Whether you are a startup, own an established warehouse, or are a startup, used warehouse equipment provides an excellent option for facility upgrades. Purchasing new equipment for a warehouse or storage facility can be a substantial financial expense and completely deplete your budget.
When you need to change, grow, and find warehousing equipment as quickly as possible, you can consider investing in used equipment that is economical and in good condition. However, finding the right choice of used equipment for your warehouse can be a challenge. There are several pre-owned warehouse racking and equipment vendors who work hard to bring you safe equipment at the best deals possible.
Here are some essential factors to consider before you narrow down on the right vendor and help you purchase used warehouse equipment as per your requirements:
Assess your Warehouse Requirements
Clearly understanding your warehouse operations and collecting data is a foremost step in buying appropriate warehouse equipment. This effort starts with identifying the requirements the warehouse must satisfy. Consider the below parameters:
- Percentage of shipments that arrive
- Floor layout
- How often orders are received vs. incoming shipments that need to be sorted and re-stacked
- Inventory management
- Picking methods to handle inventory
Equipment Condition
When purchasing used warehouse equipment, ensure that it’s free of any dents, rust, or other damage that could weaken its strength. Although warehouse storage systems are not made to last forever, even a slight dent can compromise their durability. Hence, it’s essential to examine the condition of the equipment to check for its quality.
Choosing the Right Type of Shelving
Different companies have different approaches to warehouse storage. The floor area layout, SKU quantity and volume, and storage medium are important factors that can help you determine an effective shelving solution and the range of equipment you need.
Ranging from used drive-in racks, pallet racks, mezzanine floor, bomb shelter rack , push-back racks, and heavy-duty bin shelving, explore all options to make the most out of your warehouse space. This will help you identify which combination of rack styles is most suitable:
- Continuous Product Circulation – A pallet racking system can help you access all pallets simultaneously, and pallets can be loaded or unloaded from the racking system.
- Last-in, First-Out Inventory – Drive-in racks can be the best choice to place goods by entering through the front of the system and then backing out once all goods are in place to enable priority transportation of goods placed last in the system.
- High-Density Storage – Push-back storage systems are devised to improve storage capacity and help you access several stock-keeping units concurrently.
- Other Options – A versatile choice is that of wide-span shelves that are ideal for small and slow-moving materials. They can be customized with an easy-clip together system and allow the addition of other accessories such as security cages, crates, tools, racks, and more.
Another significant aspect to consider when choosing the right used warehouse equipment is to assess the width between the aisles and the height. Since you may be using forklifts and other machinery to move around pallets, it should be safe to navigate the racking system and aisles. The OSHA in the U.S (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) mandates that the aisles must be three feet wider than the largest equipment used at least.
If you have a smaller warehouse, you can build a taller racking system to enable better aisle space and optimize storage.
Automated Picking Options
While forklifts tend to be the most preferred warehouse tools for handling pallets, many businesses opt for automatic equipment to handle, pick and move goods. This helps warehouses to accomplish long-term savings in costs, human resources, and also reduces workplace accidents. You can opt for powered or mechanized loaders, pickers and lifting equipment, conveyor systems, vertical lifts, etc.
Often, people think that it might be challenging to acquire automated used warehouse equipment. However, automated systems are gaining popularity and available as pre-owned equipment that can be re-programmed and customized to meet your needs.
Cost Considerations
Even though used warehouse equipment is less expensive than new counterparts, some resellers may charge more. It’s vital to choose the right equipment provider according to your needs that will offer the best value for your money.
Cheaper options aren’t necessarily the best, and investing in bare minimum warehouse equipment can often lead to operational issues and unsafe business conditions. It’s vital to maintain the right balance between short-term needs and long-term scalability potential.
Running and managing a warehouse is not easy. Still, when you are equipped with the right storage, machinery, and supplies, you can become efficient and productive in your warehouse operations. Seek the assistance of the leading used warehouse equipment suppliers you can trust to help you pick affordable and high-quality supplies.
