Purchasing Used Pallet Rack
Shopping for “Used” Pallet Rack?
Wondering how to get the best Bang for Your Buck?
When you begin to shop for “Used” Pallet Rack it is usually a good idea to do this in advance. This will give you a bargaining chip being as you are not looking for the Manufactures Representative / Dealer to deliver the rack right then and there! The one down side to this is the fact that you are dealing with “Used” Pallet Rack which is usually sold on a first come first serve basis.
Let’s say you have picked your new facility (hopefully you did a rack layout first) or you have decided it’s time to rack your existing facility, you have a few questions you need to ask yourself before you begin shopping:
1. When should I begin my search?
I would say the majority of calls I receive are from people that need it yesterday. This is fine, as long as there are no other customers with orders ahead of you that also need their material yesterday. Odds are it’s not going to work out 100% of the time and let’s face it, are you that one person that wants to hear “sorry best I can do is next week”?
On the other hand if you start to call around and look for material months in advance you will find that “Used” Pallet Rack is sold on a first come first serve basis. This means what is in stock today may not be in stock tomorrow.
Now that you are significantly confused as to when it would be in your best interest to start shopping I would suggest 1 or 2 courses of action.
Your best option depends on your flexibility. If you have the room to take the right material when you find it with the option of giving yourself a few weeks to find it this should work out well for you. As you are calling around, if you can find the perfect deal, I suggest closing on it as soon as possible. There is a good chance it may sellout before you make your decision. (I have had people wait 2 months and then complain when the material is no longer available!). If you do not have this type of time or are not in a position to put a deposit on the material you like, be prepared to go with option 2. I suggest setting yourself up to begin looking 2 weeks prior to your absolute need. If you choose this route hopefully you have your deposit ready and are able to make a quick decision. This should give you 1 week to call and one week to receive the material.
If your township requires permits understand that you will be looking at about 3 – 4 weeks lead time before you are allowed to have the rack installed. Again you must have a deposit on your rack. The last thing you want to do is pay for calculations / drawings, get a permit and not have the rack the township approved!
2. Who is going to install my Pallet Racking?
The amount and size of the material you are purchasing will help you make this decision. 99% of the time it is better to have professionals install your warehouse storage system. Make sure they are insured! I cannot stress this enough. Your installation team needs to be properly insured! Some townships also require a license. If this is the case, find out if the company you are dealing with are licensed in your town and if not are they willing to get licensed (usually an easy process). The do it yourself attitude depends on the company and the crew that is doing it. However if someone gets hurt or if the material is not properly installed you are liable.
3. What are the Township regulations for this?
Township to township state to state regulations will vary. It is best to call your local building department.
4. How do I know if the material I buy will fit my specs?
The first thing you need to do is make sure you are dealing with a reputable company (such as Always Equipment Inc.). Most “Used” Pallet Rack distributors will provide you with the capacities of the material in writing, either in their quote or on the invoice. If you are having the permits done an engineer will need to do seismic and load calculations. This is the absolute best way to verify that your needs are being met.
Now that you have the tools you need to begin your search you will need to know what information is necessary to complete it. (Coming soon)
