Healthcare Storage Carts

Medical supply carts are the part of a storage system that moves. They carry picked cases to a room, hold point-of-use stock where the shelving cannot reach, and run the restock route between central supply and the units. Choosing them well is mostly about four decisions: drawer or shelf, footprint, security and casters. This page covers the Quantum Medical cart families we supply, how to configure them, and which specifications are published by the manufacturer. Labs USA is a supplier and project partner, not the manufacturer — see medical carts for the wider cart programme.

Six-drawer supply cart with blue drawer fronts, push handle and swivel casters
4-6drawer counts published for the M Series
5cart colours listed by the manufacturer
Freeconfiguration and layout support
Nationwidedelivery and install coordination

Drawer supply carts

The workhorse of clinical supply: a lockable drawer stack on casters, sized to the room rather than to the maximum it could hold.

Quantum’s M Series drawer carts are published in four, five and six drawer configurations. On the product pages we loaded, the manufacturer lists a slim five-drawer cart at 18-1/2 inches deep by 18 inches wide by 34 inches high, a six-drawer cart at 24-3/4 by 24-1/2 by 43-3/4 inches, and a wider six-drawer cart at 25 by 32 by 46-1/4 inches. Treat those as the published dimensions of specific models rather than the whole range; we confirm the exact model and dimensions on your quote.

Common features the manufacturer states across the line: ball-bearing drawer slides with full-extension drawer openings, a plastic work top included, an outrigger stabilising frame with double wall construction on the wider carts, twin poly push handles on the 32-inch-wide carts, and a powder coat finish. The slim cart is listed with 3-inch full swivel casters, two with a brake; the larger carts with premium 5-inch full swivel casters, two locking and one directional.

Colours listed are beige, dark blue, slate blue, red and yellow, with a two-tone option that pairs a beige frame with coloured drawer fronts. Colour is worth treating as a workflow decision, not a decorating one — see the colour-coding note below.

Narrow six-drawer supply cart in solid blue with an outrigger base

Drawer security

Two published locking approaches, and they suit different rooms. Key lock drawers are simple and appropriate where the cart lives in a controlled space. The push-button variant is described by the manufacturer as mechanical push-button locking with a key lock override, which suits carts that are locked and unlocked many times a day by different people.

Whichever you choose, decide who holds keys or codes and how a cart gets opened in a hurry before the carts arrive. That decision drives quantity as much as the hardware does: a single shared cart with a lock nobody can open quickly is usually replaced by an unlocked cart within a month.

Where storage needs to be enclosed but does not need to move, a cabinet is often the better answer — see medical storage cabinets.

Six-drawer supply cart with a push-button locking column

The other supply cart families we supply

Not every supply cart needs drawers. These are the families Quantum publishes, and what each one is genuinely good at.

Slim five-drawer supply cart sized for tight roomsSlim drawer cartsFor substerile rooms, exam rooms and anywhere a full-width cart blocks a door swing. Published at 18 inches wide with five drawers.
Two-shelf chrome wire utility cart with looped push handlesWire utility cartsTwo and three shelf carts in wire, solid or mixed shelf combinations. The manufacturer lists chrome, stainless steel and epoxy finishes.
Two-tier moulded plastic utility cart with recessed shelvesMoulded plastic utility cartsRecessed shelf tops for liquids and loose items, easy to wipe down, no crevices at the shelf edge.
Mobile rack cart holding two white tubs on open shelvesTub rack cartsAll-welded aluminium racks that ship assembled with bins; runners let the tubs slide in and out from both sides.
Wire transport cart fitted with a fabric cover over stocked shelvesEnclosed and covered cartsCovers, enclosure panels and security options for stock that travels through public corridors.
Mobile rack cart carrying a single grey tub at working heightSingle tub and transport cartsOne tub at working height for repack, collection and short-haul transport rounds.

The live wire cart category also lists linen, security, bin transport, garment, patient apparel, portable computer and inhalation therapy configurations. Quantum describes the bin transport cart as a chrome-finish modular cart with large-capacity bins that support colour coding and inventory rotation; the published version uses 5-inch swivel thermoplastic resin casters, two with brakes, and the bins are listed as autoclavable up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Utility carts are published as shipping with two u-handles, four donut bumpers and four swivel casters, two with brakes.

On materials. Quantum’s older master catalog described its supply cart line as anodised aluminium construction. The current product pages we loaded describe a powder coat finish and do not repeat that wording, and the tub rack carts are the family the current literature describes as all-welded aluminium. Rather than guess, we confirm the material and finish for the exact model on every quote.

Configuring a supply cart

Six decisions, in the order that saves the most rework:

  • Footprint before capacity — measure the narrowest doorway, the parking position and the turn the cart has to make, then choose the largest cart that clears all three
  • Drawer mix — shallow drawers for small packaged items, one or two deep drawers for bulky stock; a stack of identical drawers wastes height
  • Work surface — if staff will write, scan or set items down, the top has to be free, which means accessories mount on the side rather than on top
  • Security — key lock where the room is controlled, push-button where the cart is opened constantly
  • Casters — larger casters roll better over thresholds and lift the work top; two brakes minimum, and a directional caster if the cart travels long corridors
  • Colour — one colour per service, cart type or unit, decided once, written down and reused when carts are replaced

Two things we ask about that people rarely volunteer: whether the cart has to fit inside a lift with something else in it, and whether it will be stored plugged in. Both change the answer, and both are cheaper to raise now than after delivery.

