Does carton flow keep food cases first in, first out in Jessup?

Yes. New cases enter behind the older ones, and the front case is always the earliest, so rotation needs no manual effort.

Can carton flow be used in a cooler or freezer?

Yes, with components selected for the temperature. Wet or iced cartons often need full roller beds or totes instead of wheel rails.

Will produce boxes and crates near the Maryland Food Center roll on carton flow?

Many do, but each container type needs a check. Send examples and we confirm the track before quoting.

How do you size carton flow for route-wave picking?

For the busiest wave, so the face does not run dry mid-load, with restock aisles placed so replenishers can work during the wave.

Carton Flow Rack system inside a Maryland warehouse

Jessup, Maryland

Carton Flow Rack in Jessup, Maryland

Carton flow rack in Jessup shows up wherever food and beverage distributors pick by the case, from dry grocery buildings on Dorsey Run Road to coolers near the Maryland Food Center.

Each pitched lane takes new stock at its rear, and pickers draw the earliest case at the front.

(410) 305-9766

Date Rotation Built Into Carton Flow Racking

For food, first in, first out is not optional. Carton flow racking makes it automatic: restockers load behind, pickers take the front case, and nobody has to remember to rotate.

That removes one of the most common errors I see on static shelving, where new cases end up in front of older ones.

Pickers working cold rooms also wear gloves, so lane labels need to be large and readable at a glance. We place them at eye level on the lane front where possible.

Carton flow rack with gravity wheel beds and case lanes

Carton flow shelving in use on a warehouse pick line

Cooler and Freezer Considerations

Cold rooms change the design. Wet or iced cartons can soften, so wheel rails may not track them well; full roller beds or plastic totes often work better.

Components are selected for the temperature, and pitch is checked with cases at room temperature in mind. Every foot of pick aisle in a cooler costs energy, so compact faces pay off twice.

Wet floors in cold rooms and wash-down areas also shape the layout. We keep restock aisles wide enough for careful pallet jack travel and avoid tight turns at the lane ends, where a slip or a bumped frame is most likely.

Beverage and Grocery Case Flow Rack Lanes

Beverage cases are heavy and uniform; they run well on strong wheels with speed control. Grocery cases vary more. We group similar case weights on the same shelf.

Lane width follows the widest case plus clearance, with dividers between SKUs. Busy items get several lanes so the face does not empty during a route wave.

Produce Wholesale and Mixed Containers

Produce and seafood wholesale near US-1 and MD-175 handles waxed boxes, crates and returnable totes. Each container type needs its own track check. Send examples and we confirm what rolls before quoting.

Retrofitting Case Flow Into Pallet Rack Bays

Many Jessup buildings already have selective rack. A case flow rack shelf can usually mount at the lower beam levels with reserve pallets above. A photo of the upright and beam connector confirms fit.

Full pallets that need date order fit a Jessup pallet flow system, which feeds the case lanes from reserve. Non-dated reserve held several deep fits pushback rack in Jessup.

Planning Around Route Waves

Food distributors load trucks in waves. We size the pick face for the busiest wave so the carton flow rack does not run dry mid-load, and we place restock aisles so replenishers can work during the wave without blocking pickers.

Lane Depth for Grocery Volume

Grocery items move fast. A short lane may need several refills during a single wave, which pulls restockers into a crowded aisle at the worst moment.

Deeper lanes for the busiest items carry the face through a wave. We size depth from cases picked per wave and the time between restocks.

In coolers, depth is weighed against conditioned space. The drawing shows the tradeoff so you can decide with real numbers.

Getting a Jessup Layout

Baltimore Pallet Racks is a division of Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co., which began supplying and installing rack in 1997.

Read the carton flow rack overview and the Jessup service area page. Send case sizes, weights and route-wave picks, and we draw a free carton flow racking layout.

Call (410) 305-9766