A detecting apparatus includes: a lifting mechanism section that is provided with a lifting portion for lifting honeycomb structures and a shelf plate; an actual load value measuring section that measures an actual load value; a total load value calculating section that adds up the plurality of measured actual load value; a total load value determining section that compares a standard total weight value of the honeycomb structures and the shelf plate to the total load value and determines whether to satisfy a total load value determining condition; an actual load value determining section that compares the actual load value to the specified load value and determines whether to satisfy an actual load value determining condition; and a shelf-plate crack determining section that determines that the shelf plate is cracked when the total load value determining condition or the actual load value determining condition is not satisfied.