I am frequently looking for new additions for my truck in the line of accessories to improve the functionality of my pickup. I have found that the heaviest concentration first and foremost should be protection of the bed, making the obvious choice a cover. Once you have one in place, you may think that is all you need, but you shouldn’t be kept in the dark about other items you may not have thought of until the need arises and you don’t have them.

Your bed cover will keep debris and other factors of nature out, but is not enough to protect your bed floor from potential scratches and dents that are bound to happen from moving things in and out, if it is not properly protected. Therefore, a good liner or bed mat is crucial in keeping that floor safe from accidents or normal wear and tear that could lead to rust and corrosion. Not everyone agrees on types of liners, but a universal mat is better than nothing, but custom-fit bed mats are always a good choice for complete coverage. Some truck owners like spray-on liners, but in my experience, if it’s paint, it will eventually chip or crack. Some people think once they have a sprayed liner done, they are all set. This type of liner only protects the truck finish paint from rusting. It does not protect from articles sliding within the bed or movement scratches or impact dents from articles placed in and out of your truck.

Illumination is essential in a covered truck bed. What is worse than not seeing well? Once you cover that bed, even in daylight, articles that are in the back of the bed will disappear into that darkness causing you to either be forced to uncover the whole truck bed or partially move or unsnap the cover. There is a simpler solution. Light it up! Light kits with LED strips are easy to install and provide instant light with the flip of a small switch in the back of the bed to illuminate both sides of your truck box. They are 100% water proof and impact resistant to keep providing you with light for years of use. You can either wire your lights into the included switch or wire them into your factory cargo light switch.

My mother always taught me that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. She drilled that into my head on many an occasion. This is so true when maintaining your pickup truck bed from the natural way you use it on a daily basis. You have a truck to carry things; heavy things, rough things and messy things. Even if you don’t haul gravel or cinder block, simple grocery items or canned goods have been known to wreak havoc on your liner surface. Get organized, prevent possible “oops” from happening before they do. Cargo nets and divided accessory organizers are the perfect answer to eliminate items rolling around the floor of your truck bed when you make sudden stops because the jerk in front of you suddenly stopped on a dime for a squirrel. Maybe you were in a big hurry, late to work and you took a corner on two wheels. Now you’ve got all the supplies you were carrying scattered all about the truck bed. There’s no problem if your supplies consisted of cotton balls or packing peanuts. But let’s face it, we don’t put that kind of stuff in our truck beds. More likely, we’re talking cans, tools, boxes and hardware. Get yourself a truck bed organizer and preserve your pickup bed.

Finally, do yourself a huge favor and invest in a tailgate gap protector. Anyone who has ever done any kind of yard work can attest to the virtual pain in the butt that comes from hauling a load of mulch or landscape stone when it comes time for the job that is finally finished, or so you think, and it’s not. Removing some debris pieces of dirt, mulch or gravel from the gap on your tailgate is the last thing you want to be doing when your project is finished. With a gap protector, you can either sweep out the remaining material into your wheel barrel or bucket. It saves time and protects your tailgate.

You want to keep enjoying your pickup truck for years to come, so why not practice the good sense art of an ounce of prevention to protect and preserve the truck you love, not only for the time you have it, but as an investment for trade-in at some point.

I am a NYS licensed Auto Damage Appraiser, CSE certified, I-Car Certified, and have worked in the automotive industry for decades. I\’ve had the opportunity to teach auto body repair to misled kids in a classroom setting, giving them a chance to have a trade for a viable income. I found this very rewarding. Previously, I was all about the American muscle cars of the 60\’s. Now, I find pickup trucks and the way they have evolved to be my fascination and focus. I truly enjoy hearing from fellow pickup truck enthusiasts, so stop in to http://www.truckworldaccessories.com and leave a comment on my website or any of my truck blogs or articles.

I am a NYS licensed Auto Damage Appraiser, CSE certified, I-Car Certified, and have worked in the automotive industry for decades. I\’ve had the opportunity to teach auto body repair to misled kids in a classroom setting, giving them a chance to have a trade for a viable income. I found this very rewarding. Previously, I was all about the American muscle cars of the 60\’s. Now, I find pickup trucks and the way they have evolved to be my fascination and focus. I truly enjoy hearing from fellow pickup truck enthusiasts, so stop in to http://www.truckworldaccessories.com and leave a comment on my website or any of my truck blogs or articles.

Author Bio: I am a NYS licensed Auto Damage Appraiser, CSE certified, I-Car Certified, and have worked in the automotive industry for decades. I\’ve had the opportunity to teach auto body repair to misled kids in a classroom setting, giving them a chance to have a trade for a viable income. I found this very rewarding. Previously, I was all about the American muscle cars of the 60\’s. Now, I find pickup trucks and the way they have evolved to be my fascination and focus. I truly enjoy hearing from fellow pickup truck enthusiasts, so stop in to http://www.truckworldaccessories.com and leave a comment on my website or any of my truck blogs or articles.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: pickup truck, cargo bed, truck lighting, pickup bed liner, tailgate protection, truck bed mats