5 truck-bed innovations that are pure genius
Trucks are known to be handy, but many have unique features, too
It’s been the case for some time now that modern pickup trucks are anything but the crude and utilitarian work vehicles of decades past. That said, it seems that year after year, automakers are finding new and clever ways to make the mighty pickup more practical and convenient than ever, especially when it comes to where the heavy work is done: the bed.
At this stage of the game, all of the major players have lighting, tie-downs, power plugs and other aids, but each one also has a few unique tricks up their sleeve.
Here is a sampling of them.
2019 GMC SIERRA: FOLDING TAILGATE
Why someone never thought of this is beyond me, but this latest multi-piece tailgate design on the new Sierra is pure genius.
Depending on how it is unlatched and folded, the new gate can do anything from provide a lower-height step into the bed, to acting as a work surface or a load stop when packing goods that don’t fit in the bed with the tailgate closed.
All told, the GMC MultiPro tailgate (as the brand has dubbed it) has six functions to make your day-to-day loading and unloading easier than it’s ever been.
Of its many functions the “inner gate with work surface” — effectively a flat and narrow platform that cuts the height of the tailgate in half — doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that’ll really serve much purpose, but even cutting the count to five practical functions isn’t anything to sneeze at.
2018 NISSAN TITAN AND TITAN XD: CARGO RAILS
If you’ve owned or used a truck before, you know the frustrations of tying down your possessions.
You’ve mastered the art of the bungee cord and ratchet strap, as well as figured out all of the obscure angles and eyelets that can be used to corral things in place.
Thanks to some clever engineering, the cargo rail system in the bed of the new Titan ends that frustration for good. A set of rails runs along each surface of the bed, complete with aluminum alloy cleats that can be positioned at any point in the rail to strap down objects of any dimension.
Add in the optional lockable in bed storage boxes, and the Titan really covers all the bases.
Did we mention those in-bed storage boxes are designed to double as a cooler?
2019 HONDA RIDGELINE: THE TRUCK TRUNK
It’s safe to say that the Honda Ridgeline is the car of the truck world, as much in terms of esthetics as practicality.
Even in its original form, one of the Ridgeline’s quirks was a lockable sealed “trunk” space underneath the truck bed, clearly a well-loved feature that has been carried forward to the current generation.
While not massive, this “truck trunk” definitely adds a reasonable amount of weatherproof cargo space that would otherwise compromise rear passenger room in any other truck.
The Ridgeline also comes with a unique tailgate design that allows the gate to be folded down or swung open, depending on how the latch is activated, which is of particular help when the trunk needs to be accessed.
While the Ridgeline won’t be competing with the Sierra or Titan (or many other trucks for that matter), it is practical features like this that position it as a “gateway truck” of sorts.
2018 FORD F150: STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Before the unveiling of GMC’s MultiPro tailgate, Ford was effectively king of the hill when it came to clever ingress and egress from the truck bed.
Tucked away in the top of the tailgate is an extending tailgate step and lift assist that cuts the height from ground to tailgate in half. No, it doesn’t do anything else, but sometimes a little step up is all you need.
From a service standpoint, there will also no doubt be some debate over the longevity of this simple execution by Ford when compared with the much more complex mechanism found in the new Sierra.
2018 RAM 1500: RAMBOX PARTY PODS
An option on the latest Ram pickups are these handy RamBox storage boxes, on either side of the bed over the wheel wells.
Yes, they do cut into the overall bed capacity, but it still fits the ubiquitous 4x8 sheets of plywood, so no excuses for getting out of work.
They lock with the key fob, have lighting and even drain plugs, so you can fill them with ice and beverages for tailgate parties.
If you need lockable storage for sizable items, you can’t really beat these.