Bed Caps & Rails: The Basics

These days, with all the extra amenities loaded onto them, pickup trucks are getting treated more like European luxury sedans than work rigs. In fact, with electric windows, leather interior, climate control and entertainment systems coming standard, it’s easy to forget that trucks are actually designed to do work. And if you’re one of the few truck drivers who truly does use your truck for what it was designed for—loading and transporting cargo—you’ve probably learned the hard way that this kind of activity can inflict serious damage to your rig. But there is a way to work your truck as it was intended, without flogging the paint and sheet metal—enter bed caps and bed rails.

Let’s start with bed caps. The first order of business for a bed cap is to absorb the brunt of the blows, drops and scrapes inflicted by cargo before the paint and body gets hit. They’re either made of steel, diamond-plate aluminum or heavy-duty ABS plastic, all incredibly durable materials, and they feature a custom shape, designed to fit specifically on your truck’s bed. Even better, bed caps are easy to install, just peel the double-sided tape and stick ‘em to your bed. But the hidden benefit of bed caps is the style factor—they look great. And, most bed cap kits are available with matching tailgate caps which protect the top of your tailgate and round out the style.

Bed rails are next. These are a little harder to install than the caps, but they also add another dimension of usability. Just like the bed caps, bed rails protect your paint & body work and they look great. But bed rails go one further and give you a super-secure place to tie off cargo, running the length of your truck bed. This comes in real handy when you’re doing those heavy hauling chores.

When you’re shopping for bed caps, tailgate caps and bed rails, be sure to seek out the top brands. EGR, BAK, Putco and Dee Zee are the biggest in the biz and worth your hard earned dollars. After all, you spent a lot on your truck, so get the best caps & rails you can find, and put that beast to work for you—which is what it was made to do.