The 3 Ways or Methods for Storing Tires

Martins Industries, manufacturer of steel racks, has been designing and producing tire storage racks for tires since 1987. Our racks fit the 3 different ways of storing tires.

The 3 different ways to store tires are to stack them on the side, on the tread or laced. The 3 methods are explained and illustrated below.  In addition, we explain what method best suits in what situation.

The most common way is to store tires on the side. By using a racking system like the 72'' Passenger and Light Truck Stacking Rack (MSR-7272)(see the picture at  your right) you can store tires in the rack and stack another rack on top of the other. Therefore you are using less floor space and more vertical space which is more profitable.

It is important that all the tires in the rack have the same dimension in order to ease order picking or to find a tire. It is possible that some Health & Safety Organizations ask to wrap the rack of tires in order to prevent tires from falling. This way of storing makes it easy to do the inventory of your tires because you can see them and easily count them. The MSR-6060 and the MSR-8080 are also very practical and easy to transport and to stack.

Another way of storing your tires is to lace them. Lacing your tires is the best way to save space. The reason being is that you are using the interior space of the tire by placing one tire into the other. When you lace your tires you can save up to 30-40% space compared to storing them on the side or putting them on the tread.

This tire storage technique is normally done with large quantities of the same SKU, this way you don't need to take out all the tires to get the tire you need. A rack that fits in perfectly laced tires is the lacing rack (MLR)(see the picture at your right). It is designed specifically to store laced tires and it makes it easy to move and transport large quantities of tires.

Storing Tires - On the Tread

The final method of storing tires is to store them on their tread. By storing them this way it makes it easier to do the inventory, to do order picking or to find a specific tire. Another benefit of storing them on the tread is that you can have different sizes of tires in the same rack.

The Light Truck and Passenger Folding Rack (MLTFD) (see the picture at your right) is perfect to store the tires on the tread and is stackable 5 high when open and 22 high when closed. The advantage of being foldable is when the rack is not in use it is easy to fold it and place it pilled up in a corner. Another advantage of the MLTFD is that it can also be used to lace tires; you can either lace tires when you want to transport them or when you have customers tires you can place them on the tread.


The 3 methods seen above all have great advantages each responding to certain needs for different types of companies. They all save floor space, handling time and prevent employees' injuries.

*see example below in the Tire System Comparison