(615) 551-3677 Get an Estimate

Rack System — Serving Greater Nashville

Cantilever Rack in Greater Nashville

Long-load storage with no front column — structural and roll-formed arms up to 72 inches, for lumber, pipe, steel, and rolled goods.

Heavy-duty structural cantilever rack storing pipe, steel, and lumber bundles in a Greater Nashville industrial distributor
ENGINEERED — Cantilever Rack

Cantilever Rack supplied and installed across Greater Nashville. Free, no-obligation quotes.

Overview

Cantilever Rack in Greater Nashville

Cantilever rack is the purpose-built storage system for long loads — material that is longer than a standard pallet and often cannot be palletized at all. A cantilever system uses vertical columns with horizontal arms extending outward; because there is no front column obstructing the load face, lumber packs, pipe bundles, steel bar, tubing, rolled goods, and oversize fabricated parts sit cleanly across the arms at any length. Arms can be single-sided (against a wall) or double-sided (freestanding, loaded from both sides for density). Arm capacities scale from 500 lbs per pair on light-duty roll-formed systems up to 4,000+ lbs per pair on structural-steel systems. Cantilever is the default rack for Greater Nashville plumbing wholesalers, lumber and building-supply distributors, steel service centers, HVAC distribution, and furniture and oversize-part operations. Nashville Pallet Rack designs, supplies, and installs cantilever systems engineered to the locally adopted International Codes (IBC-based) and RMI ANSI MH16.1-2023, with base shoes anchored to code for the seismic and lateral loading that applies in Middle Tennessee.

  • Store long and irregular loads that pallet rack cannot accommodate
  • Recover space wasted by palletizing oversize product
  • Eliminate stacking damage on unsupported floor bundles
  • Double linear storage in the same column footprint with double-sided layouts
Long-span storage racking in a warehouse
Heavy-duty racking bays loaded with long and bulky inventory

What you get

Product features

  • Column heights from 8 to 25 feet for single or multi-level storage
  • Arm lengths from 24 to 72 inches with custom options to 96"
  • Light-duty roll-formed through heavy-structural I-beam constructions
  • Single-sided (wall-backed) and double-sided freestanding configurations
  • End stops, incline arms, rub rails, and divider options available
  • Base shoes anchored per engineered drawings for Middle Tennessee seismic and wind loading
  • Engineered to locally adopted International Codes (IBC-based) and RMI ANSI MH16.1-2023

Spec sheet

Cantilever Rack at a glance

1

Vertical columns, horizontal arms

Structural steel columns (I-beam or heavy tube) are base-shoe-anchored to concrete. Horizontal arms bolt into the column at set elevations, extending forward 24 to 72 inches to cradle the load.

2

No front obstruction

Because there is no front column, the load face is completely open. A 24-foot length of pipe or lumber sits across multiple arms without the interference a selective rack beam would create.

3

Side-load from the aisle

Forklift with long forks or a side-loader positions parallel to the rack and sets the load across the arms. The forklift never enters the rack — all handling is aisle-side.

Fit check

Is it right for you?

Where we install it

Greater Nashville use cases

Straight answers

Cantilever Rack questions

1

What is the difference between roll-formed and structural cantilever?

Roll-formed cantilever uses bent sheet-steel components — lighter, less expensive, typically rated 500 to 1,500 lbs per arm pair. Structural cantilever uses hot-rolled I-beam and heavy tube steel, typically rated 1,500 to 4,000+ lbs per arm pair. Use roll-formed for lumber, light pipe, and packaged goods; use structural for steel bar, heavy pipe bundles, and steel service center inventory.

2

Can cantilever be moved or reconfigured?

Yes. Because cantilever systems bolt together and anchor with standard base shoes, they can be disassembled, relocated, and reinstalled — including adjusting arm elevations up or down the column in set increments. This is a major operational advantage when product mix changes.

3

Do I need seismic engineering in Middle Tennessee?

Usually, yes. Middle Tennessee is typically ASCE 7 Seismic Design Category B or C depending on site class, with higher values toward Clarksville and the New Madrid side of the state. For cantilever — especially tall or double-sided configurations — base-shoe sizing, anchor count, and bracing are checked against the site seismic values, so the anchor pattern is engineered rather than assumed. Every install we do includes sealed engineering by a Tennessee-licensed PE addressing this.

4

How do I choose arm length?

Arm length should support the load across at least two arms with appropriate overhang, typically no more than 25 percent of load length extending past the last arm. Standard arms run 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 inches. For lumber and pipe, 48" is the common default; steel service centers typically run 60" to 72" for long bar stock.

5

Can I mix cantilever arm levels for different products?

Yes, and it is common. Arm elevations along a single column can be adjusted independently at 3-inch or 6-inch increments (depending on column hole pattern), allowing one bay to hold tall bundles at wide spacing and the next bay to hold closer-spaced short-length stock. This is a core advantage over fixed-beam pallet rack for long-load operations.

6

Is single-sided or double-sided cantilever better?

Single-sided against a wall is the simpler install and works when you have one aisle and limited floor depth. Double-sided freestanding doubles the linear arm-feet per column footprint but requires two aisles (one on each side). For most mid-to-large Greater Nashville lumber yards, plumbing distributors, and steel service centers, double-sided is the dominant pattern because the density gain pays back quickly.

7

How much weight can cantilever rack hold?

Capacity is per arm pair and varies enormously by design: light roll-formed cantilever arms carry 500–2,000 lb each, while heavy structural arms for steel service centers run 5,000–20,000+ lb. Total column load and base design matter as much as the arms. Nashville Pallet Rack sizes cantilever from your actual load list and provides stamped capacity documentation.

Where we work

Cantilever Rack across Middle Tennessee

We deliver cantilever rack to warehouses across Middle Tennessee — Davidson, Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, Williamson, Maury, Robertson and Montgomery counties. Pick your area for local permitting details, typical ceiling heights, and the industries we work with there.

View All Service Areas

Ready when you are

Need Cantilever Rack
in Greater Nashville?