Interior deckboard (pallet)
Also called: inner deckboard, intermediate deckboard
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.
In depth: Deckboard thickness and spacing: how to lay out a pallet deck
Interior deckboards fill the deck between the lead boards. They carry most of the load area but take fewer fork impacts, so they are usually narrower and get fewer fasteners per joint.
Typical values
| Pallet | Interior deckboards |
|---|---|
| GMA-style 48 × 40 top | 5 × 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in (16 × 89 × 1016 mm) |
| GMA-style 48 × 40 bottom | 3 × 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in, grouped in the middle |
| EPAL 1 top | 3 boards: 2 × 100 mm and 1 × 145 mm center, 22 mm thick |
Under the Uniform Standard (2012) Table 5, a board up to 5-1/4 in wide needs at least 2 fasteners per joint, so a 3-1/2 in interior board normally gets 2.
Why it matters
The interior boards set deck coverage and the gap between boards. When a pallet is racked across its width or loaded between supports, an interior top or bottom board is often the critical member in the structural analysis. In PDS durability simulations the interior boards are reported as their own group ("Top Interior Boards") with separate repair and replacement counts.
On a spec sheet
Interior boards are the second row of each deck table (count, thickness, width, length), and the spacing rule says how they are placed, for example "interior boards equally spaced" on the top or "interior cluster equally spaced" on the bottom.
Common confusions
On a block pallet the center board on the top deck is often as wide as the lead boards, because it sits over the center row of blocks. It is still an interior board.
Related
- GlossaryWhat is a pallet deckboard?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.
- 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).
- 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.
- GlossaryDeck coverage (pallet)Deck coverage is the percentage of a pallet deck's area that is covered by deckboards. A GMA-style 48 × 40 top deck covers about 59%; a solid deck covers 100%.
- 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.
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. 281 words.