Best Load Boards For Truckers (2024 Updated)

The OverHaul HD rack is a solidly built rack. YES, you will also need HD cross bars (they come in 3 lengths) and the features tab DOES indeed state this. I am using the longest available HD bars on my 2010 Tundra.

I can fit two sets of Thule Hullivators and a Thule Dock Glide mount up there. I have zero concerns that the rack system wouldn’t be able to support it. For Toyota and Nissan trucks you will need a bed adapter.

It stinks that it is an extra add on but it is what it is. Be sure to order them together. I can easily dismount the rack and leave the baseplates on during the winter months. I can take off both racks in about 3 minutes.

Hoping to add a rack mounted tent next year. Can’t wait for more adventures. This is the kind of rack that you go to the junkyard to reclaim if you truck gets totaled. It’s built that solid.

The bad: 1. I’m not sure why the call it a “Truck Rack” and have a picture of a truck rack because that’s not what it is. The Cross Bars (not Side Bars) to complete the rack make it much more expensive.

2. The locks are really just to keep honest people honest, to be honest, and I don’t know why they give you two instead of four when you pay SUCH a price for these things. That being said, The Good: They do look really cool, better than most other racks I’ve seen, and I love the black powder coating.

Makes my black Chevy Colorado look awesome and ready for adventures. I also like how quick and easy it is to take the racks on and off the bed if you don’t need them on. (but that also worries me a little) The adjustable height is also really useful; I just wish it was easier to adjust.

This ramp is terrific. If showed up when it was supposed to. It is built very strong, and it should last for many years. A very excellent product. The price is very good as well. Thanks for the service.

A very satisfied customer.

This is a fantastic product, but don’t set it and leave it as is, for years. The adjuster knobs need to be loosened and retightened once in awhile. How often doesn’t matter, you don’t have to change the height.

This prevents any corrosion built up on the built in T-nut on the adjustable knob. As a matter of fact I loosen every screw on this rack at least once a month and just retighten it. It’s not an inconvenience, what is inconvenient is having the adjuster knobs completely seized on you This is no fault to Thule it’s what nature does to aluminum when exposed to the elements.

I’ve seen it first hand, unfortunately Thule does not sell the adustment mechanism separately you have to buy the whole base assembly and they are very expensive. Having said all that I love this Rack and it’s features, holds my canoe on my truck rock solid.

I bought this for my Saranc 146 canoe because loading it by myself with my previous set-up was not super easy. Now I can load my canoe myself with little effort. Installation was a piece of cake and it looks great.

The adjustability makes this work in so many ways. Just turn the knobs, make your adjustments and tighten them back up. Done. It’s rock solid. Worth the price.

This new Loadhandler replaces one I bought 15+ years ago. I unloaded about 2500 loads of grass, dirt, bark mulch and rocks over the years. The old one was only now starting to wear out. The new one has been improved in the areas where the old one was wearing.

This product is possibly the best item you should invest in if you have a pickup and actually use the box for hauling stuff! It’s quick to unload and will absolutely save your back. Best bang for the buck of any purchase I have made for my truck.

This item was purchased to assist on a landscaping project with hauling fill dirt/rocks in my Ford Ranger small pickup, approximately 25 loads. It greatly speeds unloading, replacing 5-10 minutes of shoveling with 30 seconds of cranking.

It had no problems moving the entire mix, which included some 100+ lb rocks. It was worth the money for this project, and I would recommend it to others. It was used on the painted bed of the truck with no bedliner.

After the project, the truck tailgate had indentations where the Loadhandler brackets attached. If a plastic bedliner insert had been used or the Loadhandler mat, then these dents may not have appeared.

Although the dirt loads weren’t weighed, I don’t believe the 2000 lb capacity was exceeded. The truck was loaded so it still had some spring travel on the stock springs and shocks. When using the Loadhandler, make sure the straps are secure.

On the Ranger tailgate, there was approximately 2 feet of excess strap hanging out the buckle after tightening. On one unloading, this excess strap wrapped around the tarp pole, and I broke the bracket.

I was able to tie the strap through another hole on the bracket and continue with the project. I did experience a bracket failure on the other side through normal use. Since it was at the end of the project, I was able to unload the last couple of loads by holding the bracket in place with my hands.

