When floor space is tight, the decision often comes down to two systems: longspan shelving and pallet racking. Both make good use of vertical space, but they are built for different jobs. Get the choice wrong and you either waste shelf space on stock that never fills a pallet, or force palletised loads onto shelving never designed to take them. This guide compares the two on load type, access needs and the way each is built, so you can choose with confidence.
Longspan Shelving and Pallet Racking: The Basic Difference
Longspan shelving is designed for hand loaded, boxed or loose stock, such as cartons, small components or items picked one at a time rather than pallet by pallet. The palletised alternative is built to carry loads moved by forklift, typically on standard or Euro pallets. Both use steel uprights and adjustable beams, and both sit under the wider umbrella of warehouse shelving and racking systems, but the similarities end there. Longspan is the heavy duty end of general shelving systems, still a world apart from a system built purely for forklift access. For the broader racking versus shelving decision, see our Racking or Shelving overview.
Load Type: What Can Each System Actually Hold?
This is where the two systems part company. Longspan shelving suits lighter, hand loaded goods spread across several shelf levels, with the UDL, or Uniform Distributed Load, for each shelf usually well below what a single pallet position can take. Load capacity should always be checked against the manufacturer’s stated UDL, and against SEMA guidance where the racking stores palletised goods. If your stock mixes full pallets and loose cartons, it is often more efficient to run longspan shelving and pallet racking side by side rather than choose one over the other.
Access Needs: Picking Individual Items or Handling Full Pallets?
Access is often the deciding factor. Longspan shelving is designed around hand picking, so shelf heights suit a person reaching or using a step, and stock is added or removed a box at a time. A pallet racking system, by contrast, is built around forklift or pallet truck access, with aisles and beam heights set to load a full pallet safely in one movement. Mixing the two, hand picking from a forklift access system or driving a forklift into shelving meant for hand loading, is where most warehouse safety issues start. For systems already in use, a regular racking inspection helps confirm access routes and load points are still safe.
Bay and Shelf Mechanics: How Each System Is Actually Built
The build itself reflects the job each system does. Longspan shelving typically uses continuous shelf levels supported on adjustable beams, so shelf height can be reset as stock changes, and starter and extension bays let a run be extended in either direction. The palletised option instead uses discrete beam levels set to pallet height, with each opening sized to a specific pallet footprint rather than a continuous shelf. Our cantilever racking comparison looks at bay mechanics in the same way. Both systems are available new or used, and used longspan shelving in particular, from brands such as Apex, AR and Link 51, is a cost-effective way to add capacity without the lead time of a new build.
Choosing the Right Storage System for Your Warehouse
In practice, the decision usually starts with what you are storing, not which system looks better on paper. If most of your stock arrives and leaves on a pallet, pallet racking is very likely the right starting point. If you are handling smaller, mixed or hand picked items, longspan shelving will normally serve you better, and many warehouses run both to match the system to the stock rather than the other way round. Monarch Shelving stocks new and used options across both ranges, so it is worth reviewing your stock profile, not just your current layout, before committing to either.
FAQ’S
Not usually. Longspan shelving is generally rated for lighter, spread out loads, while a system designed for palletised goods is engineered for concentrated loads. Always check the manufacturer’s stated UDL for the exact system before assuming either can be substituted for the other.
Not necessarily. If stock is mostly boxed or loose and hand picked rather than moved by forklift, longspan shelving is usually the more practical and cost-effective option.
Yes, and it is common practice. Many warehouses run both side by side, using the palletised system for bulk stock and longspan shelving for smaller items, so each storage method matches the goods it suits best.
Good quality used stock can perform just as reliably as new, provided it has been properly inspected and is free from damage or corrosion. It is worth confirming the UDL rating and condition before buying, which our team can help with.
Not sure which system, or combination of the two, is right for your warehouse? To find out more or to discuss your storage requirements, contact the Monarch Shelving team today on 0161 627 3444 or email sales@monarchshelving.co.uk.
