Top deck (pallet)
Also called: top face, load deck
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.
In depth: Parts of a pallet: deckboards, stringers, blocks and fasteners
The top deck is everything the load sits on. On a stringer pallet it is a row of deckboards nailed across the stringers. On a block pallet the deckboards sit on stringerboards, and the two are often pre-assembled as a "deck mat". A panel deck uses plywood or OSB instead of boards.
Typical build
| Pallet | Top deck |
|---|---|
| GMA-style 48 × 40 in | 7 boards: 2 × 5-1/2 in lead + 5 × 3-1/2 in, all 5/8 × 40 in |
| EPAL 1 (1200 × 800 mm) | 5 boards, 22 mm thick: 3 × 145 mm + 2 × 100 mm wide |
| Drum pallet 48 × 48 in | 9 or more boards, 3/4 in thick, small gaps |
Why it matters
The top deck controls how well small cartons, bags and drums are supported. More boards and narrower gaps raise deck coverage, which reduces carton damage and point loads. Thicker boards span farther between supports, which matters when a pallet is racked across its width. The outer boards, the lead boards, take most fork and mast impacts, so they are usually wider.
On a spec sheet
The top deck section lists style (deckboard or panel), material (new lumber, recycled lumber, panel), one row per board size (count, thickness, width, length), the spacing rule (for example "ends flush, interior equally spaced"), any wing overhang, and fasteners per joint.
Common confusions
"Top deck" is sometimes used for the whole top face including stringerboards. On a reversible pallet the top and bottom decks are identical, so either face can be the top.
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.
- 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.
- 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%.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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 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. 273 words.