If you are a truck owner, you use a truck bed extender to transport items that are longer than the cab.  This is because even if long items such as pipes can be secured on the tailgate, you can only haul a few as the excessive weight can easily break the tailgate. They are three main types of truck bed extenders in the market. So how do you determine the right one for your truck? Your choice will be guided by the kind of oversize objects that you intend to transport as will be discussed below.

Tail gate bed extender

The tail gate extender will allow the extension of the bed up to the tailgate. The extenders come in form of gates made from metal bars that will be locked into place at the back of the tailgate. They allow the tailgate to hold long cargo during transportation. If your truck will be hauling, long pipes or metals, this is the most ideal bed extender to purchase. Two main styles of tail bed extenders exist in the market: the swinging and fold-down style. The folding style beds can be folded up and rested on the truck's tailgate when not in use, so they take up less space. The swinging style ones rest on the truck bed when they are not being used. However, these types of beds come in handy when you need to secure small cargo against the truck's bed side without extending its length.

Loading extender

A load extender is made up of a series of metal bars that are mounted on the trucks trailer and extend beyond its tailgate. They provide the truck with a platform where longer and heavier loads can rest during transportation. If your truck usually transports longer and heavier objects, such as lumber, then a loading bed extender is the most ideal to buy.  This extender provides more length than its tailgate counterpart and ensures that longer and heavier loads are firmly secured on the truck during transportation.  As a result, they will not fall out of the truck even if the driver brakes suddenly.  

Loading ramp extender

A loading ramp extender has an extender and a loading ramp within the same unit. These extenders are similar to the tail gate types, but their sides fold up flat and act as the loading ramp. Loading ramp extenders are ideal for truck owners who regularly transport motorcycles and bikes on their beds. The ramp minimizes the struggle of loading bikes into the truck as they will just be wheeled in.   

 Contact a business that offers running boards for more information.