Getting the most out of a truck bed is important for many workers and pickup truck owners. Even though a bed already provides a lot of additional space, properly utilizing it is difficult, and you’ll often need even more space than you have. But if you push your organization to the extreme using these tips, you can get even more from your pickup truck bed.
Focus on Space Utilization
The first step is to maximize the space you already have in your truck bed. Every upgrade and decision you make for your truck should enhance the space you have. This means investing in upgrades that make storage easy and learning the tricks that help you avoid wasted space.
Follow Packing Rules
Before you even look at upgrades, you should first learn how to pack things into your truck bed so you don’t waste any space. Just putting things in the back of your truck will waste a lot of space and can even be dangerous. So learn these best practices for packing things away.
Stack Heavy and Large Items on the Bottom
Place anything heavy on the truck bed with nothing underneath it. You can stack items on top of each other, but the bottom item on any stack should be the biggest and heaviest. This will prevent sliding and tipping and make organization easier, as you can maneuver items around easily.
Aftermarket Modifications
If, after implementing the basic packing rules, you still need more space in your truck bed, you can look for aftermarket modifications. These modifications change your vehicle in different ways. This section will focus on mods to help you make the most of your truck’s storage space.
Slide-Out Trays
These bed modifications sit on top of your truck’s bed, acting as a new type of floor. You can slide these trays out of the vehicle to easily load and unload all your items. These tools are great for efficiently storing anything you want, as you can easily reach every part of your storage. You can even get custom sliding trunk trays capable of holding thousands of pounds, even welders, air compressors and generators, while sliding fully out of your truck for easy access.
Mounted Boxes
Another great tool for storing items is mounted boxes that attach to your truck bed. These boxes are useful for storing anything small or fragile, as they don’t move and can protect their contents while you drive. You can even get lockbox versions to add another layer of protection to your valuable gear and items.
Mounted Drawers
If you’re looking for ways to maximize storage while protecting your items, mounted drawers are a great option. These drawers help you utilize all the space available and give you the perfect place to put small and important items. It’s also much easier to stay organized when you efficiently store items in a drawer.
Add More Storage Space
Another modification you can get is extra storage space for your vehicle. While the other mods focus on utilizing the space you already have, these mods seek to create more usable space by converting areas of your vehicle. Here are a few examples and how they can benefit you.
Undercarriage Drawers
Under the bed of your truck, there is a bit of room between the frame, tires, and ground. You can add a series of drawers to your truck’s undercarriage to utilize that space for storage. This won’t work for every vehicle, and it may work better if you also buy a lift kit for your truck.
Under-Seat Storage Options
You can also convert the space under the front seats to offer more storage. There’s a lot of space under your seats, but it takes the right type of modifications to make it usable for storage. Under-seat storage is a great place for your most common tools, as you’ll always have easy access to them.
Utilize the Sides
While there isn’t much space on the sides of your truck bed, you can still utilize it to carry items without taking up space in your truck bed. You can add drawers or a tool rack, which will be perfect for efficiently storing your gear in one space.
Dedicated Spots
When it comes to some of the best hacks for organizing your truck bed, dedicating spots in your vehicle to specific items is one of the best tricks. If you’re just putting things away as they come to you, items won’t always fit as they should. Dedicating space to each piece of gear means you’ll always have the room you think you do and know where each item is when you need it.
Bundle Things Together
Whenever you store items in your truck, you should look for ways to combine them into one pile. For example, find tools that you can tie together or stack papers to create one solid pile of paper. These are much easier to store when they’re one solid object, as you can easily find them again later and dedicate space to these items.
Tie Things Down
You should always tie down items in your truck bed so they don’t shift around as you drive. This movement can be dangerous for anyone operating the vehicle and can damage the items. You should tie down any piles or stacks you create, which also means you can stack the items higher.
Use Boxes
A great hack to organize your pickup truck bed easily and efficiently is to use boxes to keep all your gear and items in one place. Boxes are simple ways of bundling items and easily organizing a space. It’s easy to stack boxes and organize your space around the square boxes rather than fight with the odd shapes of the items within.
Start at the Back
When loading your truck bed, you should always start at the sides and back of the bed. This will help you organize your bed and maximize the space you can use. It’s best practice to create a space that’s easy to navigate and unload while wasting as little space as possible.
These are the methods you should use when you load and organize your truck. These methods will help you utilize all your space and keep you safe from shifting objects during travel. That’s why it’s so important to follow these rules and tips.
