What is a stillage?
A stillage is a steel frame or cage that holds goods off the ground, contained and ready to lift by forklift or pallet jack. A pallet stillage is a stillage built on a standard pallet footprint, with mesh sides or corner posts so loaded units stack safely on top of each other.
A plain pallet is only a base — a stillage adds sides or posts, so the load stays contained, stays countable and can be stacked on.
In Australian warehouses, "stillage", "cage stillage" and "pallet cage" are usually talking about the same thing — see our heavy-duty foldable pallet cages and upright tyre storage stillages.
FOUR SHAPES . COVER EVERY JOB .
Cage Stillage
Mesh sides on a pallet footprint, usually with a hinged drop front. The everyday warehouse workhorse for parts, packaging, cartons and bulk goods.
Post Stillage
Four corner posts, open sides. Suits long or awkward loads and lets you stack frames while keeping access from every side.
Tyre Stillage
Deeper bays sized to casings rather than pallets, so tyres sit upright and countable instead of stacked loose on the floor.
A-Frame Stillage
A padded upright frame for sheet products — glass, windows, doors, panels and stone travel on edge rather than flat.
Stillage vs pallet vs pallet racking
| Stillage | Wooden pallet | Pallet racking | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holds the load in | Yes, steel sides or posts | No, needs shrink wrap | No, needs pallets |
| Stacks without racking | Yes, 3–5 high | Limited | It is the racking |
| Moves with a forklift | Yes | Yes | No, fixed in place |
| When empty | Folds flat (foldable models) | Stacks | Takes the same space |
| Install needed | None | None | Yes, bolted down |
Storing tyres? See car tyre storage cages, truck tyre stillages and tractor tyre stillages.
Why foldable matters
A STILLAGE SHOULD NOT COST YOU FLOOR SPACE WHEN IT IS EMPTY
Fixed frames take the same footprint whether they are loaded or not. Foldable stillages collapse to roughly a quarter of their standing height, so the quiet months, the return freight leg and the spare stock all stop competing for floor. That is the whole idea behind the Stacked range: stack solid when loaded, fold flat when empty.
Ready to look at products? See the full stillage range, heavy-duty foldable pallet cages or foldable tyre storage stillages.
Stillage meaning, uses and ratings
Still working out what you need? Tell us what you store and how it moves, and we will point you at the right frame — even if it is the smallest one.
What is a stillage?
A stillage is a steel frame or platform that holds goods square, off the ground and ready to be lifted by a forklift or pallet jack. Unlike a plain pallet, a stillage has sides or posts, so the load stays contained and other stillages can be stacked on top of it.
What does stillage mean?
The word comes from the storage trade and simply means a stand or frame that goods sit on. In Australian warehouses it usually means a steel cage or post frame designed for forklift handling and stacking.
What is a stillage used for?
Storing and moving stock in one unit: tyres in fitment bays and depots, parts and work in progress on production lines, boxed goods through distribution, and sheet products such as glass and doors on padded upright frames.
What is the difference between a stillage and a pallet?
A pallet is just a base. A stillage adds sides or posts, so the load is contained, countable and safe to stack on top of. Loaded stillages stack three high; loaded pallets generally cannot.
Can steel stillages be placed on racking?
Yes, provided the beam rating suits the loaded weight and the base sits properly across the beams. Many operations skip racking altogether because loaded stillages stack directly on each other.
How much weight can a stillage hold?
It depends on the frame. Stacked stillages run from 500 kg on the small pallet cage to 4,000 kg on the large agricultural frame, and every unit is load tested and stamped before dispatch.
Know what you need? Get it priced
Send what you store and roughly how much — we quote within one working day.