A method for handling longitudinal rod-like elements, in particular smoking rods, for storing sausage-shaped products, in particular sausages, in a system for producing and handling the sausage-shaped products, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of the rod-like elements, each rod-like element having a length defined between a first end and a second end; providing a clipping machine configured to produce the sausage-shaped products; providing a hanging line configured to load the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements and comprising a measuring position for receiving the rod-like elements and for measuring the length of the rod-like elements, and a loading position for receiving the rod-like elements and for loading the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements, wherein the measuring position is defined by a first support element configured to receive the first end of one of the rod-like elements and a second support element configured to receive the second end of the one of the rod-like elements, and wherein the loading position is defined by a third support element configured to receive the first end of the one of the rod-like elements and a fourth support element configured to receive the second end of the one of the rod-like elements; feeding one of the rod-like elements to the measuring position of the hanging line; measuring the length of said one of the rod-like elements by a sensor device; determining by a control unit whether the length is within a tolerance range of a desired length (Ld); providing said one of the rod-like elements in the loading position of the hanging line and loading a predetermined number of the produced sausage-shaped products on said one of the rod-like elements, if the length is within the tolerance range; discarding said one of the rod-like elements from the hanging line, if the length is not within the tolerance range. providing a plurality of the rod-like elements, each rod-like element having a length defined between a first end and a second end; providing a clipping machine configured to produce the sausage-shaped products; providing a hanging line configured to load the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements and comprising a measuring position for receiving the rod-like elements and for measuring the length of the rod-like elements, and a loading position for receiving the rod-like elements and for loading the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements, wherein the measuring position is defined by a first support element configured to receive the first end of one of the rod-like elements and a second support element configured to receive the second end of the one of the rod-like elements, and wherein the loading position is defined by a third support element configured to receive the first end of the one of the rod-like elements and a fourth support element configured to receive the second end of the one of the rod-like elements; feeding one of the rod-like elements to the measuring position of the hanging line; measuring the length of said one of the rod-like elements by a sensor device; determining by a control unit whether the length is within a tolerance range of a desired length (Ld); providing said one of the rod-like elements in the loading position of the hanging line and loading a predetermined number of the produced sausage-shaped products on said one of the rod-like elements, if the length is within the tolerance range; discarding said one of the rod-like elements from the hanging line, if the length is not within the tolerance range.