A plastic pallet comprising: a cargo layer comprising a pair of horizontally positioned outer plastic deck boards and at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board therebetween, said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic 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 plastic deck boards having opposing inner and outer sidewalls (33, 33), such that the outer sidewall (33) is closed off, and a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the inner sidewall (33) and without extending through the outer sidewall (33) of each outer plastic deck board, the plurality of spaced apart openings in the inner sidewall (33) of each horizontally positioned outer plastic deck board being aligned with the plurality of spaced apart openings in an adjacent sidewall of said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board; a plurality of inserts in the plurality of spaced apart openings (34, 38); a base layer comprising a plurality of horizontally positioned plastic deck boards (50, 50, 50) orthogonal to said pair of horizontally positioned outer plastic deck boards and said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic 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 plastic deck boards and at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board therebetween, said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic 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 plastic deck boards having opposing inner and outer sidewalls (33, 33), such that the outer sidewall (33) is closed off, and a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the inner sidewall (33) and without extending through the outer sidewall (33) of each outer plastic deck board, the plurality of spaced apart openings in the inner sidewall (33) of each horizontally positioned outer plastic deck board being aligned with the plurality of spaced apart openings in an adjacent sidewall of said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board; said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic 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 plastic deck boards having opposing inner and outer sidewalls (33, 33), such that the outer sidewall (33) is closed off, and a plurality of spaced apart openings extending through the inner sidewall (33) and without extending through the outer sidewall (33) of each outer plastic deck board, the plurality of spaced apart openings in the inner sidewall (33) of each horizontally positioned outer plastic deck board being aligned with the plurality of spaced apart openings in an adjacent sidewall of said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board; a plurality of inserts in the plurality of spaced apart openings (34, 38); a base layer comprising a plurality of horizontally positioned plastic deck boards (50, 50, 50) orthogonal to said pair of horizontally positioned outer plastic deck boards and said at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic 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.