How we made this guide: picks and specs come from our catalog and fitment data, owner quotes come from verified reviews and the guide was drafted with AI help, then checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
The three truck bed storage setups to start with are a crossover tool box, a roll-out drawer and a cargo slide. In our range that means the Weather Guard 127 box from $1,340, the Weather Guard Pack Rat drawer from $1,335 and, for the Ford Maverick, the BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic slide from $1,552. The 127 and the Pack Rat are listed for full-size trucks only.
Two lower-priced starts in our range are the UnderCover SwingCase for small items (from $219.99) and the Husky Liners Guardian Comfort bed mat for the floor (from $149.99). Below are 10 setups by use, each pairing only parts our listings fit to the same truck. Every size, rating and price comes from that part's listing. Among the setup parts, only the MX4's price changes with your truck and bed.
Setup 1: A crossover box for the tools you grab every day
Setup 1: crossover box
Weather Guard 127 Aluminum Crossover Truck Tool Box, Full-Size Standard, Bright Aluminum (127-0-04)
From $1,340 · Full-size box that clamps under the bed rails with no drilling.
A crossover box sits across the bed rails behind the cab, so tools ride above the floor. The Weather Guard 127 is a full-size crossover box, listed for full-size trucks only. It holds 11.0 cu ft in a 72 in x 20 in x 18 in body of 15-gauge aluminum, and the reinforced lid opens near 90 degrees on gas struts. A 1Key UltraLock push-button lock closes it. If you can give up more bed length, the 117 holds 14.4 cu ft from $1,189 and takes 27-1/2 in front to back. For other styles, see the best truck tool boxes.
“Fits my 2016 dodge ram perfect. Easy install. Looks great and holds all of my tools.”
Weather Guard 127 Aluminum Crossover Truck Tool Box, Full-Size Standard, Bright Aluminum (127-0-04) owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Pros
- Under-rail clamps and hardware included, so no drilling
- 4.9 from 272 reviews
Cons
- A bigger spend than the 614 chest or the 172 wheel well box
- Both 2-star reviews on file fault the newer lock design, and one 4-star owner says the lid latches take several tries to catch
- One owner notes it blocks the bed-view camera on a Chevy or GMC
Skip it if your truck is mid-size or you haul tall loads often. Setups 9 and 10 fit those better.
Setup 2: A roll-out drawer for heavy gear
Setup 2: roll-out drawer
Weather Guard PACK RAT 48" Steel Drawer Unit, White, Low-Profile 1 Compartment (305-3-04)
From $1,335 · Steel drawer on ball-bearing rollers, rated for 425 lb.
A drawer brings the load to the tailgate instead of sending you into the bed after it. The Weather Guard Pack Rat 305-3-04 is a low-profile steel unit, 48 in long, 10-1/4 in wide and 9-1/2 in tall, listed for full-size trucks only. One full-width drawer rides on ball-bearing rollers with adjustable dividers, and the listing rates the drawer at 425 lb and the top and sides at 750 lb, both evenly distributed. It is the least expensive Pack Rat we carry, and Pack Rat drawer sizes, fit and price compares the wider, taller and longer units.
“With the Pack Rat, everything stays organized, neat and clean. I never have to jump into the bed searching for a tool or item either.”
Weather Guard PACK RAT 48" Steel Drawer Unit, White, Low-Profile 1 Compartment (305-3-04) owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Pros
- Full-extension drawer with a one-hand latch
- 4.7 from 55 reviews
Cons
- Both reviews under 4 stars say the rollers need replacing
- Takes 48 in of bed floor length
“I've been using pack Rats for 15 years, not much has changed. Plan on putting in a new set of rollers every year.”
Weather Guard PACK RAT 48" Steel Drawer Unit, White, Low-Profile 1 Compartment (305-3-04) owner · 3 out of 5 stars
Skip it if most of your gear is bulky. The drawer is 9-1/2 in tall, so coolers and bins ride on its 750 lb top or in the open bed.
