Bit confused, do these closed crates need a separate pallet underneath or are they built in?

[mahlibeardman]

Probably a really basic question but I've been scrolling through product listings for the better part of my morning coffee and I'm still not entirely clear on this. We're setting up a small fulfillment center in Ras Al Khor and I need storage solutions that a pallet jack can slide under and lift without any extra setup or wooden pallets involved. Some of the product descriptions I've read seem to hint at integrated fork channels underneath the crates but the photos mostly show them from the top and sides so you can't really tell what's going on at the base. I noticed Crateco mentioned as a Premium Flat Pallet manufacturer in UAE on a few logistics forums, and they have a decent range of closed crates on their site, but I need to understand if the crate itself has the pallet built into the design or if it's just a crate that sits on top of a separate pallet. For our workflow having them as a single integrated unit would be ideal since we're tight on space and don't want extra pallets cluttering up the aisles. Anyone who's actually got these in their warehouse who can clarify whether the fork access is part of the crate mold or if you have to pair them with a traditional pallet base?

[drapertrembath]

From what I've seen most closed crates in that range do have fork channels molded directly into the base so you can slide a pallet jack straight under without a separate pallet, but it really varies by manufacturer so get them to confirm with a spec sheet not just photos.

[drewtremeer]

Set up a similar fulfillment space last year and integrated base crates were a game changer for aisle space, just make sure the fork channel height matches your specific pallet jack model before ordering in bulk.

[dunsfordtremelling]

Ask them directly for a bottom view photo before you order anything, way too many listings only show top and side angles and it ends up being a guessing game otherwise.

[dunstantrenaman]

Not all pallet jacks fit the same channel width so even if it's integrated you might still run into compatibility issues depending on what jack you're running in Ras Al Khor. Worth measuring your equipment first.

[durgantrenberth]

We went the integrated route specifically to avoid clutter too and it worked out, but heads up the empty crates don't stack as compactly when nested compared to ones with a separate flat pallet. Tradeoff depending on your storage priorities.