How Long is the Bed of a Pickup Truck?

One of the main utility of a pickup truck is its ability to haul various items. The bed length of the pickup plays an important role in how much and what you can haul. If you are considering a pickup truck, you may be wondering what different bed length options are there. With this information in hand, you will be able to choose the best truck for your needs.

Pickup truck beds generally come in 3 different sizes: short, standard or long. The average size of a short bed is 5’8” long. The average standard bed size is 6’5” long. The average long bed size is around 8′ long. The exact size within the categorizes varies based on the manufacturer.

Several things must come into consideration when trying to choose the right size truck bed. You may want to use a long truck bed for some personal use such as carrying an ATV or some sporting gear, or if you have a business, a long bed will suit your needs since materials such as sheetrock are usually formatted around truck bed lenghts. The bed lenght also impacts the maneuvering and life of the truck.

Sizes for Large and Short Bed Trucks

The bed size of a pickup truck depends on the manufacturer of a particular truck. The manufacturers will normally change the size of truck beds when a new model of truck is released during the year. In the past, there were only two types of truck bed sizes: a long bed and a short bed. Truck manufacturers now have various bed sizes which include bed sizes that come with a crew cab and extended cab trucks now.

• Long Truck Beds: The longest truck beds come with GM full-size trucks. The Chevy Silverado/Sierra has the longest bed size. It has an outside box length of 100 1/2″, and an inside box length of 96 5/8. The width of the Chevy Silverado/Sierra is 71 1/2″ for the outside width, and 63 5/8″ for the inside box width.

• Medium and Short Truck Beds: In the medium and short bed sizes, GM has its Compact/Midsize Truck models to suit such needs. Their medium size truck bed comes with the S10/GMC Sonoma which has an outside box length of 91 3/4″ and outside box width of 62″. The inside box length is 88 3/8″, and the inside box width is 56 5/8″. The Ford series includes short bed sizes for both of their extended cab and regular cab trucks and also a short bed size for their Super Duty trucks The regular and extended cab has a short bed box size of 6.5’ total. The outer box length is “80 and the outer box width is 80″. The inner box length is 79” and the width of the inner box 65″. Their Super Crew model is a short bed truck with an outer box length and outer box width of 80″. The inner box length of the Super Crew short bed is 67″ and the inner box width is 65”.

How to Choose the Right Bed Size?

A majority of truck manufacturers sell around three cab sizes. The cab size is very important when choosing the type of bed that you need. Familiarizing yourself with the types of cabs will help in determining the type of bed size suited for your needs.

Cab Sizes for Trucks

There are additional cab sizes for other types of trucks:

• Crew Cab: A Crew Cab or Supercrew truck comes equipped with four doors and a backseat space that is large enough to accommodate travel conditions while being comfortable.

• Double-Cab: Double-Cab trucks are similar to the Extended Cab, but they have smaller doors at the rear. Because of the smaller room in the back of the Double-Cab, it also has less legroom. Double-cab trucks have four doors, too, but the rear doors are slightly smaller and there is less legroom in the back.

• Regular Cab: The smallest and perhaps the most common truck cabs are the regular cabs. These cabs have only one row for seating (the type of seating that is similar to sitting on a park bench) and there is limited space between these types of seats.

The other types of trucks that fall under the Extended cabs or Super Cab category has some differences when it comes to accessibility. These trucks are somewhat smaller and the rear doors have hinges on them that are outward. These hinges cannot be moved until someone opens the front door of the cab.

One thing you will want to remember is to think about cab size when trying to consider a truck bed. You will have a harder time trying to maneuver your truck when you have a large cab. This is because the larger the cab of the truck, the more length it takes up. This does not include the load of the truck, just the fact that you will have a lengthier wheelbase will give you quite a hard time trying to move your vehicle.

Now that you have seen that the size of a truck bed varies because of the manufacturer, there are some considerations for those who desire to purchase a midsize truck. Midsize trucks have on average the same dimensions between 5 and 6 feet in length.

