The Truth About Lockers • Big Dog Warehouse, Inc.

Big Dog Warehouse, the internet's best value for lockers, shelving, cabinets and other storage systems

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The Truth About Lockers

A locker is a steel box with four sides, designed to keep out the honest. It is not a safe nor is it indestructible. You will need to clean them from time to time, perhaps even replace a bent shelf or damaged door. And they cost money.

When looking to purchase lockers, most people want to know they’re getting a good product at a fair price backed by quality customer service.

So who makes the best lockers?

What we can tell you is there are great, good and downright crappy lockers out there. What I can’t tell you is who manufacturers the lousy ones, for obvious legal reasons. But I will provide the skinny on the products we carry at Big Dog Warehouse.

After much deliberation, Big Dog Warehouse chose Penco, Hallowell and Republic as our primary locker manufacturers. Though we will likely add other manufacturers of lockers, Penco, Hallowell and Republic were chosen as our primary partners for specific reasons.

Penco has been manufacturing lockers for over 50 years, and put out fine product. They have well-run manufacturing and distribution facilities in Hamilton, NC, Tampa, FL and Salt Lake City, UT. It comes in handy to have a manufacturer in Utah for west coast business, especially with heavy orders where freight charges become a concern.

Penco has a large selection of locker types for every possible application. They also have 21 custom colors that they do not charge extra for, though custom colors increase lead time.

Hallowell, a division of List-Industries, has 100 years of experience in the market, so they’ve been doing a lot right for a long time.

Hallowell manufacturers its products in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and has distribution centers in Memphis, TN, Mechanicsburg, PA and has recently opened an additional distribution center in Los Angeles, CA. This makes for good business, enabling companies such as ours to quickly bring our customers products at affordable freight rates.

Hallowell understands the nuances of internet-based business, which makes our lives easier. Like Penco, they have a wide array of locker (and shelving) products. Hallowell’s quick ship program is truly quick ship. They keep their warehouses full of standard-sized product in a limited choice of colors stocked and ready to ship. If you need product quickly, Hallowell is a good choice for most styles of lockers.

Do I order lockers knocked down or assembled?

If you don’t need your lockers shipped assembled, choose either Penco or Hallowell. No locker is fun to assemble, but both companies ship their lockers with good directions that any handyman (or woman) can follow.

One consideration when ordering lockers is the cost of freight. Unassembled (KD, or "knocked down") lockers ship class 70, while assembled lockers ship class 125. The higher the freight class, the more expensive the freight. It can save you money to ship a large order KD and have a crew perform the on-site assembly and installation. If your business is in New York City or other large metropolitan area that has high labor costs, it might make more sense to ship the lockers pre-assembled. Our sales staff is well-positioned to assist you in determining the most cost and time-effective assembly and installation solution.

What locker type, size, security and other features does your company or institution need? How much abuse will they be subject to? How many tiers (openings per locker) best suits your needs? Are you leaving room for furute growth? A qualified locker salesperson will ask you these questions and point you toward a solution that best meets your project and economic needs.

Things to beware...

Imported lockers may be a little bit cheaper, but if you need replacement parts or additional lockers in the future, if the wholesaler is dealing with a different Chinese manufacturer then, rotsa ruck. You can certainly be pennywise and pound foolish when it comes to lockers.

Your sales rep should be spending the time to get to know your project needs. If someone tries selling you a particular locker without first understanding what they’re going to be used for--run. All companies have products they’d love to sell all day (including us), but it’s unfair to do so at a customer’s expense. Make sure the lockers are matched with your application.

You can buy inexpensive lockers (that were inexpensive to manufacture) made with 18-gauge steel, but when they get destroyed and have to be replaced, it becomes rather cost-ineffective. Like rental cars, some people see lockers as coming with an “abuse me” sign on it. Make sure the lockers you choose can handle the abuse you expect.

When pricing lockers, ask the wholesaler if you can specify your own carrier. You'll find that most of them will resist. Why? Because it's easier for them to choose and work with one freight carrier. However, this is not always in your best interest. We will get quotes on freight with at least three different carriers, and the price difference is often appalling. Our experience is that by shopping freight we are able to save our customers as much as 50% on their freight charges.

These are all questions that a locker expert can help you with. Spend the extra time learning about lockers and it’ll serve you well for years to come.

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