The question of whether or not pre-drilling impacts the fastener withdrawal resistances in near-edge applications is addressed in this white paper. Practical application of long self-tapping screws (STS) in near-edge applications sometimes requires pre-drilling a pilot hole. It is commonly assumed that pre-drilling of a pilot hole with a diameter equal to the minor fastener diameter has no impact on withdrawal resistance. Designers have also assumed that, due to the lack of prescriptive code guidelines, pre-drilling guidelines established for lag screws can be applied to self tapping structural wood screws (STS) and that smaller end and edge distances can be used.