Carton Flow Rack in Kansas City

Cases and totes rest on inclined rollers in carton flow rack built for Kansas City picking areas. Stock loads from the back, slides forward to the pick face, and pickers grab what they need without reaching or searching. It is the workhorse of case and each picking.

Carton Flow Rack for Kansas City E-Commerce and Retail Picking

3PL and e-commerce fulfillment buildings in Kansas City's big intermodal parks pick thousands of order lines a day. Retail and consumer goods distributors pick store orders by the case.

Carton flow puts many SKUs within a step or two of the picker. Each lane presents one item at the face, and when a case empties the next rolls into place.

Operations at Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton, the Lenexa Logistics Centre and KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre use it to cut walking time between picks.

Carton Flow Rack Replenishment From the Back

Stockers load lanes from a separate rear aisle. Pickers never wait for restocking, and the two jobs do not collide.

Because product loads behind and picks in front, rotation is automatic. Date-coded consumer goods and animal health products stay first-in, first-out.

Reserve pallets often sit in selective pallet racking or pallet flow rack directly above or behind the carton lanes, so replenishment trips stay short.

Carton Flow Rack Options

Different setups suit different volumes.

Fitting Older and Underground Buildings

In 18 to 24 ft buildings in KCK, the West Bottoms and Independence, a single level of carton flow beneath reserve rack usually works best.

Underground parks such as SubTropolis offer a steady 65 to 72 degree environment, comfortable for pickers year-round. The 16 ft ceiling and pillar grid limit pick-module height, so layouts spread across the floor instead.

Summer Heat, Winter Cold and Workers

Most above-ground warehouses in the metro are unconditioned. Pick zones staffed all day face hot, humid summers and cold winters, so placing carton flow away from dock doors and near fans or heaters helps.

Install crews work early in summer and plan around the cold in winter. Spring storm and tornado season can delay freight, so schedules stay flexible. Our team handles the permit side for you.

Sizing Lanes to Your Product

Lane width, depth and pitch depend on the case. Light, small cartons need a gentle slope; heavier cases need more roller support and stronger brakes. Totes roll differently from corrugated boxes.

We look at your order profile, SKU velocity and case dimensions before deciding how many lanes each item gets.

Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co. has supplied and installed warehouse equipment since 1997, and one project with us can cover racking, offices, mezzanines, shelving and partitions. Dense reserve storage often lives in pushback rack or drive-in rack nearby.

See all options on our national carton flow rack page or return to the Kansas City city page.

Measuring Pick Rates Before Buying

Before choosing lane counts, pull a few weeks of order history. Which SKUs appear on most orders? Those belong at waist height, closest to where pickers start.

Slower items can go higher, lower or into standard shelving. Getting slotting right the first time saves a costly rearrangement after go-live.

Peak season matters as well. If your orders spike seasonally, lanes should be sized for those weeks rather than an average Tuesday in spring. Extra lanes can be added later, but planning for peak avoids crowded pick faces when volume climbs.