The grooves found in the bed of your truck can also be called ridges — so the question, “What Are The Grooves In A Truck Bed For?” can alternatively be asked as “What Are The Ridges In A Truck Bed For?”

Before we proceed to give more information about what ridges are, let’s briefly answer the question, “What Are The Grooves In A Truck Bed For?”

What Are The Grooves In A Truck Bed For?

We could also ask:

What Are The Ridges In A Truck Bed For?

The major reason why ridges are formed on the metal is basically for strength. The ridges also help in reducing the rate of vibration. The metal, without them, could easily lose its shape.

The ridges work wonder in making the truck’s bed become much stiffer for the same amount of metal thickness. They ensure that sagging is kept away from loads beneath — regardless of the weight. At low-resonant frequencies, while driving, these ridges keep the load(s) from vibrating.

What Are Ridges In Truck Bed?

A ridge is simply an external material used to provide coverage for the truck bed. In other words, it covers the top of the bed of your truck.

Since ridges can simply be regarded as covers, let’s take a look at other covers.

Other Types Of Truck Covers

1. Tonneau Covers

Tonneau covers — also known as hard flat covers — cover your truck’s bed by serving as a flat surface right across it, opposing the camper-type bed caps that are most times either higher than your cab or of the same height with your cab. The tonneau covers are available in different types and are manufactured using hard plastic of fiberglass. Also, there are tonneau covers — the fiberglass hard tonneau covers precisely — regarded as a special-order item. These special-order items, the fiberglass hard tonneau covers, can be painted to match the colour of your truck.

In addition, this kind of cover creates a limitation, in terms of the number of cargo that can perfectly fit into the bed of the truck. The reason is, they are positioned at the truck’s bed and hinged up. Speaking of how they’re hinged up, they go from the back of the tailgate or its [tailgate] top.

2. Roll-up Covers

These covers are identified as the most economical and common covers one can find out there. These roll-up covers were produced from heavy-duty outdoor, UV-resistant-grade vinyl. There’s a frame attached to the bed of your truck, and that’s where these covers are mounted. Some frames need to be drilled while others don’t. Just as the name implies — roll-up covers — the cover is designed in such a way that it can be rolled up to ensure that the truck’s bed has easy accessibility.

When the cover isn’t needed, you can either remove it or leave it attached and strapped to the front of the bed. The leading con is, it’s very rare that you see this roll-up cover in a different colour, aside from black. Again, you can’t place objects that are of heavy weights on them. Note that, it takes a thief no time to penetrate the bed using a sharp knife.

3. Retractable Covers

Although this has a few similarities with roll-up covers, the difference is that they — at the truck’s front — retract into a cartridge. This helps the truck stay protected from the elements, and when not needed, allows easy access. Owing to the cost of the retracing mechanism, this type of hard plastic or metal cover is a bit more expensive than the others. In contrast, a lot of truck owners find it convenient and worthwhile.

For roll-up covers, they’re easy to penetrate, but it can’t be said of retraceable covers — because it’s difficult for them to be penetrated. In other words, they are way more secure. You can as well place heavy objects or cargo right on top of them.

4. Folding Covers

Compared to roll-up and retractable covers, these covers are called “folding covers,” because one can easily fold them. And, they can be removed. In terms of pricing, they share similar price(s) with roll-up covers and are available in both soft vinyl and hard plastic types. The positioning depends solely on the mounting system; it’s either the cover sits with the bed or slightly above it. This helps the cover to portray its nice appearance.

As for security, this hard cover provides security to a large extent. When there’s a locked tailgate in your truck, a hard cover is required.

5. High-Impact Plastic Covers

This type of cover sits among the popular tonneau covers, because one is, with it, rest assured of maximum security. Among the features is a locking frame — this frame doesn’t give chance for the tailgate to be lowered whenever the cover is locked. Aside from their sturdy nature, they’re still lightweight. For you to have a successful removal, two persons must handle the removal process.

6. Painted Fiberglass Lids

It’s very easy for one to paint these tonneau covers to match the colour of one’s truck. This tonneau cover is known for durability and is the strongest type of covers you can find. Their weight is more than their plastic counterparts — much heavier. Most of this kind of tonneau covers are quite removable but as for their weight, it’s twice the weight of the plastic counterparts.

Although it’s removable, the process of the removal varies and is nothing close to being easy. Using this cover, you are not assured of easy access to the bed of your truck.

The most important thing is, your cargo is secured and protected from the several elements. With these ones listed, you’ll be able to easily find a truck cover that doesn’t only suit your budget but fits your need.

Having listed the various types of truck cover, let’s move into stating a few of the benefits — the benefits of using a truck cover/rid.

These benefits can also be regarded as answers to the question, “What Are The Grooves In A Truck Bed For?”

Benefits Of Using A Truck Cover

There’s no truck enthusiast or owner that’d disagree with the fact that there are several things that can enhance the appealing look of a truck. In the list of such things, we have bed covers.

It doesn’t matter the one you choose to install; they still hold the advantages listed below:

1. Improved Gas Mileage

This is one of the most important benefits of truck bed covers, although people easily overlook it. In contrast to having a bed open to elements, a bed covered properly can resist air in a significantly less amount.

There’s something called aerodynamic design; the improved version of this design — aerodynamic design — works perfectly in the area of helping truck owners save up to 10% gas mileage.

2. Extra Storage

It’s clear that most person, at first, put covering their truck into consideration because of the assumed restricted storage — but to oppose that, bed covers feature the exact opposite.

Some tonneau covers come with T-shot rails — these T-shot rails help in adding further hauling capability. That’s not all: the aluminium rails ensure that the truck owner can easily transport larger items — using a perfect method. It performs all these without putting a stop to the part where it gives you unabated use of your cover and bed.

More, considering that it could support over 500 lbs., the rails will comfortably — without risk, accommodate just anything, including bikes, kayaks and even coolers.

3. Protection From Theft

One of the major purposes of a truck is to transport cargoes from one place to another. Everyone doesn’t need to be aware of what’s on the bed of your truck, right? That’s where the truck cover exhibits one of its benefits — keeping the cargo away from the eyes of others.

With the help of the bed covers, keeping your valuable possessions out of the sight and mind of possible thieves would be an easy endeavour. If your truck’s bed is open, a passerby could, without any resistance, reach for your belongings.

Thanks to a bed cover; it enhances security using a built-in locking system.

4. Protection From Elements

In some regions, the weather is quite unpredictable. In order to ensure isn’t at the mercy of the various elements, don’t hesitate to install a reliable bed cover. Installing a reliable bed cover guarantees a bed free from the negative effects of elements.

5. Protection From Losing Your Belongings Along The Road

Have you ever been in a situation where your cargo falls off from the bed of your truck while you’re in motion? That’s one of the downsides of leaving your bed open.

Normally, all items/cargoes contained in an open truck bed would be securely fastened in order to avoid losing objects — but it’s not always so.

The leading benefit of using a truck bed cover is the ability to load up the bed of your truck without having any fear — fear of misplacing anything.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are Truck Bed Covers Worth It?

Yes. They could function as a coverage — protecting the truck from damage. As mentioned in the “benefits of truck cover” area, improved fuel mileage makes using truck bed covers a great choice.

Do Truck Bed Covers Leak?

It’d be almost impossible for a truck bed cover to be completely waterproof.

At this point, we can say we’ve covered the objective of this article — answering the question, “What Are The Grooves In A Truck Bed For?”

Thanks for reading.