The Loadhandler company promptly replaced both sides of the bracket when I called their customer service folks. Based on this experience, consider purchasing the 3000 lb rated Loadhandler if you plan on unloading a more dense material like rocks and dirt.

I’ve installed a spray-on Full Metal Jacket bedliner, and it is stickier than just paint. I have used the Loadhandler since with grass and bark, and it still works like a champ. I would likely buy the Loadhandler mat if I decide to move dirt and rocks again.

I was skeptical when i first purchased this product but it really works. I put it on both of my pickup trucks and use it for soil and mulch and it turned my truck into a dump truck. I lay a tarp in the truck first and then roll out the loadhandler on top of it and I’m ready to go.

This product paid for itself in two jobs. I saved myself an half hour or more per job by having this device. I highly recommend anyone with a truck should have this as a standard accessory.

I had a little bit of a hard time getting these onto the 2×8 that I bought, but it was nothing that a few good whacks with the mallet couldn’t fix. Once I got them on, drilled the holes, and now I have very sturdy ramps.

Long story short, have one or two people to help out them on, and once you do, you are all set. Quality product, I would recommend them.

Excellent ramp kit. Just add 2 -2x8s and load most anything into your pickup bed. I used mine today and am very satisfied with the product.

2x5x2 treated lumber is not wide enough, the bolts split the wood when weight was applied, I plan on using 2x8x2 treated lumber when I redo the set.

When compared to other extenders in this price point, it offers more flexibility with angling the rail to accommodate more height differences. The optional extender also makes the long arm more adaptable.

The Yakima bed extender allows me to carry my 13′ kayak in the bed of my Tacoma. No rattles or vibrations. I strongly recommend using pads on the cross bar so you don’t mar your boat and definitely get a locking hitch pin.

If Yakima would make a roller system for the cross bar (which would help us small people load our boats) I would be in heaven :).

I bought this rack specifically so I could easily lift off my tent and rack between camping trips. Yakima advertises quick removal. Well. after install I tried removing the racks and they won’t come off unless you also loosen up the top bars.

This is a MISS. You basically have to disassemble it to remove it. NOT quick removal like it claims. Otherwise very nice rack, easy assembly, aluminum construction.

The boxes arrived in good shape. The instructions were clear. The installation was a simple one-person effort. The components are of the highest quality. The bottle opener functions perfectly!

These take a lot of time. The motors take 5 min each. Putting them on the truck took hours. The plug for the wire harness was so stiff. Used adjustable pliers so the tabs would lock. Then used electrical tape to make sure it stayed.

The wiring diagram is use full and not at the same time. The self taping wire nuts are long. The lights really need a lot of force to be crimped and you need a heat gun to shrink the plastic around the connectors.

Lastly have a helper to set the rails on the steps. The aluminum billet used to secure the step to the rails is soft. As you screw in the bolt its can strip very easy. This happened to me. Use a rubber mallet to tap the step onto the aluminum billet after threading by hand.

They work great once you get them on.

Product works great and looks nice as it’s not really visible when retracted. 2020 F150 Supercrew with short bed. Took a few days to install, 8hrs total, as I soldered and double heat shrunk all connections instead of using the wire crimps and then primed/painted and silicone did all four hole drilled in the rocker panels for the light wires.

Also needed to add some wire to the rear light wiring to enable it to be wire tied tight against the truck to prevent snow accumulation from pulling the wires off as chunks of packed snow and ice drop from the truck during winter.

Lights are nice at night. More brightness isn’t needed and would likely make night vision less if they were brighter. I also sealed up the holes in the gear motor housing with silicone to prevent water and dirt from being driven into the gear housing shaft plastic bushing.

Not sure why the spinning gear shaft is exposed to the elements. Only negative comment is I’d have liked to see grease fitting on all pivoting arms. Cost less then $30 to add at factory and then it would be perfect.

Simple addition which would greatly help keep it pivoting great for decades.

10/10 recommend – Hands down the best mod I’ve bought yet. Was never a fan of the OEM running boards as they are a little too high for my shorter passengers and they are very slippery when wet/snowy (I live in the north).