Setup 3: A cargo slide for the Ford Maverick
Setup 3: cargo slide
BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic Truck Bed Cargo Slide, 53" x 37", 1,000 lb
From $1,552 · 53 in x 37 in tray rated for 1,000 lb with a full perimeter guardrail. Listed for the Ford Maverick only.
A cargo slide is an open tray that rolls out of the bed, so bins, coolers and tool cases come to you. The BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic is a 53 in x 37 in tray rated for 1,000 lb in its listing, with four D-ring tie-downs on BEDTRAX T-slot rails and a full perimeter guardrail, so a load can be strapped down before you slide it in. Our part page gives the reach as 75% of the deck length.
Our listing is fitted to the Ford Maverick. On any other truck, measure the bed floor first, because 53 in x 37 in is the outer size of the tray, handle included. Its 47 reviews on file come from owners of several trucks.
Pros
- Rated for 1,000 lb in the listing
- 4.8 from 47 reviews
Cons
- The biggest single spend in this guide, and our listing fits the Ford Maverick only
- Owners of a Ram, a Ranger and a 2013 F-150 had to drill the bed to mount theirs, and two owners say the install takes two people
- The one review under 4 stars says it arrived with missing parts and loose bolts
Skip it if you want the deck to stay level at the tailgate. Two 4-star owners say it tilts up when fully extended, and this one gives the rise.
“This product is well built and fairly easy to install (heavy)the one thing they don't tell you or show you is that when its fully extended it raises up about 6 inches.”
BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic Truck Bed Cargo Slide, 53" x 37", 1,000 lb owner · 4 out of 5 stars
Setup 4: Contractor or tradesperson, one box and one drawer on one key
Put Setups 1 and 2 on one truck when the bed is your tool crib. Both are listed for the same full-size trucks, and both use the 1Key UltraLock system, keyed alike across Weather Guard boxes, so one key opens both. Hand tools you grab all day go in the box, and power tools and fasteners go in the drawer, where the adjustable dividers keep them apart. Skip it if your bed is short: the Pack Rat is 48 in long and the 127 takes about 20 in at the front, so measure that both fit before you order the pair.
Setup 5: Weekend camping, a cushioned floor or a slide
Setup 5: bed mat
Husky Liners Guardian Comfort Bed Mat
From $149.99 · Gray mat for the full bed floor, cut for one bed length.
Camping gear is bulky: a cooler, a stove box, water jugs and a tent. On a Ford Maverick, the BEDSLIDE from Setup 3 brings the heavy pieces to the tailgate. On the trucks the Husky Liners mat is listed for (the Maverick is not one), the mat cushions the floor under the cooler, jugs and bins. Every Guardian Comfort mat we list is the version for bare or spray-in beds, each cut for one bed length.
“Looks good, fits good, easy on the knees when you climb in back.”
Husky Liners Guardian Comfort Bed Mat owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Pros
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Cushioned DriGard surface over the full bed floor
Cons
- Cut for one truck and one bed length, with no part for the Maverick
- Only one owner review on file
Skip it if you run a molded plastic drop-in liner: every mat we list is for bare or spray-in beds.
Setup 6: Hunting and fishing, a wheel well box for the small kit
Setup 6: wheel well box
Weather Guard 172 Wheel Well Truck Tool Box, Driver Side Gloss Black Aluminum (172-5-04)
From $935 · Driver-side box that mounts over the rear wheel well.
Calls, knives, line, tackle and a first-aid kit are small and easy to lose. A wheel well box keeps them out of the way. The Weather Guard 172 is the driver-side box, listed for full-size trucks only. It mounts over the rear wheel well and holds 3.4 cu ft in a body about 46-5/8 in long, 15-3/8 in wide and 16-3/8 in tall.
Pros
- 3.4 cu ft over the wheel well, so the floor stays open
- Hardware included, a 12V access port and a limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- This listing is the driver-side box
- No owner reviews on file yet
Skip it if you have not measured the room around the wheel well, and under any cover or cap, against its 16-3/8 in height.
