Several types of trays are used in different applications. The sturdy bottom bracket provides maximum protection for the cable, but requires cutting the bracket or using accessories to enter or exit the cable. The deep and strong shell of the cable is called the cable channel or cable trough. The ventilated tray has an opening at the bottom of the tray to allow air around the cable to circulate, drain and allow some dust to fall off the tray. Small cables may flow out of the tray through the ventilation holes, which may be slots or holes punched in the bottom.

The cables on the ladder tray are supported by cross bars, similar to the steps of a ladder, with intervals of 4 to 12 inches (100 to 300 mm), and the width of the ladder is 100 mm to 1000 mm.

Ladder-shaped cable trays and ventilated trays may have a firm covering to protect the cables from falling objects, dust and water. Tray covers used outdoors or in dusty places may have sharp shapes to drop debris including dust, ice or snow. High-power cables placed in the bracket may require support blocks to maintain the spacing between the conductors to prevent the wires from overheating. Smaller cables may not be fixed in the horizontal bracket, or they may be fixed to the bottom of the vertically installed bracket using cable ties.

In order to maintain the support of the cable when the height or direction of the cable rack changes, each style and manufacturer has manufactured a large number of compatible dedicated cable rack accessories. The horizontal elbow can change the direction of the tray in the same plane as the bottom of the tray, and it can be made into shapes of 30, 45 and 90 degrees. The inner and outer elbows are used to change perpendicular to the bottom of the tray. These can be in various shapes, including T-shaped and cross-shaped. Some adjustable elbows can be used for field installation of pallets around obstacles or irregular shapes. The cable tray uses various clamping, supporting and splicing accessories to provide a complete functional tray system. For example-cable trays of different sizes used in one operation can be connected with reducers.