Five-drawer supply cart in beige with a work top and side handle

How many carts?

Cart quantity is a flow calculation, not a headcount. For an exchange model, count the carts in use, plus the carts being restocked, plus the carts in transit, plus a float for cleaning and repair — the float is the number that gets cut and then missed. For point-of-use carts, count rooms and shifts instead.

Then check the parking. Every cart in the count needs a location that is not a corridor, with a clear route to where it is used. That is a layout question, and it is why cart quantity, shelving capacity and room geometry all get decided together rather than separately.

Estimated figures only. Any capacity or quantity number we produce during planning is an estimate for discussion; final specifications and dimensions are confirmed on the quote and field-verified before installation.

Close view of a cart base with heavy-duty swivel casters

Where supply carts earn their keep

Four-drawer supply cart with yellow drawer fronts and deep lower drawersColour-coded service linesOne cart colour per service or unit makes a misplaced cart obvious from the end of the corridor and speeds restocking.
Six-drawer supply cart in red with a full-length push handleDedicated-use cartsA visually distinct cart for a specific room, procedure or protocol, stocked to a list your clinical team controls.

Restock and exchange routes are the other big use: shelf and tub carts sized to the route, the lift and the parking position rather than to the maximum load they could carry. Batched repack and collection rounds between departments are where the tub rack carts described above do their best work, because the bins come out from either side without turning the cart around.

Quote or buy online

Two paths, depending on how settled the specification is.

If you know what you want, the Labs USA store carries carts and cart accessories you can order directly: medical supply carts and storage, medical carts and medical cart accessories.

If the specification is still open, or the carts are part of a room or department project, ask for a quote instead. You get a configuration recommendation, a parts list, freight and lead times per family, and layout support for where the carts will live. There is no charge for that work.

Quantum cart families are quoted rather than listed online, so the quote route is the one to use for the M Series and for the wire cart configurations described above.

What a quote includes.

  • The cart models and configurations, with the manufacturer’s published dimensions and features
  • Accessories priced as line items so they can be added or cut cleanly
  • Freight, and installation or assembly scope where it applies
  • Lead time per family, so long-lead items can be released first
  • A layout or parking plan for the carts if the project needs one

Not sure which cart fits the room?

Send the room dimensions, the narrowest doorway and what the cart has to carry. We will come back with a configuration, alternatives if the first choice will not fit, and a quote. The Design Center also has intake checklists and planning tools.

Resources

Medical supply cart FAQ

What sizes do the drawer supply carts come in?
The product pages we loaded publish a slim five-drawer cart at 18-1/2 by 18 by 34 inches, a six-drawer cart at 24-3/4 by 24-1/2 by 43-3/4 inches and a wider six-drawer cart at 25 by 32 by 46-1/4 inches, with four, five and six drawer configurations listed across the line. Those are the manufacturer’s published figures for specific models; we confirm the model and its dimensions on the quote rather than quoting a range.
How should we choose between drawers and open shelves?
Drawers suit small packaged items that need to be secured, counted and kept clean, and they suit rooms where the cart is stationary most of the day. Open shelf carts suit bulky items, fast loading and restock routes where speed matters more than security. Many departments run both, which is usually cheaper than compromising on one.
What locking options are available?
Quantum publishes key lock drawers and a mechanical push-button locking version with a key lock override. Key locks suit carts kept in controlled rooms; the push-button version suits carts opened and closed constantly by different staff. Decide who holds keys or codes before the carts arrive.
Do colours mean anything, or are they cosmetic?
They are worth using deliberately. The manufacturer lists beige, dark blue, slate blue, red and yellow plus a two-tone option, which is enough to give each service line, cart type or unit its own colour. A written colour convention makes a misplaced cart visible instantly and survives staff turnover; ad hoc colour choices do not.
What are the carts made of?
It depends on the family, and we do not guess. The current M Series product pages describe a powder coat finish with double wall construction on the wider carts; the current bin and tote literature describes the tub rack carts as all-welded aluminium; wire carts are published in chrome, stainless steel and epoxy finishes. An older master catalog used different material wording, so we confirm material and finish for the exact model on the quote.
Can we add accessories later?
Usually yes — the wider M Series carts are published with mounting positions for accessories, and the wire cart families accept the same accessory range as the matching shelving. We list accessories as separate quote lines so they can be added or removed without re-quoting the cart.
Do you help work out how many carts we need?
Yes, and it is part of the free layout support. For exchange models we count carts in use, in restock, in transit and in float; for point-of-use carts we count rooms and shifts. We also check that every cart in the count has a parking position that is not a corridor.
Do you make claims about cleanability or infection prevention?
No. We supply the manufacturer’s published material and finish information and design to the cleaning and separation criteria your team provides. Judgements about cleaning agents, protocols and infection prevention belong to your facility.

Get a medical supply cart quote

Tell us the room, the doorway, what the cart carries and how it is secured. You get a configuration recommendation, a parts list, freight and lead times, and layout support for where the carts will live at no charge.