A pallet comprising: a cargo layer comprising a pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards and at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board therebetween, said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board having opposing sidewalls, and a plurality of spaced apart openings at least partially extending through the opposing sidewalls, and said pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards having opposing inner (33) and outer (33) sidewalls, and a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the inner sidewall (33) of each outer deckboard, wherein the corresponding opposing portions of the outer sidewall (33) of the outer deck board are closed off, wherein the openings terminate within each outer deck board short of opposing portions of the respective outer sidewall (33), the plurality of spaced apart openings in the inner sidewall (33) of each horizontally positioned outer deck board being aligned with the plurality of spaced apart openings in an adjacent sidewall of said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board; a plurality of inserts in the plurality of spaced apart openings (34, 38), said inserts extending between the openings in the outer deck boards and respective openings in the at least one intermediate deck board; a base layer comprising a plurality of horizontally positioned deck boards (50, 50, 50) orthogonal to said pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards and said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board in said cargo layer; and a plurality of spaced apart support structures coupled between said base and cargo layers (30, 50) and forming gaps therebetween for receiving a lifting member. a cargo layer comprising a pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards and at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board therebetween, said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board having opposing sidewalls, and a plurality of spaced apart openings at least partially extending through the opposing sidewalls, and said pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards having opposing inner (33) and outer (33) sidewalls, and a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the inner sidewall (33) of each outer deckboard, wherein the corresponding opposing portions of the outer sidewall (33) of the outer deck board are said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board having opposing sidewalls, and a plurality of spaced apart openings at least partially extending through the opposing sidewalls, and said pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards having opposing inner (33) and outer (33) sidewalls, and a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the inner sidewall (33) of each outer deckboard, wherein the corresponding opposing portions of the outer sidewall (33) of the outer deck board are closed off, wherein the openings terminate within each outer deck board short of opposing portions of the respective outer sidewall (33), the plurality of spaced apart openings in the inner sidewall (33) of each horizontally positioned outer deck board being aligned with the plurality of spaced apart openings in an adjacent sidewall of said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board; a plurality of inserts in the plurality of spaced apart openings (34, 38), said inserts extending between the openings in the outer deck boards and respective openings in the at least one intermediate deck board; a base layer comprising a plurality of horizontally positioned deck boards (50, 50, 50) orthogonal to said pair of horizontally positioned outer deck boards and said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate deck board in said cargo layer; and a plurality of spaced apart support structures coupled between said base and cargo layers (30, 50) and forming gaps therebetween for receiving a lifting member.