Rent Outdoor Warehouses: Flexible Open Spaces for Your Logistics

What is an Outdoor Warehouse? Definition and Logistical Significance

An open-air warehouse (often also called an outdoor warehouse or open space) is a designated storage area that is located in the open air and has no roof structure or enclosing walls. In contrast to closed storage facilities, the goods here are exposed to the direct effects of the weather.

Despite the lack of weather protection, outdoor warehouses play a central role in global supply chains. They offer an extremely cost-effective way to store large volumes of resistant or appropriately packaged goods. The lack of a roof is not only a cost factor, but often the decisive operational advantage: Heavy or extremely bulky goods, which would be limited by ceiling heights or door dimensions in classic hall buildings, can be handled barrier-free here with the help of heavy-duty cranes, reach stackers or large forklift trucks.

For Which Industries and Goods are External Warehouses Suitable?

Since storage is unprotected, open spaces are primarily suitable for robust goods. Nevertheless, the spectrum of industries used is enormously broad and requires highly professional processes in practice:

• Building materials & bulk materials: Wood, sand, gravel, steel beams, pipes or precast concrete elements can be stored outdoors without any problems (sometimes organized as bulk goods storage).
• Automotive & Vehicle Logistics: Huge paved open spaces serve as distribution centers for new and used cars (often in the form of RoRo terminals at seaports).
• Project logistics & heavy lift: Rotor blades for wind turbines, turbines or oversized machine components require special heavy lift warehouses on the outside.
• Container logistics: The interim storage of full or empty ISO containers (empty container depots) takes place exclusively on heavy-duty outdoor areas.

If goods are only partially weather-resistant, they can be temporarily protected from moisture and UV radiation by thick shrink film, tarpaulins or the use of special containers.

Structural and Technical Requirements for Logistics Open Spaces

Even if no walls are erected in this type of camp, a modernly planned open-air warehouse requires considerable infrastructural preparations. The soil condition is the absolute heart of this industrial property. Depending on the intended use, the surfaces are asphalted, concreted or specially compacted in order to reliably withstand massive point loads of several tons per square meter. A firm, clean surface prevents contamination of the stored goods and guarantees fast, smooth handling by heavy equipment.

In addition to the soil, environmental and safety aspects play a critical role in success:

• Drainage & environmental protection: Open spaces must have professional drainage systems (often paired with oil separators). This legally prevents rainwater contaminated by vehicles or goods from entering the groundwater.
• Lighting: For safe 24/7 operation (especially in winter), powerful, shadow-free illumination by floodlight poles is essential to ensure occupational safety.
• Infrastructure & routes: Lanes for trucks and forklifts must be clearly marked. Maneuvering areas require generous dimensions to ensure the flow of material and minimize waiting times for loading and unloading.

Space Requirements, Rental Models and Scalability

Anyone looking for a location solution in the outdoor area benefits from significant economies of scale. The space requirements for external warehouses can often be adjusted much more dynamically than for rigid building structures. 

Various rental models are establishing themselves on the market for this purpose: In addition to the classic, long-term lease of an entire commercial property (often via triple-net contracts), B2B customers are increasingly finding usage-based models. 

Logistics service providers often offer billing according to the principle of "pay-per-square-meter" or "pay-per-pallet". This guarantees maximum scalability in the event of seasonal overhangs. In addition, the cost structure (TCO) has an extremely positive impact: without heating systems, complex ventilation systems or maintenance-intensive roofs, fixed costs and ongoing operating costs (OPEX) are reduced to an absolute minimum.

More Than Just Space: Outdoor Warehouse in Professional Logistics Processing

Open spaces are by no means just "dead parking spaces". Renowned service providers have long since established outdoor areas as a highly functional extension of their fulfillment solutions. Comprehensive value-added services (VAS) are offered on managed open-air warehouses.

These include, for example, complex heavy cargo handling, seaworthy preservation and packaging of machinery for export, container stuffing and stripping directly at the yard or the technical preparation of new vehicles (PDI - Pre Delivery Inspection). Shipping companies can thus intelligently outsource operational processes and focus entirely on their own core business.

Special Form: The Free Warehouse as a Customs Warehouse

A variant in high demand in the international supply chain is the free warehouse, which is declared as a customs warehouse (open customs warehouse). When companies need to store large amounts of imported goods (e.g., Asian steel, imported lumber), this status offers huge liquidity benefits. The goods can be temporarily stored on the open space untaxed and duty-free in the so-called customs suspension procedure. Only when the goods leave the guarded premises and enter the European economic cycle are customs duties and taxes due. Such areas are massively secured and require special official certifications.

Digitalization, Process Optimization and GDPR in the Outdoor Area

Since outdoor warehouses are naturally more susceptible to theft and unauthorized entry, the strictest security requirements apply here. Modern facilities are hermetically sealed off by high-security fences, barrier systems and electronic access control systems.

Digitization has also long since arrived in the external camp. So-called yard management systems (YMS) control the arrival and departure of trucks, assign time slots and digitally navigate vehicles to the correct unloading point. This leads to enormous process optimization, as congestion on the factory premises is prevented and throughput times are drastically reduced. Mobile terminals on forklift trucks use GPS to record exactly in which area grid a component has been placed – an essential step for modern warehouse management in the open air.

In the course of comprehensive camera surveillance (CCTV) and automatic number plate recognition at the gates, strict compliance with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is mandatory. Operators must ensure that video data is deleted on time and retention periods are documented in a legally compliant manner.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Outdoor Storage and Outdoor Areas