How to Increase Warehouse Storage Capacity in Singapore
The fastest way to increase warehouse storage capacity is to narrow your aisles. A very narrow aisle (VNA) setup shrinks your aisles from about 3 metres to around 1.6 metres, and every metre you save becomes a new racking row. In practice this adds 30 to 40 percent more pallet positions to the same floor, without moving to a bigger unit.
Why warehouses run out of space (but not floor)
Most Singapore warehouses lose a huge amount of floor to aisles. A standard counterbalance forklift needs an aisle of 3.5 metres or more; a reach truck needs about 2.7 to 3.0 metres. Multiply that by every aisle and you are paying rent for a lot of empty driving lanes, not storage.
What is VNA, and how it maximises warehouse space
VNA stands for very narrow aisle. A VNA truck does not turn in the aisle at all; the forks rotate instead. So the aisle only needs to be a little wider than the truck, around 1.6 to 1.9 metres. Shrink every aisle by more than a metre and those saved metres convert straight into extra racking rows and more pallet positions, often reaching much higher too (up to 13.5 metres and beyond).
| Truck type | Aisle needed | Relative storage density |
|---|---|---|
| Counterbalance | 3.5 m or more | Low |
| Reach truck | 2.7 to 3.0 m | Medium |
| VNA | 1.6 to 1.9 m | Highest |
Work out your own gain (5-minute test)
- Measure your current aisle width. Most local warehouses run 2.8 to 3.5 m.
- Count your aisles.
- Multiply aisles by roughly 1.2 m of width saved with VNA.
- Divide by about 2.4 m (one racking row plus clearance).
That result is roughly how many new racking rows you could add. For a typical 20,000 sq ft warehouse with 8 aisles, that is often 3 to 4 extra rows, hundreds more pallet positions without moving.
The part most dealers miss: racking AND the truck together
VNA only works when the racking and the VNA forklift are designed as one system. Aisle width, rack height and the truck's reach all depend on each other. Because M&C supplies both, one team is responsible for the whole setup, with no gap between a racking supplier who does not know your trucks and a truck supplier who does not know your racks.
Rent or buy first
Not ready to commit? You can rent a VNA truck and test it in your real workflow before you buy, and phase the racking. See the Zowell VNA range we carry, or compare a VNA against a reach truck in our guide, VNA vs reach truck.
Why M&C for VNA in Singapore
- The exclusive Zowell VNA dealer in Singapore. No middlemen, no waiting on overseas support.
- One team for the truck, the racking and the servicing. bizSAFE 3 certified.
- Free site survey. We measure your space and tell you the real pallet gain.
Frequently asked questions
How can I increase warehouse storage capacity without moving?
Narrow your aisles with a VNA setup. The space you save becomes extra racking rows, often 30 to 40 percent more pallet positions on the same floor.
How narrow can a VNA aisle be?
About 1.6 to 1.9 metres, versus 2.7 to 3.0 metres for a reach truck.
Do I need special racking for VNA?
Usually yes, guided by wire or rail. M&C supplies both the racking and the truck as one system.
Free VNA site survey. Real pallet numbers.
Send us your warehouse size or floor plan. We reply same day with how much more you can store.
WhatsApp +65 9349 1314 See VNA Forklifts