With these running boards the steps come down about two inches lower and you can step with confidence because of the rough coating, durable design and illumination. Install went exactly how the video suggested, wiring was simple and straight forward.

The best part is they disappear under the truck when not in use as to not take away from the silhouette of the truck itself. 10/10 Recommend for anyone looking to upgrade, lift their truck or ditch the OEM running boards.

It works very well for a while. I’ve had my be for several years. The alignment collars are now falling apart. I’ve only used it less than half a dozen times. Everything but the pipe they use for the roller and the canvas is made of some sort of plastic.

So I assume that the two parts that the roller fits into will soon start to crack and fall apart as well since they are made from the same material. It works as it was designed to but if you are going to use it a lot I wouldn’t expect it to have a very long service life.

Made in China.

Cannot recommend highly enough. Ive had one for years and love it and so does my back. I have shoveled out a load of 3/4 gravel and it took forever. 30 seconds with LH. Firewood is even quicker. Get one.

Your back will thank you. Get the mat, too. P.

I bought the LoadHandler about three years ago to unload wood mulch from my Dodge Dakota. Since then I have unloaded tons of stone, gravel, sand, sacks of concrete, etc. This thing is the greatest!I bought the full size LoadHandler and cut the mat down so that it just fits between the wheel wells.

This way I get maximum mat width, plus the roller bar clears the tailgate by a few extra inches. Seal the cut edges of the mat with a broad knife heated with a torch – looks just like the factory edge.

I removed the rubber cap on the crank end of the roller bar and drilled a 1/4 inch hole through both the roller bar and a 1/2 inch drive socket, which I put inside the hollow roller bar and secured with a bolt.

An 11/16inch socket just fits inside of the bar. Now I can unload with a large ratchet which is much easier than using the crank which comes with the tool. If you use this twice a year it will be worth it.

I have used mine hundreds of times and it is still one of my favorite tools.

This is a heavy duty rack. I’ve owned (3) other brand, bed extenders and after a while they start load sagging. This rack will never sag……and it has the truck hitch roof extension option built in. This is a #1 quality dual purpose rack.

Great bed extender. Love it that it is adaptable on the distance from the hitch top the point of support – most extenders seem to be a set distance out. There is play in the joints (as most all reviews of all extenders report), but I’d rather have that than too tight a fit that makes assembly difficult.

Some wobble does not mean the extender will fall off. Very heavy duty.

Very handy truck accessory for hauling long items/lumber. This one is adjustable in multiple configurations which is great!

Works ok only IF you secure it with cargo straps to your truck bed. Otherwise it is poorly designed. Example is they could have easily extended the hitch receiver and ‘T’ support ends to add strength and rigidity but nope.

Once you have that sorted out then it works fine for hauling long items. I use it for hauling kayaks up to 14’ and it has been useful and less complicated than using a trailer.

This product is for many different pickup trucks. I had to redrill bolt holes to better fit the rail on my pickup bed. This was no problem, little extra work. Would recommend reading instructions, because you can actually flip the cross bars upside down, which was a better fit for me.

All parts fit together nicely, no forcing to fit. Once I bolted everything down and tightened bolts, cargo rack very secure and sturdy. I would recommend to all. Will use mine to carry kayak and ladders, maybe lumber.

Gd quality materials. I also would recommend drilling a small hole in the bottom of the upright piping for water drainage.

If you are a family that loves being outdoors and hauling around your equipment, then I recommend purchasing a Pro-series Cargo Truck Rack. Recently, my family wanted to take our kayaks with us on vacation.

For the past couple of years, we have just tied them in the bed of the truck. But we wanted something a little more safe. I would give the product 5/5 stars because it was very easy to install, sturdy, an affordable price, and could be used for various purposes.

One of the biggest reasons why I liked this rack was because it was sturdy and extremely easy to install. The rack was definitely user friendly because it didn’t require a lot of assembling to put together.

We are also able to dismount it whenever we want which is another nice feature to the rack. Another reason why I liked this rack was because it’s sturdy enough to hold 3 kayaks with ease. Our kayaks used to just get tied down in the bed of our ford truck.

It was nerve racking because I didn’t feel the safest riding in the truck with them like that. Once we purchased this rack, my worries went away. I didn’t have to constantly keep looking back to see if the ropes were coming loose or not.