Setup 7: Ranch or farm, tools in a box and an open floor
A ranch truck changes jobs through the week, so the bed needs a fixed home for tools and an open floor for the rest. On a truck all three parts are listed for, such as a 2015 to 2026 F-150, put the tools in the 127, small hardware in a 172 over the driver-side wheel well and the Husky Liners mat on the floor under feed, bags and bins. The 127 takes about 20 in of bed length behind the cab and the 172 is about 46-5/8 in long, so check that the two boxes clear each other on your bed before you order both. Skip it if the same truck hauls tall loads most weeks. Setup 9 keeps the rails clear.
Setup 8: Commuter who needs a covered bed
Setup 8: hard folding cover
BAKFlip MX4 Hard Folding Tonneau Cover
From $1,199.99 · 400 lb rating, 100% bed access, drain tubes and no drilling.
If the truck drives to work and the bed carries gym bags, groceries or a laptop case, a cover is the first upgrade to look at. Soft folding covers start at $339.99 in our range and hard folding covers at $899.99. Our tonneau covers run up from there.
The BAKFlip MX4 carries 400 lb evenly distributed, folds flush to the cab for 100% bed access and clamps on without drilling, in about 30 minutes per the spec sheet, though owners on file often say about an hour and a few took 2 to 3 hours. It is listed for every truck in the fit table below. A folding cover is only as secure as a locked tailgate, so lock valuables in a box.
Pros
- 400 lb rating and 100% bed access
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- Some owners report water getting in, counted in the drying section
- Not for use with a crossover box such as the 127
Pick the cover first, then check the box against it: tool boxes that fit under a tonneau cover and covers that work over or around a box show the pairings. Skip it if the budget is tight, since soft folding covers are the lower-priced route.
Setup 9: Tall loads, a below-rail chest and a cover that folds to the cab
Setup 9: below-rail chest
Weather Guard 614 Aluminum All-Purpose Chest Truck Tool Box, Compact 7.0 cu ft, Clear (614-0-04)
From $885 · 7.0 cu ft chest that sits below the bed rail.
Furniture, appliances and stacked boxes need the space above the rails clear, which rules out a box on top of them. The Weather Guard 614 All-Purpose Chest sits below the bed rail instead. It holds 7.0 cu ft in a 40 in x 20 in x 16-1/4 in body, and its cover opens 90 degrees. It is listed for the 127's trucks plus the Maverick, Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma, Colorado and Canyon.
Pair the chest with a folding cover that stands flush against the cab, like the MX4 in Setup 8, once you have checked that the closed cover clears the 16-1/4 in chest: the guide to tool boxes under a tonneau cover in Setup 8 lists the room above the 614 by truck. The space above the rails then stays open for the big load. Folded flush, it can cover the rear window, one owner notes.
Pros
- 7.0 cu ft below the bed rail, so the space above stays open
- Full perimeter weather seal and a limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- The closed cover has to clear its 16-1/4 in height
- Only one owner review on file
Skip it if you need more than 7.0 cu ft. Our All-Purpose Chests go up to 18.6 cu ft in the 685 (from $1,084) and 13.1 cu ft in the 664 (from $978), though both stand 19-1/4 in tall and leave less room under a cover.
Setup 10: Small items on a budget, a SwingCase and a bed mat
Setup 10: swing-out case
UnderCover SwingCase Swing-Out Truck Bed Toolbox
From $219.99 · 1.5 cu ft case rated for up to 75 lb, one side per part.
Jumper cables, straps, a tire gauge and gloves are what end up sliding around a bare bed. The UnderCover SwingCase holds them in a 1.5 cu ft case of impact-resistant ABS composite that swings out to open. Each part is made for one truck generation and one side (driver or passenger) and fits any bed length listed for that truck. Where both are listed for your truck, such as a 2015 to 2026 F-150, add the Husky Liners mat from Setup 5 for the floor.
