Glossary
Overhang
Also called: deck overhang, wing overhang
Reviewed
In pallet construction, overhang is the distance a deck extends beyond the outer stringers or stringerboards, forming a wing. It is recorded as a single dimension, with zero meaning a flush pallet. It is different from load overhang, where the product extends past the pallet edge.
How overhang is specified
Deck overhang is measured from the outside face of the outer stringer (or stringerboard) to the end of the deckboard. It is stated per deck: a single-wing pallet has overhang on the top deck only, a double-wing pallet on both. The PDS spec sheet shows it in the "Wing" field, where 0.00 means flush.
No standard fixes a typical overhang value. It is chosen per design, for example to create room for crane sling bars under the top deck.
Deck overhang vs load overhang
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Deck overhang (wing) | the pallet's own deck sticks out past its supports |
| Load overhang | the product or cartons stick out past the pallet edges |
The first is a construction choice. The second is a unit-load problem that exposes carton edges and reduces their support.
Why it matters
Overhang changes how the deckboard ends are loaded and nailed, and bottom-deck overhang can block pallet-jack entry. When quoting, state the overhang in inches for each deck so the drawing and the price match.
Questions
- Is pallet overhang the same as a wing?
- Yes, for the pallet deck. The overhanging part of the deck is the wing, and the overhang is its dimension.