Freight elevator pallet rack system

An elevator system, comprising:

• a hoistway;
• and
• an elevator car drivable along the hoistway, the elevator car including:
• two opposing sidewalls extending from a car floor;
• and
• a stacking rack including two or more sets of horizontally-extending rails to define two or more horizontally-extending tiers and one or more vertically-extending columns in the elevator car for loading and unloading cargo.

A method of operating an elevator system, comprising:

• driving an elevator car along a hoistway, the elevator car including:
• two opposing sidewalls extending from a car floor;
• and
• a stacking rack including two or more sets of horizontally-extending rails to define two or more horizontally-extending tiers and
• one or more vertically-extending columns in the elevator car for loading and unloading cargo;
• stopping the elevator car at a landing floor of the hoistway;
• and
• selectably loading cargo onto and/or unloading cargo from the stacking rack.