Cross-board (pallet)
Also called: cross board, crossboard, connector board
A cross-board is a board that runs at right angles to the main deckboards of a pallet. The term is informal: it usually means a block pallet's stringerboard, or the center boards of a cruciform bottom deck.
In depth: Euro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and construction
"Cross-board" is not a defined term in the Uniform Standard or in PDS. It shows up in European usage, translated product literature and supplier drawings, and it describes position rather than a specific part. Before you rely on it in a quote, check which part the other party means.
Common meanings
| Usage | Part | Standard term |
|---|---|---|
| European block pallets (EPAL and similar) | The 3 boards on top of the blocks, under the top deck, running across the deckboards | Stringerboard |
| Cruciform block-pallet bases | Boards joining the center block to the edge blocks, crossing the perimeter frame | Bottom deckboard (cruciform connector) |
| Crates and skids | Any board fixed across the main members to brace them | Cleat or brace |
Typical values
On an EPAL 1 pallet the three cross-boards (stringerboards) are 22 × 145 × 800 mm (about 7/8 × 5.7 × 31.5 in).
Why it matters
Terms that shift meaning between regions cause wrong quotes. A buyer asking for "thicker cross-boards" on a Euro-style pallet wants heavier stringerboards, which changes the overall height and the stiffness across the pallet. A US shop may read it as extra bracing boards.
On a spec sheet
Use "stringerboard" for block-pallet parts and "bottom deckboard" for base boards, and give count, thickness × width × length for each.
Related
- GlossaryStringerboard (block pallet)A stringerboard is a continuous board on a block pallet that runs the full pallet length between the deckboards and the blocks, tying the blocks together. EPAL 1 uses three stringerboards of 22 × 145 × 800 mm.
- GlossaryPerimeter base (block pallet)A perimeter base is a block-pallet bottom deck made of boards running around all four edges, like a picture frame, which gives full four-way entry for forklifts and pallet jacks.
- GlossaryBlock (pallet)A block is a rectangular, square or cylindrical spacer between the decks of a block pallet. Most block pallets have 9 blocks in a 3 × 3 grid, and the block height sets the fork entry height.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- GuidesParts of a pallet: deckboards, stringers, blocks and fastenersA wood stringer pallet has top deckboards, stringers (often notched) and bottom deckboards, joined with nails. A block pallet swaps the stringers for 9 blocks and 3 stringerboards. The outermost deckboards are lead boards. Openings between the deck layers take the forks.
More in Components and construction
- GlossaryActual dimension (pallet and lumber)An actual dimension is the measured size of a pallet or component at manufacture. Pallet spec sheets state component sizes as actual dimensions, for example a 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboard.
- GlossaryBottom deck (pallet)The bottom deck is the lower layer of deckboards (or a perimeter, runner or panel base) on a double-face pallet. It spreads the load onto the floor, rack or conveyor and stabilizes the stringers or blocks.
- GlossaryBottom deck coverage (pallet)Bottom deck coverage is the percentage of a pallet's underside covered by bottom deckboards. A GMA-style 48 × 40 bottom deck covers about 45%, less than the top deck, to leave room for notches and pallet-jack wheels.
- GlossaryCenter block (block pallet)The center block is the middle block in the 3 × 3 grid of a nine-block pallet. It supports the middle of the deck and, on EPAL pallets, carries the producer, date and treatment marks.
- GlossaryChamfer (pallet)A chamfer is a bevel cut along the edge of a bottom deckboard, usually a lead board, so pallet-jack wheels can ride up and over it instead of hitting a square edge.
- GlossaryCorner block (block pallet)A corner block is one of the four blocks at the corners of a block pallet. Corner blocks take the most fork and pallet-jack impact, so the Uniform Standard requires more fasteners there than at interior blocks.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 231 words.