Luckily, we found this truck rack for a very reasonable price. It was only 100$ which is a great deal! Originally, we were going to have to rent kayaks because we didn’t want the hassle. It would have cost us 75$ to rent all 3 of the kayaks for one day! But instead, we purchased this rack and we were able to use our kayaks all day long without having to pay to rent them.

Plus, we are now able to use this rack in the future. Lastly, the rack can be used for various other items as well. Our family can also use it to haul lumber or other construction equipment. We were very pleased with the product.

The only thing we would’ve wished to be different is that it was built for our make and model of the truck. We had to weld a piece of steel to stabilize the bottom and drill a couple of holes for screw mounts.

But other than that, the rack was everything we had hoped for and we are more than pleased with it. So if you’re family likes the outdoors and wants to travel with ease, then I highly recommend purchasing the Pro Series Cargo Truck Rack.

Overall, a Great Value & I am very happy with this product & purchase! Materials were of good quality, shipped on-time. Rack installed very easily. It is adjustable for various truck bed widths & seems very solid & strong! Looks good on my Ford F-150 & no problems.

Best priced rack I could find on the web, or locally, & well worth $120 ! One minor issue was the allen screws that are used to attach the “bridge pipe” that connects (& adjusts width) between the two upright posts.

on my particular rack, one of the four allen screw attachments was broken, but still able to use the remaining three, & don’t feel this will be a big issue. However, it appears that it would have been better just to drill holes & bolt-thru the entire bar, vs.

allen set-screws (?). and, that is what I will do, if/when needed. Otherwise, no complaints on this one!!.

I picked this up at Harbor Freight for around $40. My store usually would only get a couple in every once in a while, but I was able to snag one. I attached it to a utility trailer to haul and dump gravel.

It works really well and saves time and my back. So far I’ve moved about 12 tons of gravel with this installed. If it was worn out now, it’d still be worth it. There are a few weak points in this item.

First, the handle just slots through a couple of holes in the thin walled pipe. When you’re cranking hard enough to move 1500-2000 pounds of material, that slot starts to deform. Eventually, I suspect the slot will twist beyond being usable.

If it does, I’ll figure out another solution like a solid piece with a milled slot that bolts into the pipe. Second, the “tarp” material is not super durable. If you get a small rock or something under this, it will punch a hole through.

I sweep out the trailer after every load, but still have a couple of little holes in there. The good news is that they have not spread or torn, so that’s good. Lastly, the “grip” on the handle is garbage.

It’s literally just a little piece of plastic over a bolt. I made a new handle by 3d printing a more ergonomic one. This made it much more comfortable and allowed me to add more torque because of a better grip.

Overall, for the price, this item is excellent for the weekend warrior home owner. If you’re a contractor using this every day, I don’t think it’d last long. That being said, I can buy five of these for the price of one of the name brand name units, so it’s great value for me.

My 2002 sierra had a slot for a two by 4 to divide the bed for holding stuff towards the back of the bed. My 2017 Silverado has the slot but the bed curves in at the bottom making the two by 4 idea not work.

This small-sized load lock works great for holding items (groceries) in place and takes 5 seconds to remove and or install, when loading larger stuff in the bed Highly recommended.

Heavy duty, easy to install, will not slip when large lateral weight applied. Repositions easily. Good value product, buy two, why use inferior bungee cords?

If your like me and have longer beach fishing rods you know the Gladiator bed is to short. I bought this and attached 2″pvc pipe with pipe clamps. It tips if you don’t use the front of the bed as a stop but it works none the less.

I had been thinking about getting this for my truck, yet wasn’t sure if I’d really like it. Some reviews mentioned quality issues or problems with it moving on bumpy roads. Then, I went to see my cousin in Montana.

He pointed out the Amp Research BedStep his kids bought for him. I loved it! He was sold on the ease of getting in and out of his truck bed. I ordered one for myself before leaving home to Texas so it would be there when I got home.

Sure enough, it arrived on time. I took my time putting it on and am way more pleased with mine than the one on my cousin’s truck! Why? Because now I have one on MY truck! I then drove down some of the roughest roads I could think of in the area.

