Top 10 Pickup Truck Innovations

Pickup trucks are tools that need to be durable, dependable, and most of all, useful.

To help working men and women everywhere, automakers have been increasing the range of technology that finds its way into pickup trucks, helping to make these high-torque tools into multi-purpose machines capable of more than just hauling around weight.

With the advent of pickup trucks being used as daily drivers by people who don’t work construction, the industry has been striving to make trucks more comfortable as well, outfitting them with amenities that would have seemed like a fantasy just a decade ago.

Air suspension, turbocharging, easy to access beds and touchscreen controls are just some of the innovations that pickup trucks have adopted to make them more versatile, making them capable of so much more.

Read on to to find out more about the top ten pickup trucks innovations of the past decade.

If it’s good enough for highway tractors, then why not for light-duty pickups? That must have been the thinking at Ram when the brand introduced a class-exclusive airbag suspension system to the Ram 1500. The bags are now available on the 2500 and 3500 as well, bringing added capability to the brand’s heavy duties.

So what do airbags offer that traditional suspension can’t? First off, air bag systems can self level the truck once weight has been loaded which regulates weight distribution, helping to the keep the truck stable.

Next, at highway speeds the Ram lowers itself by 0.6 inches to improve the trucks aerodynamics. Finally, five different heights can be chosen depending on the circumstances the truck is put in, ranging from “park mode” which lowers the truck to help with entry and exit from parking garages or easy loading, right up to “off-road 2” which lifts the trucks for added ground clearance.

Backup cameras have become prolific throughout the auto industry, with the government even considering making them mandatory, though in no other segment does the backup camera as much usability as a pickup truck.

Experiencing the trial and error process of hooking up a trailer alone is an excruciating waste of time akin to finding the burnt-out bulb on a string of 1000 Christmas lights, and can wind up leading to dented bumpers or worse. Now, with the modern backup camera, hitching up solo has never been easier.

Trailers aside, drive a pickup downtown and the camera will help you wedge that bed into the tightest spots.

Ford started the trend, and Chevy has now jumped on the bandwagon, with both brands now offering steps specifically designed for easy access to the bed.

In Ford’s case, the step is pulled out from inside the tailgate, while a grab handle is raised from on top of the folded down tailgate. Ford also offers small side steps that are located just in front of the rear wheels.

Chevrolet takes a simpler approach by using a corner step that is integrated right into the bumper. This was first seen on the Chevy Avalanche, but it didn’t last. Now, Chevy has resurrected the bumper step for its new 2014 Silverado.

Unloading items such as bricks or lumber out of the bed of a pickup is made infinitely more convenient by a bed step, and it helps to save the knees.

Storing muddy, greasy tools was once a job for the backseat rubber floor mats, but two truck makers offer an alternative with storage found elsewhere on the truck.

The largest storage system available is the Ram box, consisting of two plastic bins on each side of the bed which add 8.6 cubic feet of storage space total. They are as wide as the wheel wells, and offer a dry, lockable spot to store whatever it is that you don’t want to stain the upholstery.

Nissan has a similar system on its Titan pickup, though in this case there is only one small cargo hold on the lower-driver side of the truck, just behind the rear wheels.

Even if its not muddy, extra storage that is safe from the elements is always appreciated.

While turbocharging is nothing new, sticking a turbocharged V6 in a light duty pickup truck was a big step for the industry, taken by Ford. The EcoBoost V6 proved once and for all that it is possible to get V8-like power numbers out of a six shooter.

Not only did this twin-turbo motor cause a stir in the industry, Ford says that almost half of new F-150s are sold with the turbo V6 unit. Power output is rated at 365 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque while fuel economy for the engine is pegged at 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway.

Ram is also taking a step into uncharted territory, offering a 3.0-liter diesel engine under the hood of 1500 for the first time in almost 20 years in the segment. The diesel unit makes 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, matching the EcoBoosts torque number, but will almost certainly beat it out in mpgs.

Chevy hasn’t taken any radical steps, instead introducing variable valve timing, direct injection, and cylinder deactivation to its newest Silverado.

Engine technology is the key to delivering truck buyers the torque they want, and the fuel economy they crave, and the segment has to constantly evolve and innovate to deliver.

There was a time when a truck was nothing more than a simple tool, more closely associated to a hammer or drill than a luxury car. But luxury trim levels are coming on strong, and now represent a significant portion of the market. About 30 percent of all Ford F-150s that leave the showroom are dolled up in luxury trim.

Amenities usually include a touchscreen interface, leather surfaces with contrasting stitching, unique badging, more chrome, larger wheels, and small trim bits that set these trucks apart from a standard pickup.

While the Lincoln Mark LT initially started the segment, Ford didn’t find success with the truck when it was first launched. Seems as though the Lincoln pickup was actually ahead of its time. The Ford F-150 King Ranch then took the reigns, and sales have been growing ever since.

All three Detroit truck makers and even Toyota now offer a southwestern-inspired luxury truck, while Ford and GMC even offer a luxury trim beyond their kitschy cowboy trucks.

While these trucks don’t work any harder, they sure looks better doing it than their plain-Jane brethren.

Properly securing cargo can be a tricky process, made easier by properly located tie down points. Taking this to a new level, pickup trucks now offer movable tie down points to ensure that no matter what the load, your straps will fit securely.

The systems usually consists of a rail that incorporates sliding tie down points. The rail is fitted at the top of the bed, while the lower tie-down hooks remain stationary.

These setups have helped to make the bed more usable, and opens up the possibility of hauling larger cargo.

With the huge emphasis on fuel economy that is being placed on pickup trucks now a days, automakers are doing everything they can to make their heavy duty haulers use less gas.

Beyond sculpting the sheet metal for better aerodynamics, Ram went as far as putting active grille shutters on its new trucks to help make it cut through the air better at highway speeds.

Ford showed off the future of its active aero with the Atlas concept, which included not only active grille shutters, but active wheel shutters as well that pop down from in front of the wheel wells.

There is no lack of ways to hook up to new age pickup trucks, another area in which automakers keep pushing.

In the new Silverado for example, five USB ports can be found, along with two 12-volt plugs and one three-prong 120-v plug. Being able to charge your tools, cell phone and laptop at the same time makes these new trucks the ideal mobile office.

Bluetooth is also found throughout the half-ton segment, as loads of connectivity becomes something that is expected from every new vehicle.