PURPOSE: To eliminate loss time in carry-out work to enhance efficiency in an automated warehouse wherein traveling devices in plural stages in the up and down direction are provided with elevatable load transfer carriages, and a carry-out elevator device for receiving loads from respective stage traveling devices is provided at the side of home positions of respective stage traveling devices.

CONSTITUTION: A hoistway of a carriage is previously divided into plural up and down zones h1, h2. In the case where a carry-out destination is within a rack zone B1 near to a carry-out elevator device 7 and also at a position corresponding to the upper carriage elevation zone h2, a load loading carriage 12 is lowered to descending limit positions L3, L8, L13 in the carriage elevation zone h2 to transfer the load to the carry-out elevator device 7 for carry-out. In the case where the carry-out destination is in other positions, the load loading carriage 12 is lowered to descending limit positions L1, L6, L11 in the carriage elevation zone h1 to transfer the load to the carry-out elevator device 7 for carry-out.