What is a pallet deckboard?
Also called: deck board, deck slat
A deckboard is a board in the top or bottom deck of a pallet that runs perpendicular to the stringers or stringerboards. It is specified by actual thickness × width × length, for example 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in.
In depth: Deckboard thickness and spacing: how to lay out a pallet deck
A deckboard is one of the flat boards that form the top deck or bottom deck. On a stringer pallet it runs across the stringers, so its length equals the pallet width (40 in on a 48 × 40). On a block pallet it sits on the stringerboards.
Typical sizes
| Dimension | Common values |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 7/8 in (13 to 22 mm) |
| Width | 3-1/2 to 4 in (89 to 102 mm) interior; 5-1/2 to 6 in (140 to 152 mm) lead boards |
| Length | The pallet width, e.g. 40 in (1016 mm) |
A GMA-style 48 × 40 uses 2 lead boards at 5/8 × 5-1/2 × 40 in and 5 interior deckboards at 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in on top.
Why it matters
Deckboard thickness sets how far the deck can span between stringers or blocks, and it is often the critical member when a pallet is racked across its width. Thicker boards also hold nails better and survive more handling. Width and count set deck coverage and deck spacing. See deckboard thickness and spacing.
On a spec sheet
Each group of identical boards gets one row: count, thickness, width, length, in that order. Sizes are actual dimensions at manufacture, not nominal. The Uniform Standard (2012) allows thickness ±1/16 in, width +any/−1/4 in and length +1/8/−1/4 in.
Common confusions
"Slat", "plank" and "deck board" all mean deckboard. A stringerboard is not a deckboard: it runs the other way, under the deckboards, on block pallets.
Frequently asked questions
How thick are pallet deckboards?
Most North American deckboards are 1/2 to 3/4 in (13 to 19 mm) thick, with 5/8 in (16 mm) the most common for GMA-style pallets. EPAL deckboards are 22 mm (about 7/8 in).
How many deckboards are on a 48 × 40 pallet?
A typical GMA-style 48 × 40 has 7 top deckboards and 5 bottom deckboards, but the count is a design choice driven by load, coverage and cost.
Is a 1×4 deckboard really 1 in thick?
No. Pallet deckboards are cut stock specified by actual size. A board called 1×4 is usually about 5/8 to 3/4 in thick and 3-1/2 in wide.
Related
- GlossaryLead board (pallet)A lead board is the outermost deckboard at each end of a pallet's top or bottom deck, where forks enter. It is usually wider than the interior deckboards, typically 5-1/2 to 6 in (140 to 152 mm).
- GlossaryInterior deckboard (pallet)An interior deckboard is any deckboard between the two lead boards of a pallet deck. On North American pallets it is usually 3-1/2 to 4 in (89 to 102 mm) wide, narrower than the lead boards.
- GlossaryDeck spacing (pallet)Deck spacing is the gap between adjacent deckboards on a pallet deck. With the end boards flush, gap = (deck length − total board width) ÷ (boards − 1); a GMA-style 48 × 40 top deck has 3-1/4 in (83 mm) gaps.
- GuidesDeckboard thickness and spacing: how to lay out a pallet deckPallet deckboards are usually 1/2 to 7/8 in (13 to 22 mm) thick and 3-1/2 to 6 in wide. Gaps are set by the board count: with ends flush, gap = (pallet length minus total board width) ÷ (boards minus 1). A GMA-style 48 × 40 has 7 top boards 5/8 in thick with 3-1/4 in gaps. Stiffness rises with the cube of thickness.
- 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.
- TypesStringer pallet: construction, dimensions and when to use oneA stringer pallet is a wooden pallet whose deckboards are nailed across two or more continuous beams called stringers, usually three on a 48 × 40 in pallet. It is 2-way entry, or partial 4-way when the stringers are notched. It is the most common and cheapest pallet design in North America.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 264 words.