Pros
- Rated for up to 75 lb
- Assembled in the USA, 4.8 from 141 reviews
Cons
- 1-year limited warranty
- One side per part, so a pair means ordering both sides
Skip it if you need to lock valuables away. This 3-star owner explains the limit.
“These boxes are plastic and not a very hard plastic. Although it has a lock on it someone could very easily break into it. There isn’t much space in it at all.”
UnderCover SwingCase Swing-Out Truck Bed Toolbox owner · 3 out of 5 stars
Which trucks each part is listed for
| Part | Listed for |
|---|---|
| Weather Guard 127, 172 and Pack Rat | F-150, Super Duty, Silverado, Sierra (1500 and HD), Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500, Tundra and Titan |
| Weather Guard 614 chest | Those trucks plus the Maverick, Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma, Colorado and Canyon |
| UnderCover SwingCase | F-150, Super Duty, Silverado, Sierra (1500 and HD), Ram 1500, Tundra, Tacoma, Colorado, Canyon and Ranger |
| BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic | Ford Maverick only |
| Husky Liners Guardian Comfort mat | F-150, Super Duty, Silverado and Sierra 1500, Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500, Tacoma, Colorado, Canyon, Ridgeline and Gladiator. No part for the Maverick, Frontier, Ranger, Titan, Tundra, Silverado HD or Sierra HD |
| BAKFlip MX4 | Every truck above |
All 10 setups side by side
Prices are the From price of each part. A row with "or" lists alternatives.
| Setup | Parts | From price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crossover box | Weather Guard 127 | $1,340 |
| 2. Roll-out drawer | Weather Guard Pack Rat | $1,335 |
| 3. Cargo slide | BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic (Ford Maverick) | $1,552 |
| 4. Contractor | 127 box + Pack Rat drawer | $1,340 + $1,335 |
| 5. Weekend camping | Husky Liners mat, or BEDSLIDE on a Maverick | $149.99 or $1,552 |
| 6. Hunting and fishing | Weather Guard 172 | $935 |
| 7. Ranch or farm | 127 box + 172 box + Husky Liners mat | $1,340 + $935 + $149.99 |
| 8. Covered-bed commuter | BAKFlip MX4 | $1,199.99 |
| 9. Tall loads | Weather Guard 614 + BAKFlip MX4 | $885 + $1,199.99 |
| 10. Small items on a budget | UnderCover SwingCase + Husky Liners mat | $219.99 + $149.99 |
Keeping gear dry in a truck bed
Two things keep gear dry: a cover over the bed and a sealed box around anything that must stay dry. For the BAKFlip MX4 the listing names drain tubes, a dual-action seal at the tailgate and EPDM seals around the perimeter. Of the 360 MX4 reviews on file, 29 use the word leak. Reading those, at least 20 describe some water getting in, often at the front corners, between panels or at the tailgate. Another 6 say theirs stays dry. So treat a cover as shelter and keep water-sensitive gear in a sealed box.
“I love the low profile look of the cover but it leaks in the corners by the cab. I even purchased some silicone putty to fill in the gaps between the bed and the cover, but it still leaks.”
BAKFlip MX4 owner · 3 out of 5 stars
“Read multiple reviews and found mixed ones concerning leakage. Mine is completely dry.”
BAKFlip MX4 owner · 5 out of 5 stars
The 127, 614 and 172 list their own seals. The Pack Rat, the SwingCase and the BEDSLIDE list no weather seal, so keep water-sensitive gear out of them. For cover results, see the most watertight covers compared.
Organizing inside the box
Once a box is on the truck, sort it by job instead of by size. Keep one bin for electrical, one for fasteners and one for fluids and cleanup, and label the lids so anyone on the crew finds them fast. Put the tools you use daily on top and the heavy, rarely used ones at the bottom. Owners say the 127 comes with a sliding accessory tray for small tools, though one 2-star owner notes it has no dividers.
“Very roomy inside, lots of storage space, can fit a milk crate inside for extra organization.”