I had NO problems with the BedStep moving on it’s own. No banging at all! The BedStep is designed to function with the slight weight of your foot on the front of the step. It won’t move if I press the rear, so movement due to a rough road won’t lower the step.

I love this BedStep! As a retired Army Paratrooper, my feet, knees, and back tend to scream at inopportune times. Now I move in and out of the truck bed with ease. This is a high quality item that functions exactly as intended.

It took me about 2 hours to install. I took my time, read and reread the instructions to do it correctly. I also took pictures during the process. When installing, take your time. The pieces can be forced to fit together in more than one way, but only function properly when done right.

So, enjoy the journey! I used a 3/8 socket set. You must have the 21mm deep well socket (6 point recommended) along with a 13mm and 15 mm sockets (also 6 point, but not deep well) and a 3/16 Drive Nut.

A breaker bar certainly makes the larger nut (21mm) easier to remove. A really good torque is essential. Bottom line: I love this and wish I had purchased it sooner! It is American Made and worth every penny.

There may be cheaper ones out there, but (imho) none will be better.

So I received a text update the amp research bed step was available from AT. I called to confirm fitment. Well it does fit kinda. The instructions call out a 21mm deep well and the mounting bracket has access holes cut to accommodate the 21mm deep well.

The problem is the 21mm doesn’t fit the mounting nuts on the 2021 F-150. I ended up having to use a 15/16” socket and that socket was too big for the pre-cut access hole in the step frame. Luckily I could fit the socket angled onto the nut and tighten/torque to the called out spec.

So yes the step does fit but I think AT was a bit premature in calling this ready for 2021. I did not have a 15/16” deep well to try, but assume my results would be similar. 5 stars for Amp Research.

4 starts for AT, Amp recently announced the step will be coming soon. I’m guessing AT just sold old inventory as ready for 21.

I have an OEM step similar to this on my 2016 – 2500 Cummins and honestly, it’s a no brainer to have this on my new 1500 as well. While the manual leaves a lot to be desired, so much so that I took pictures and edited the PDF to send to the manufacturer, the product itself is a solid and welcome addition to my new truck.

Install took about 20 minutes, the majority of the work was figuring out what nuts and bolts went to what. The manual shows items numerically and then references them alphabetically, adding to the confusion it failed to mention the need for the nuts they included to attach the main assembly.

Again it’s something that anyone can figure out but it should not have been that hard. An 18v impact tool makes for very quick removal of the 2 nuts at the bumper followed by reattaching them with the new step mount in place.

Side note, this step attaches to the rear bumper, the OEM step attaches to the frame in a different orientation. Online videos for the OEM product will not match this product. Furthermore, the online video for this actual product by the manufacturer is for the previous generation RAM, 2019 and 2020 are completely different and the video should not be used as a reference.

Other than that the box shipped without an M14 bolt that you need to attach the support arm to the frame. RAM supplies the threaded hole, the bolt, however, was not there. Finally, there are references to a T25 Torx however it’s actually a T20 screw that is supplied.

The good, it’s a great step, solid and very functional, aside from the manufacturer providing a lackluster manual, no reason not to pick this up for your truck!.

Hey, I was a little skeptical about purchasing these based on some reviews about feeling flimsy when stepped on. After installing I can confirm that they hold my weight no problem. I am 230lbs. They may flex slightly but it is not noticable when using them normally.

Just getting in and out of the truck perfect. Easy to install although I recommend scrapping the body paint off the bolts before trying to install the locking nuts. Even if you have an extra nut that isnt a locking style to help break loose the body paint.

They look great and are slightly adjustable to stick out further or not. My only complaint is the mount locations caused some interference with getting them to mount equally on both sides. What i am saying is if you measured them from a stationary point they are off by a half inch or so.

Not noticable unless you really look but it happend.

Purchased a set of running boards for my wife’s Silverado. Both packages arrived when they said they would as well as neither of them were damaged whatsoever which was refreshing. Instructions were fairly basic and didn’t leave much for the imagination which was great and I found them very easy to follow.

Product is very heavy and thick gauge steel. I’ve installed other brands and found them to be fairly flimsy and more show then useful. These were easy to install by myself, very solidly constructed and overall seem to be a very nice product.

