When your warehouse handles long, awkward or bulky stock — timber, pipe, extrusions, doors, aluminium profiles — the racking decision matters. Two obvious contenders are cantilever racking and selective pallet racking. Each has real advantages and trade-offs for utilisation, safety, throughput and cost. This quick guide helps CEOs, warehouse managers and operators make a practical choice for long goods in Australian warehouses.
Why this choice matters for long goods
Long goods are space-hungry, often heavy and seldom packaged in standard pallet formats. A wrong racking decision increases handling time, reduces storage density, and raises safety risk. The right system improves forklift productivity, protects product, and maximises vertical and aisle space.
At a glance: the quick comparison
| Factor | Cantilever racking | Selective pallet racking (adapted) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Long, irregular, non-palletised items (pipes, timber, profiles) | Palletised long goods or boxed lengths; can use long-load beams |
| Accessibility | Direct arm access — excellent | Aisle access to pallets; top/bottom pick possible |
| Storage density | Good for linear length; arms let you stack lengths end-to-end | Lower density for long lengths unless rack lanes are reconfigured |
| Flexibility | Highly adjustable arms and heights; unlimited arm length in practice | Flexible for mixed SKU operations using selective bays |
| Load capacity | Very high per upright; engineered for heavy arms and even spacing | Depends on beams and uprights; heavy-duty long-load beams required |
| Forklift requirements | Often simple counterbalance or reach forklifts; side-loading options | Standard forklifts; may need specialist long-load attachments |
| Cost | Lower for simple installations; efficient for long goods | More cost if converted from pallet racking (long beams, deeper bays) |
| Safety & handling | Designed specifically for long loads — safer supported storage | Acceptable when configured correctly, but requires careful load restraint |
What cantilever racking does best
Cantilever racking is purpose-built for long goods. The system replaces horizontal pallet beams with horizontal arms fixed to uprights, creating unobstructed bays with no front columns — ideal for loading lengths from the front or side.
Practical advantages:
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Unrestricted arm length — ideal for very long profiles or pipes; arms can be configured single- or double-faced to store on one or both sides of an aisle. Manufacturer literature highlights that rim/arm length is effectively unlimited with proper design, and arms are adjustable for different storage heights and load types.
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High load ratings — cantilever uprights and arms are engineered for heavy point loads; catalogues show uprights rated to many tonnes per side when arms are evenly spaced.
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Professional finish for non-palletised stock — stores windows, doors, timber and extrusions without awkward pallet wrapping.
When to pick cantilever:
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Your inventory is mostly non-palletised long goods.
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You need fast front access to individual lengths.
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You want a simpler material-handling flow (no need to handle pallets).
How selective pallet racking can work for long goods
Selective pallet racking is the most common warehouse system and can be adapted for long goods with the right tweaks: longer beams, deeper bay layouts, timber or steel decking, or using pallets/long-load frames.
Advantages of selective racking:
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Familiarity — your team already knows pallet operations; you can handle mixed SKUs in the same system.
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Palletised long loads — if your long goods arrive on pallets or can be bundled on pallets, selective racking saves conversion cost and supports conventional FIFO/LIFO operations.
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Density vs accessibility balance — selective gives one-pallet access to every location, which is logical for picking workflows.
When selective is a good choice:
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A significant share of your long goods is palletised or boxed.
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You require every-pallet access for mixed inventory.
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You need to combine long goods storage with general pallet storage.
Trade-offs and pitfalls:
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Converting selective bays to long-goods means longer beams or deeper bays — this reduces the number of aisles and can lower storage density if not engineered carefully.
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Long loads may require special support decking to prevent beam bending or product damage.
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Safety risks increase if long loads protrude into aisles without proper restraint.
Practical selection checklist
Use this short checklist to decide between cantilever and selective for a particular SKU group.
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Is the product palletised?
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No → Cantilever likely.
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Yes → Selective may be fine.
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Typical load length and weight
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Very long (>4–6m) or very irregular → Cantilever.
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Pallet-length or shorter bundles → Selective.
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Throughput and picking style
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Frequent single-item picks off the front → Cantilever.
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Pallet moves, mixed picking → Selective.
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Forklift and handling equipment
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Do you have side-loaders or need to invest? Cantilever works well with side loaders but can still work with counterbalance forklifts.
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Selective usually needs standard forklifts and possibly long-load attachments.
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Space & density goals
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Want maximised linear length usage and easy access → Cantilever.
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Want flexibility for mixed pallet inventory → Selective.
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Budget and installation
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Cantilever is often cost-effective for pure long goods operations.
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Selective conversions (long-load beams/deep bays) add cost and complexity.
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Safety and standards — what to watch for in Australia
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Have any racking design engineered and certified for the load types and heights you intend to use. Cantilever arms, uprights and base fixings must be engineered for the expected moment and point loads; manufacturer catalogues and spec sheets show rated capacities and safe assembly practices.
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Use appropriate supports and end stops on cantilever arms (dividing pins, shelf covers or trays) to protect goods and stop slippage.
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For selective racking adapted to long goods, ensure beam deflection limits are respected and that loads do not overhang into aisles. Include load restraint and visual aids for forklift operators.
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Schedule regular pallet racking inspections and operator training — regardless of system, long loads amplify the consequences of impact damage.
A few real-world scenarios
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Timber merchant with frequent single-length picks and stacked loose timber: Cantilever for easy, safe front access.
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Manufacturing yard receiving long extrusions on pallets but storing mixed palletised SKUs: Selective with long-load beams in dedicated lanes.
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Distribution centre with seasonal long-goods surges: consider modular cantilever racks on selected aisles and selective racking for pallet flows.
Next steps for your warehouse
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Inventory audit — measure average lengths, weights, palletisation and pick frequency.
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Request engineered layouts from a specialist racking supplier to compare floor plans, bay counts and costs.
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Pilot a bay — trial one cantilever bay and one adapted selective bay to validate operational flow before a full rollout.
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Include safety and inspection in your plan — use certified installers and follow inspection schedules.
Want a tailored layout or quote? Better Storage Systems can help size the right solution for long goods — from cantilever specialists to selective racking conversions. Contact our design team for engineered layouts and on-site advice.