Weather Guard 127 Aluminum Crossover Truck Tool Box, Full-Size Standard, Bright Aluminum (127-0-04) owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Measure first, then order
Measure before you order any of these, with any liner or mat in place. Our guide to truck tool box dimensions explains sizes by box type and how to measure your bed.
| Setup part | What to measure | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 127 crossover box | Across the bed rails behind the cab | It spans both rails, full-size trucks only |
| Pack Rat drawer | Free floor length from the tailgate | The unit is 48 in long |
| BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic | Floor length and width between the wheel wells, with any liner or mat you run in place | 53 in x 37 in is the outer tray size, handle included; listed for the Ford Maverick |
| 614 chest under a cover | Bed depth from the floor to the rail top | The cover has to close over a 16-1/4 in chest |
| 172 wheel well box | Room around the driver-side wheel well and under any cover or cap | It mounts over the wheel well |
Each SwingCase is made for one truck generation and one side and fits any bed length listed for that truck, while each Husky mat is cut for one truck and one bed length, so choose your truck on the part page and read its fit notes.
Care and lifespan
The Pack Rat's rollers are the wear part: both reviews under 4 stars on file replace them. Register the BEDSLIDE within 30 days to turn its 5 years into a lifetime warranty. Keep the D-shaped seals on the 127 and 172 clean. Warranties are limited lifetime on the 172, 614, Pack Rat and Husky mat, 1 year limited on the SwingCase and 5 years on the MX4.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best storage options for truck beds?
A crossover box, a roll-out drawer and a cargo slide cover most needs: the box for daily tools, the drawer for heavy tools at the tailgate and the slide for bulky gear. In our range the box and drawer are listed for full-size trucks and the slide for the Ford Maverick.
What are some budget truck bed storage ideas?
Start small, using each part only where it is listed for your truck: the SwingCase from $219.99 holds small items in a 1.5 cu ft case, and the Husky Liners mat from $149.99 cushions a bare floor. Bins or milk crates strapped to the bed's tie-down points keep loose gear in one place.
How do I keep stuff dry in a truck bed?
Cover the bed and put anything that must stay dry in a box with a perimeter weather seal. The 127, 614 and 172 each list one. The MX4 cover adds drain tubes, but at least 20 of its 360 reviews on file describe some water getting in, so keep gear that cannot get wet in a sealed box.
How do I hold things in place in a truck bed?
Strap them to a tie-down point. The BEDSLIDE lists four D-ring tie-downs on its T-slot rails, and the 614 chest lists reinforced tie-down buckles.
How do I keep a work truck organized?
Give every tool a home: daily hand tools in a crossover box, power tools and fasteners in a drawer and the rest in labeled bins.
What is a truck bed slide?
A truck bed slide is a tray that rolls out of the bed on rails so you can reach gear without climbing in. The BEDSLIDE 1000 Classic is a 53 in x 37 in tray rated for 1,000 lb in its listing, from $1,552. Our listing is fitted to the Ford Maverick.
What is the cover that goes over a truck bed called?
It is a tonneau cover, also called a bed cover. Styles include soft folding, hard folding, soft roll-up, hard roll-up, retractable and one-piece. What a tonneau cover is explains each type.
Can I use a tool box and a tonneau cover on the same truck?
Yes, if the box clears the cover. Below-rail chests and wheel well boxes are the styles to check first, and the two guides in Setup 8 show which boxes and covers go together. A crossover box like the 127 needs a cover built to meet a box, and the MX4 does not work with one.
Find storage that fits your bed
Related guides
- Best Truck Tool Boxes: Crossover, Low-Profile, Chest, Wheel Well and Underbed Picks
- Best Truck Bed Drawer Systems: Weather Guard Pack Rat Sizes, Fit and Price
- Truck Tool Box Dimensions: Sizes by Type and How to Measure Your Bed
- Best Tool Box for Under a Tonneau Cover: What Clears a Closed Cover
- Tonneau Cover With a Toolbox: Which Covers Work Over or Around a Box