Making Sense of Truck Racks Part 2: Truck Bed Racks

In the last installment of our blog on Making Sense of Truck Racks a style of truck rack with two names, Headache Racks or Cab Guards. Commonly know as Truck Racks, these racks can help with cargo hauling, but if maximizing your bed storage space is your ultimate goal, there may be a better solution.

Truck Bed Racks, or Ladder Racks, are one of the easiest ways to double up on the cargo space in your truck bed. They are fairly small, generally lightweight, and capable of carrying quite heavy loads. They also leave your rear window clear, so that you get the full range of vision while driving, unlike Headache which can completely obscure your rear window when you have cargo secured.

Truck Covers USA manufactures an interesting variety, from their American Truck Rack, a heavy duty unit designed to mesh with their other products and covered in features, to their American Rack System. The Rack System is unique because it fits the category of Truck Bed Rack in installation and style, but it's designed to carry more specific cargo using Yakima racks. I'm going to start off, however, talking about a classic rack before I get into more complicated ones. This Truck Rack is one of the best sellers on both Auto Truck Depot and Tonno Cover Depot, and it's a comparatively inexpensive cargo solution.

Access Adarac Truck Bed Rack

The Access Adarac is one of our best selling truck bed racks. This is likely because it's cost effective, simple, easy to use, and lightweight. The Adarac installs without any drilling or modification to your truck, meaning you can put it on a leased vehicle, or swap it from truck to truck as needed. It can be installed in an hour with basic tools, and it's compatible with all Access Tonneau covers as well as most other inside-the-rail tonneau covers.

The rack is fully adjustable, meaning you can slide the crossbar rails around to meet your cargo hauling needs. Whether its canoes, lumber, ladders, or other long cargo, it can all be stored securely. Its steel frame construction can support up to 500 pounds of weight, and it's powder coated black to protect the metal from corrosion and give the rack a sharp style. The Access Adarac even has integrated tie down rails so you can be sure your cargo will stay secure.

There are a tonne of varieties of Truck Bed Racks, and a lot of companies make racks similar to the Adarac, including the Thule XSporter Multi-Height Rack, and the Dee Zee Invis-A-Rack Collapsible Truck Bed Rack. Each brand has tried to add something unique to their product, so if you're looking for a truck rack to fit a specific purpose, make sure you shop around. A collapsible rack may be great if you're looking to only use it once in a while, and the multi-height may be good if your cargo variety changes a lot. If you're looking for something a little more heavy duty, however, you should look into our Contractor Rigs.

Pace Edwards Contractor Rig 

The Contractor Rig from Pace Edwards is a heady duty Truck Rack engineered with the contractor in mind. Do you spend a lot of time hauling tools, equipment, or cargo to job sites? These racks are made for every day heavy use, so you know they'll stand up. The thick aluminum trusses create exceptional rear to rear stability when compared to other racks, and they can hold a tonne of weight. The extension beams on the front provide even more security if you're hauling extremely long cargo, and PVC inserts on the rear cross member held reduce friction when loading the rack to make the process easier on your cargo and your arms. 

The Contractor Rig is designed to work with your Pace Edwards Explorer Series Rails and a Bedlocker of JackRabbit tonneau cover, and it even comes with winches to help ensure maximum security for your cargo. The cross members are adjustable to make loading easier and increase cargo versatility, and the aluminum construction with stainless steel fasteners makes this rig rust proof and great for all weather conditions and climates.

In conclusion, there are a lot of different styles and brands of Truck Bed Racks. Each model has its own benefits and limitations, and unfortunately I can't go through every single one of them. Your best bet is to start by setting a price cap for yourself. There is a huge cost range, from $249.99 all the way up to $1,709.99. There are full bed racks, heavy duty contractor rigs, and even the Elite Universal Rear Rack, which is designed to work with a Headache Rack to give you a full Truck Bed Rack system.

Whichever system you choose, a Truck Bed Rack will increase the cargo carrying capacity of your truck bed, and make your life just a little bit easier. Check out our selection on Auto Truck Depot and Tonno Cover Depot.