Lead board (pallet)
Also called: leader board, end board, leading board
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).
In depth: Parts of a pallet: deckboards, stringers, blocks and fasteners
The lead boards are the two deckboards at the ends of each deck, flush with the ends of the stringers or blocks. They are the first part of the pallet a fork tine or forklift mast hits, so they wear out and split first.
Typical sizes
| Pallet | Lead board |
|---|---|
| GMA-style 48 × 40 in | 5/8 × 5-1/2 × 40 in (16 × 140 × 1016 mm) |
| Heavier custom designs | 3/4 × 6 × 40 in, or two butted boards |
| EPAL 1 (top deck) | 22 × 145 × 1200 mm (about 7/8 × 5.7 × 47.2 in) |
The Uniform Standard (2012) treats two butted 4 in boards as equal to one 6 in board, and requires lead boards within ±1/4 in of their specified location.
Why it matters
Wider lead boards take more nails: the Uniform Standard's minimum is 2 fasteners per joint for boards up to 5-1/4 in wide and 3 for 5-1/4 to 7 in. A GMA-style pallet therefore has 3 nails per lead-board joint and 2 per interior joint. In durability testing the lead boards are usually the first components to need repair.
On a spec sheet
Lead boards get their own row in the deck table because they differ in width from the interior boards, for example "2 0.625 5.500 40.00". Their fastener count per connection is listed separately.
Common confusions
"Leader board" and "end board" mean the same thing. The leader board gap is the space between a lead board and the next board inward.
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.
- 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.
- GlossaryLeader board gap (pallet)The leader board gap is the space between a lead board (the outermost deckboard) and the next deckboard inward. On a bottom deck it is often wider than the other gaps to clear stringer notches and let pallet-jack wheels reach the floor.
- GlossaryTop deck (pallet)The top deck is the load-carrying upper surface of a pallet, made of deckboards or a panel fastened across the stringers, stringerboards or blocks.
- 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.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
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. 266 words.