I will definitely purchase from rough country again and will definitely refer others to there products as well.

Images from the website don’t do these justice. I was expecting the running board itself to be flimsy from what I saw in the images and the price point compared to other running boards I looked at. I was pleasantly surprised to feel the strength in the metal before it was even attached to the brackets! Most running boards come with 3 brackets, the 4 brackets with the HD2 running boards were a big part of my decision to purchase these running boards.

Once torqued down there is no movement at all when getting in and out of the truck. They have a super solid feel and my expectations have been far exceeded! Thanks for developing a great product!.

They work great and look great, I just have a few problems with the bolts that mount the running board to the hanger, one of the bolts snapped in half when my wife was doing that side, I thought she cross threaded it but the nut came right off so it wasn’t cross threaded.

We had to shave 2 of the bolts down because where we wanted it to sit it was hitting the brace. It looks like the ends of the running boards are dipping down for some reason as well. Couple of the welds arent the best looking but the paint almost hides it.

They do a great job for what they’re for, just don’t think I’d pay that much for running boards again.

These boards totally changed the look of my 2018 STX. Installation was easy. Could have used an extra hand but they’re manageable on your own. My only issue I ran into was not having an open ended 10mm or ratcheting wrench which you need to secure the boards to the brackets.

The brackets made reaching the inside nuts impossible with a socket. Wound up having to use an adjustable wrench to get to them. Added a little bit of time. Overall these things look very tough and so far, are holding up to the Florida weather like a champ.

These things are tough and built great. Make sure to take your time, there is no point in rushing install and it will go together easy. The only thing I did was the mounting brackets that attach to the truck had some rust from the gaping between the faceplate and arm where they welded, mainly on the bent piece.

Nothing a wire brush and enamel paint couldn’t cover. Overall very satisfied.

Long time Thule rack system user. Went from the Evo Wingbar to the Squarebar on my new vehicle and it was a huge mistake. I didn’t open the box until I needed them to travel and setting up one of the bars was bowed in the middle.

The pads didn’t fit properly even with the velcro as tight as possible. I love Thule products but am super disappointed in these bars. I drove across country last week and bars were so loud it was hard to have a conversation over the noise.

I never had that problem with the Wingbars. I even had to take my surfboard bags off to put in the car and take the rack off to put my boards in the vehicle it was so loud and intrusive driving. That obstructed my rear vision on the highway so bad that I had no choice but to put the racks back on.

I’m hoping Thule will exchange these out for the Evo Wingbars that I have always used and I can pay the additional cost. Great for around town but just don’t go on the highway.

I have been putting together a rack for my truck camper shell, with zero help from Thule. There is no help or directions from the “Fit My Car” so I had to do it myself researching on the internet. I bought Rapid Podium feet and Crossbars at the length I wanted (150).

Package arrived and I realized I needed a FitKit to attach feet to the factory installed Thule tracks which was mentioned nowhere on the Thule site. Also, the crossbars have a minimum width that the feet can be adjusted to and there is no mention of this anywhere on the bar description.

My tracks were too narrow for the feet to be adjusted to fit them. So I then ordered the FitKit and called Thule to explain the situation with the bars and swapped them for shorter ones. These new bars arrived and still could not accommodate the width of my tracks.

The minimum width the feet could slide into was about 39″ and my tracks sit at 37″. At this point I said “F-this” and cut the bars with a metal cutting wheel so the feet could slide in to where I needed them too.

Finally, I got everything put together and fitting fine, and then went put the covers on over the podium feet. Turns out they don’t fit tightly, and they wiggle and flap in the wind. So then I had to put some double side tape inside to keep them tight.

I am someone who is competent with these types of things and don’t usually have these problems. I will absolutely never buy another thing from Thule.

This is a great, strong rack. In the past, though, the feet clamped onto the bar so that removal and reinstallation was easy. Now, the clamp grabs the roof and bar simultaneously. Every time I remove the rack, the feet immediately slide to the end of the bar, pop off the endcap, and fall to the ground.

I have to remeasure and recenter the bar every time I reinstall. There are nice measurement markings on the underside of the bar, but you can’t actually see them once you put the rack on the roof! Nice, strong rack, but a pain for frequent on/off.