Things to Consider About Bed Sizes

A major consideration for choosing the type of bed size is the purpose for which you want to use a truck. If you are needing a truck for the type of work you are doing, you will have to consider the materials that you need the truck for. For instance, if you are planning to haul around sheetrock on a continual basis, you will have to consider the size of the sheetrock.  Sheetrock on average is sold with the dimensions of 4-by-8, so you will need a long truck bed as opposed to a medium or short truck bed. Plywood has the same dimensions as well and if you plan on hauling plywood you will need a long bed truck. Do you catch the drift now?

Trucks with the Longest Truck Beds

The4se are the trucks with the longest beds

• Chevy Silverado 1500 Bed lengths: The Chevy Silverado 1500 is made to handle immense towing, and also has a powerful V8 engine. It is no surprise that the Silverado 1500 has the largest bed size of any truck currently on the market. The Chevy Silverado 1500 gives you the option to choose between three different bed sizes:  The smallest size is 5 feet and 10 inches, the medium is 6 feet and 7 inches, and the largest size is 8 feet and 2 inches. Anyone who is looking to haul huge and long items would benefit from the size advantage of the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500.

• Nissan Frontier bed lenghts:  The Nissan Frontier has a Crew Cab and King Cab model. The bed for these trucks is 6’1″ in length. Only the Nissan Frontier Crew Cab has a smaller bed that is 5′ long.  The Toyota Tacoma 2019 can be used as a business or family vehicle. The Toyota Tacoma SR has the longest cab of the Toyota trucks and is 6 feet in length. There is also a Toyota Double Cab which has a foot length difference and both beds have a weight capacity of 3,500.

• GMC Canyon Bed lenghts: The GMC Canyon has a bed that is 6′ 2” long. The GM Canyon Crew Cab and Extended Cab models of the GM Canyon comes with the 6′” beds. There is also a smaller bed that comes with both models and it is  5′ 2” long. The Crew Cab can handle 7,500 pounds and the Extended Cab can handle 3,500 pounds.

• Ram 1500 Bed lengths: The Ram 1500 has a power range of 240 to 395 horsepower engine. It gives 27 miles to the gallon and has various bed lengths of 6’4″ and 5’7″. A new Ram 1500 will cost about $38,000 and is considered to be a good buy.

Pros and Cons of Long Truck Beds

Pro: Detachable Tool Box

There are several advantages to buying a pickup truck with a long bed. Many people purchase utility toolboxes that can be attached behind the cab. A long bed can be of use here because you can have some extra room in length without the pickup box taking up a lot of space. Since the box is detachable, you can have even more space whenever you need it.  Hauling a large amount of material will require you to have a long bed since most building materials will fit right into these types of long bed trucks.

Pro: No Additional Trailer Needed

Another good thing about having a long truck bed is the elimination of an attachable trailer. Most people who do not have enough space in their truck bed will find that they need the use of a clunky trailer. The trailer attaches to the hitch on the bumper of the truck, which means you will have to unhitch the trailer when it is not needed.

Con: Truck Maneuverability

One of the disadvantages of having a long bed is that your truck will be harder to maneuver, especially if you have an Extended Cab or Crew Cab truck. The added dimensions will make the wheels harder to turn. The smaller a truck is, the better wheelbase it has. A large truck with a large bed has trouble turning and even parking because of its wheelbase.

Con: You Will Spend More on a Truck with a Long Bed

A truck with a long bed will also cost you a pretty penny. A majority of trucks with large beds cost a thousand more dollars on average than shorter truck beds.

Wrap Up

Trucks today are still used for work purposes, and a long bed truck will always be able to sell since their purpose is more work-related than anything. Going for a hayride or just riding in the back of a long bed truck is fun for recreation, but long bed trucks are best for hauling and getting various jobs done for the average person or business.