Double-face pallet
Also called: double-deck, double-faced pallet
A double-face pallet has both a top deck and a bottom deck. It is either reversible (both decks identical and load-bearing) or non-reversible (the bottom deck has fewer or different boards).
In depth: Double-face pallet: construction, reversible vs non-reversible
A double-face pallet has deckboards on both sides of the stringers or blocks. Almost all shipping pallets in North America and Europe are double-face.
Two kinds
| Deck style | Top vs bottom deck | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Double-face non-reversible | Bottom has fewer or different boards | GMA-style 48 × 40 (7 top, 5 bottom) |
| Double-face reversible | Both decks the same | Some heavy-duty and warehouse pallets |
Why it matters
The bottom deck spreads the load when loaded pallets are stacked on each other, keeps stringers upright, and gives a flat base for conveyors and racks. Compared with a single-face pallet or skid, a double-face pallet is heavier and costs more but stacks, racks and conveys far better.
On a spec sheet
The classification line reads "Double-Face Non-Reversible" or "Double-Face Reversible". Both decks then get their own tables.
Related
- TypesDouble-face pallet: construction, reversible vs non-reversibleA double-face pallet has a top deck and a bottom deck. Most are non-reversible: the bottom deck has fewer boards and only the top carries product. A reversible double-face pallet has two identical load-bearing decks. The bottom deck spreads load onto the floor or the load below and stiffens the pallet in racking.
- GlossaryReversible palletA reversible pallet is a double-face pallet whose top and bottom decks are identical, so either face can carry the load.
- GlossaryNon-reversible palletA non-reversible pallet is a double-face pallet whose bottom deck differs from the top deck, usually with fewer or wider-spaced boards, so only the top face is meant to carry the load.
- GlossarySingle-face palletA single-face pallet has only one deck, the top deck, fastened to stringers or blocks, with no bottom deckboards. A skid is a single-face pallet.
- 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.
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 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. 147 words.