pallet Racking (Interlake Old-Style)

The teardrop pallet rack is the most ubiquitous roll-formed racking style in the USA.

Identification: The uprights feature an inverted teardrop-shaped slot. The corresponding pallet racking hooks (circular pins) on the load beam drop securely into the narrow base of the teardrop.
Spacing: Pins are spaced 2” or 4” apart center-to-center.
Compatibility: Highly interchangeable across multiple pallet rack brands, making it the standard for flexible warehouse layouts.

Newstyle Racking (Interlake New Style)

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Identification: Features a rectangular slot with a slight inward slant toward the bottom. Beams use shaved or tooth-style pins.
Compatibility: Designed to be backwards-compatible with teardrop uprights, allowing for flexible component sourcing.

Structural Pallet Racking (Bolted Pallet Rack)

Engineered for heavy-duty applications, cold storage, and high forklift-traffic zones.

Identification: Constructed from hot-rolled C-channel steel rather than roll-formed tubular steel. Instead of pins, the beams use a heavy-duty bolted pallet rack connection directly into simple circular holes on the upright.
Spacing: Holes are spaced 4” apart center-to-center.

Hook & Slot Styles (Keystone, Ridg-U-Rak, Penco)

Several major manufacturers utilize proprietary hook-and-slot designs:

Keystone (Republic) Style: Easily identified by a trapezoidal (keystone) hole pattern spaced on 3” centers. Secured with a J-hook or steel clip.
Ridg-U-Rak Style: Features rectangular slots on 4" centers. The upright columns have a unique outward bend on the internal sides, and beams use hooked flanges.
Penco Style: Identified by side-by-side slanted narrow slots and tapered beams with a built-in sliding lock.

Bracket and Fastener Styles (Speedrack, T-Bolt)

Speedrack Style: Features 1/2" circular holes on the very edges of the upright face. Beams lack pins; instead, they attach via a U-shaped bracket secured by a J-hook.
T-Bolt Style: Utilizes rectangular slots. Beams are secured by large, heavy-duty T-bolts that must be torqued to specific engineering tolerances.

Expert Rack Integration with Sync Storage

Before ordering replacement components or designing a high-throughput different types of pallet racking system, accuracy is paramount. Sync Storage Solutions’ engineering team can audit your existing infrastructure, identify pallet racking types, and engineer a cohesive, safe, and scalable storage ecosystem tailored to your operational goals.

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