Cargo-carrying tips for your truck

Bed Extender

In the simplest terms, truck-bed extenders provide additional cargo capacity equal to one tailgate width. Since the average tailgate height is two feet, extenders can turn a standard bed into a long bed. Bed extenders attach inside the bed, and with the tailgate down, the extender flips out, effectively securing the cargo. Traditionally, the extenders are used to secure ATVs, motorcycles and other long cargo. The common construction is aircraft quality aluminum with a series of built-in high-impact nylon bumpers. Bed extenders can also compartmentalize everyday small items in an otherwise empty truck bed when flipped inward, with the loose items held between the closed tailgate and the extender.

Hitch-Receiver Rack

Like bed extenders, hitch-receiver racks, some with molded polymer boxes, provide additional exterior cargo area. The StowAway 2 system is specifically designed for SUVs, slipping into a standard hitch receiver and fitting below the rear window line and between the taillights. One system model swings away to provide access to the back of the vehicle, and the box even has a drain plug for easy cleaning. Another product line incorporates everything you'd need for a tailgate party.

Cargo Net

Smaller, generic storage solutions include cargo nets made of high strength polyester webbing, which range in size from full truck-bed size to smaller nets designed to hold items against the tailgate of an SUV or to constrain cargo loaded on a roof rack. For conventional storage, as opposed to exotic sporting equipment, Creekside manufactures a series of Cargo Paks and Totes. The company's Cargo Mini (18x18x9 inches) and Cargo Pak (32x19x9 inches) can be secured to a passenger seat or the back end of an SUV with Velcro strips. Made of polyester, the Pak and Mini have handles for easy toting, compartments to keep in-coming mail separate from outgoing, outside mesh pockets and, best of all, they collapse when not in use. For those who travel light, the Cargo Tote buckles behind the headrest, holding emergency or safety essentials in a see-through mesh pouch. There's also a product from Dee Zee called the Vizor Caddy, an improvement over the glove compartment, which for larger vehicles is out of easy reach for the driver. The Caddy fits against the roof, above the visor, creating a shelf protected with a flexible net for quick access to maps, vehicle registration, etc.


With the range of cargo management systems available, there's no excuse for piles of miscellaneous cargo sliding around either the interior or in the truck bed. Which means you won't have to worry about being driven to distraction by your cargo.