How Many Ways Can You Configure an Order Picker Platform? Sizes, Shelves, Rails & More
By Mike Nelson, Posted in Order Pickers
There is no single standard order picker platform configuration.
One operation may need a compact open deck. Another may need shelves, casters, and a push handle. A furniture warehouse may need a longer platform with removable rails, while a more demanding application may require structural upgrades.
With custom sizes, steel or aluminum construction, multiple rail and shelving layouts, casters, handles, deck surfaces, doors, mesh, and heavy-duty options, an order picker platform can be configured far beyond a basic deck-and-rail setup.
The right combination starts with the truck, the load, and the workflow.
Order Picker Platform Options at a Glance
| Configuration | Common Options | What It Helps Address |
| Platform size | Standard or custom dimensions | Load size, truck fit, available space |
| Construction | Steel or aluminum on applicable models | Platform weight and application needs |
| Rails | Fixed, removable, side, end | Access and load containment and personnel safety |
| Shelving | Two- or three-shelf setups, adjustable or removable shelves | Product organization and order picking efficiency |
| Mobility | Casters, handles, brakes, locks, tow options | Floor-level movement |
| Deck surface | Smooth, anti-skid, rubber, diamond plate | Application requirements |
| Access & containment | Doors, mesh, specialized side configurations | Product containment and access and personnel safety |
| Heavy-duty options | Heavier framing, added supports, capacity upgrades | More demanding applications and higher capacity |
The goal is not to add every feature. It is to choose the combination that makes the platform work for the job.
Start With Order Picker Platform Sizes and Truck Fit
Before choosing order picker accessories, make sure the platform fits any forklift it will be used with.
That involves more than overall width and length. Fork dimensions and spacing, pallet clamp dimensions, platform height, required capacity, and truck make and model can all affect the final build.
Our Base Order Picker Platform is available in 24 standard sizes, ranging from 36″ x 48″ to 60″ x 96″. When standard order picker platform sizes do not match the load or equipment, a custom Order Picker Platform can be built around the application.
A larger platform is not automatically better. The right size provides enough usable deck area without adding footprint the operation does not need.
Choose Steel or Aluminum
Steel and aluminum construction are available on applicable platform models.
Steel is a practical choice when a rugged platform is the priority.
Aluminum reduces the weight of the platform itself and may make more sense when platform weight is an important consideration. Primary use is in the food and drug industry as well as freezer and moisture conditions.
Our Base and custom platform lines offer steel and aluminum configurations. The Universal Order Picker Platform uses welded steel construction and takes a more standardized, modular approach.
Configure Rails Around the Load
Rails should match how product is loaded, contained, and accessed.
Fixed rails work well when the platform layout remains consistent. Removable rails provide more flexibility when changing or oversized loads require one side or end to remain open.
That can be particularly useful when handling bulky products. Our Furniture Platforms, for example, can be configured around the requirements of longer and larger loads.
Other order picker configurations can incorporate mesh, solid sides, or a swinging end door when the load and access requirements call for them.
Add Shelves When Organization Matters
Shelving can turn an open platform into a multi-level picking cart.
A two-shelf configuration leaves more vertical clearance between levels and can make sense for taller cartons or larger products.
A three-shelf configuration creates more separation for smaller cartons, parts, totes, or multiple SKUs.
For operations built around multi-level picking, Order Picker Shelf Carts provide another purpose-built option.
The important question is not simply how many shelves can be added. It is how the available space should be divided for the products being picked.
Universal Platforms Offer Multiple Configuration Options
Not every operation requires a fully custom build.
Our Universal Order Picker Platform is designed as a building-block system that can be equipped with common options as needed.
Available configurations include:
- fixed or removable rails;
- casters;
- push handles; and
- a 69-inch-high mesh shelving cage with up to three removable shelves.
That gives operations multiple ways to configure the same platform concept while working within a standardized system.
Add Casters and Handles for Floor-Level Mobility
Some platforms need to keep moving after the order picker lowers them to the floor.
Casters and handles can allow the same platform to move to staging, packing, or another work area without immediately transferring the load to another cart.
Depending on the platform, available order picker accessories and add-ons can include:
- polyurethane or steel casters;
- tow casters;
- push or pull handles;
- caster brakes;
- swivel locks;
- floor locks; and
- tow configurations.
Instead of simply asking whether a platform needs wheels, ask:
What needs to happen to the load after the picking cycle?
If it needs to move through another part of the warehouse, mobility should be considered as part of the original configuration.
Choose the Deck Surface and Other Work Features
The deck itself can also be configured around the application.
Available options include a smooth deck along with anti-skid surfaces, rubber flooring, and diamond plate on applicable platforms.
More specialized builds can also incorporate features such as:
- work surfaces;
- slide-out drawers;
- hinged ramps;
- four-way entry; and
- corner bumpers.
Doors, mesh, rail arrangements, and other custom features can further change how product is contained or accessed.
These options can help the platform support more than picking alone, particularly when it also needs to function as a cart, staging surface, or work area.
Heavy-Duty Applications May Need Structural Changes
A custom order picker platform is not limited to accessories.
More demanding applications may call for heavier frame construction, reinforced fork-pocket designs, additional deck support, or a higher-capacity configuration.
That distinction matters. Sometimes the right solution is not another add-on. The underlying platform needs to be built differently for the application.
Base, Universal, or Custom?
| Need | Best Starting Point |
| Straightforward smooth-deck picking surface | Base Order Picker Platform |
| Common modular options such as rails, shelves, casters, and handles | Universal Order Picker Platform |
| Special dimensions, features, or structural requirements | Custom Order Picker Platform |
The Base platform provides a straightforward picking surface. The Universal provides multiple configuration options from a standardized starting point. A fully custom platform makes sense when the dimensions, features, or application requirements go beyond those standard choices.
You can also view the complete Order Picker Platforms and Carts lineup to compare the available platform styles.
So, How Many Ways Can You Configure an Order Picker Platform?
There is no useful fixed number.
Change the size. Choose steel or aluminum where applicable. Add two or three shelves. Change the rail layout. Add casters, a push handle, mesh, a door, an anti-skid surface, or a heavy-duty upgrade.
The possible combinations add up quickly.
But more options do not automatically make a better order picker platform for your application.
The best configuration is the one that fits the equipment, gives the load the space and support it needs, and works with the way material actually moves through your warehouse.
Not sure which configuration fits the job? Contact our team with the order picker, load, and application requirements, and we can help determine the right size and setup.