--- title: "Carton Flow Rack in Chicago, IL | Free Layout" url: https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/carton-flow-rack description: "Carton flow rack and shelving for case picking in Chicago. Wheel beds sized to your cartons, restocked from the back aisle. Call (312) 815-2445." lang: en --- Image: Carton Flow Rack system in an industrial warehouse (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/carton-flow-hero-y0vnsglk.jpg) # Carton Flow Rack Systems in Chicago, IL Carton flow rack is built for the picker, not the pallet. Chicagoland's e-commerce fulfillment and grocery distribution sectors - in the big boxes of Romeoville and Bolingbrook, the O'Hare submarket around Elk Grove Village, and the I-90 corridor through Schaumburg and Elgin - run case-pick operations where walking time is the enemy. Cases sit on inclined wheel beds, so every time a picker takes one, the next slides forward to the same spot. It's the right system when picking is by the case or the each, not the pallet, and when enough SKUs need a dedicated face that static shelving turns into a maintenance problem. Most buildings here run it in the lower levels of a bay with reserve pallets stacked above, so one footprint handles both active picking and overflow. We size wheel beds and lane widths to your case dimensions, pick rate, and SKU count, and show where the fastest movers should sit in the bay. (312) 815-2445 ## What a Carton Flow Project Includes The project starts with the case list: dimensions, weight, whether the carton bottom is stiff or soft, and picks per SKU per day. Those numbers decide wheel bed style, lane width, and how much face each SKU is worth giving up. From there we lay out the bay - how many flow levels, at what incline, and what sits above them. In most designs, the fastest movers get the golden zone at waist height, slower SKUs move to the upper or lower levels, and reserve pallets stack overhead in the same footprint. The quote itemizes frames, beams, wheel bed or track, lane dividers, front stops, and shelf-level accessories, with the layout showing lane assignments by SKU. Installation sets the incline, tests case travel with your actual cartons, and adjusts before the line goes live. The payoff is a pick line where cases present themselves, restocking stays out of the way, and lane widths can be reset whenever SKUs come and go. 1 Phone consultation 2 CAD layout 3 Itemized quote 4 Delivery & installation ## How a Carton Flow Bay Works 1 ### Inclined wheel beds A full-width wheel bed or roller track sits on a slight incline inside a standard bay, so cases move forward under their own weight without power. 2 ### Pick from a fixed position The picker always reaches for the same forward spot in the lane. Travel time drops, and so does the time spent searching for the next case. 3 ### Restock from behind Replenishment loads the high end of the lane from a separate aisle, so restocking never blocks or slows the pick line, and rotation stays first in, first out automatically. 4 ### One lane per SKU Lane dividers set the width for each case size, giving every SKU its own face - a width that can be resized as your product mix shifts. Image: Carton flow rack with gravity wheel beds and case lanes (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/carton-flow-rack-DfuFYV4P.jpg) Image: Carton flow shelving in use on a warehouse pick line (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/carton-flow-hero-y0vnsglk.jpg) ## Case Picking in the Chicago Distribution Market E-commerce fulfillment transformed the I-55 and I-80 corridor in Will County, and the big-box buildings in Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Joliet, and Elwood run case-pick lines where every second of picker travel is measured. Carton flow is how those operations give every active SKU a fixed, always-stocked face. Grocery and consumer goods distribution adds a second base of demand - from the southwest side near Bedford Park and Cicero to the I-90 Jane Addams corridor through Schaumburg and Elgin, where auto parts, MRO, and retail replenishment operations pick cases all day. Many of these buildings are older multi-tenant spaces with lower clear heights, which is exactly where combining carton flow below with pallet reserve above pays off. ## Pick Lines That Benefit Most Case and each picking operations Order fulfillment lines carrying many active SKUs Grocery, beverage, and consumer goods distribution Kitting and light assembly feed lines Bays that need reserve pallets stacked above the pick face ## What We Need to Design It - What are your case dimensions and weights? - How many SKUs need a dedicated pick face? - How many picks per SKU on a busy day? - Is there a separate aisle available for restocking? - Are reserve pallets going above the pick levels? ## Recent Installations A sample of racking projects completed across the region. Image: Carton flow rack installation in a warehouse (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/carton-flow-racking-CbC_ZAQs.jpg) Image: Drive-in pallet rack installation in a high-bay warehouse (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/drive-in-CzCRNL_F.jpg) Image: Pallet rack installation reaching the ceiling of a distribution center (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/igt-6-DlAaWmSY.jpg) Image: Selective pallet rack aisle with wire decking (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/img-1220-DJL8pNok.jpg) Image: Warehouse pallet racking aisles with a forklift (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/img-5455-DxNygyEY.jpg) Image: Rows of pallet racking in a distribution facility (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/medco-cleveland-5-Bg7bEehR.jpg) Image: Warehouse pallet rack system spanning a large storage area (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/photo-aug-03-6-17-41-pm-Cpzt32J0.jpg) Image: Pallet racking rows under warehouse skylights (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/photo-jul-22-6-45-56-pm-CIVCQxM9.jpg) Image: Cantilever rack arms mounted along a warehouse wall (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/photo-may-15-2026-7-28-50-pm-1-zev4C15x.jpg) Image: Push back pallet rack carts on inclined rails (https://chicagopalletracks.com/assets/udf-pushback-rack-BgIv7FXJ.jpg) View More Projects: https://chicagopalletracks.com/projects ## Get a Carton Flow Rack Quote Send the basics and we will come back with a layout and pricing. Prefer to talk? Call (312) 815-2445. ### What's Included: - Free warehouse consultation - CAD layout drawings - Itemized project quote - Rack type recommendations - Installation timeline ## Carton Flow Questions From Chicago Operations ### What is carton flow rack actually used for? ### Do soft or lightweight cartons flow well? ### Can carton flow drop into racking we already own? ### How many lanes should each SKU get? ### How quickly can a carton flow project ship and install? ## Carton Flow Rack by Service Area Delivery and installation across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Chicago: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/chicago Aurora: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/aurora Naperville: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/naperville Joliet: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/joliet Elgin: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/elgin Waukegan: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/waukegan Cicero: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/cicero Schaumburg: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/schaumburg Bolingbrook: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/bolingbrook Des Plaines: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/des-plaines Elk Grove Village: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/elk-grove-village Carol Stream: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/carol-stream Romeoville: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/romeoville Bedford Park: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/bedford-park Addison: https://chicagopalletracks.com/service-area/addison ## Other Rack Systems & Services ### Pallet Rack Every pallet reachable, every time. The baseline we size everything else against. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/pallet-rack ### Pushback Rack Two to six pallets deep from one aisle, without giving up much reach. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/pushback-rack ### Pallet Flow Rack Load one side, pick the other, and let gravity enforce first in, first out. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/pallet-flow-rack ### Drive-In Rack No aisles. The forklift enters the structure, and the floor holds more pallets per square foot than any other system. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/drive-in-rack ### Cantilever Rack Arms with nothing in front of them, built for lumber, pipe, and anything a pallet can't hold. https://chicagopalletracks.com/products/cantilever-rack ### Warehouse Relocation We tear down, move, and reinstall your pallet rack so the new building is ready to receive on day one. https://chicagopalletracks.com/warehouse-relocation ## Where We Work Located in Chicago, we serve the entire Chicagoland area with industrial pallet racks and warehouse storage solutions. ### Chicago Pallet Racks #### Address 36 N. Cass Ave. Unit #5170 Westmont, IL 60559 #### Phone (312) 815-2445 #### Business Hours Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed ## Ready to Price Carton Flow Rack? Call (312) 815-2445 or request a quote and we will start a layout. 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Cartons ride gravity wheel beds so the next unit advances to the pick face automatically, cutting walking time and keeping the line organized as SKU counts climb." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do soft or lightweight cartons flow well?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Full-width wheel beds handle mixed and flimsy cartons far better than spaced roller tracks. If your cases vary in stiffness, that's the specification we'll recommend, and we test travel with your actual cartons at installation." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can carton flow drop into racking we already own?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Frequently. Wheel beds and track can go into existing bays when frame depth and beam spacing allow it. We verify your current profile first and convert only the bays that fit." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many lanes should each SKU get?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Fast movers often earn two or more lanes so the face doesn't run dry between replenishments, while slow movers can share a level. We assign lanes from pick data, not by splitting the bay evenly." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How quickly can a carton flow project ship and install?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Chicago's position as the largest rail hub in North America, with most of the Midwest within a day's truck drive, keeps standard components moving. Our own crews install, set incline, and test travel with your cartons before the line goes live - winter work in unheated buildings included." } } ] } ] ```