3 ms·

I love the flatbed with the flip down sides. I used one of these in Europe, and they are incredibly convenient. You flip down the sides and load it up without

I love the flatbed with the flip down sides. I used one of these in Europe, and they are incredibly convenient. You flip down the sides and load it up without having to reach over anything and then just flip them back up to drive. Unloading dirt or gravel by hand is so much easier when you can just push it off the side with a shovel. I've seen this once or twice in the U.S., but only on very large trucks. I wonder if there's some regulatory reason.

gottorf 3y ago
> I've seen this once or twice in the U.S., but only on very large trucks. I wonder if there's some regulatory reason. In very general terms, pickup trucks in Europe (and other countries outside of North America) are used for hauling things in the bed, whereas pickup trucks in the US are used to tow things. Not to mention that especially in the US, they're very often used as daily drivers, so the flip-down sides, as handy as they are, are less appealing because they look dingy and will rattle. With modern half-ton and higher pickups in the US, the bed is actually very difficult to use, because the market keeps demanding more and more "aggressive-looking" and "off-road capable" trucks, which means the whole vehicle and the load floor get taller and taller. You basically have to be a giant to actually be able to load and unload things from the bed.