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Ford’s modular bed-rail patent points to smarter pickup beds

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Ford files a patent for a modular bed-rail system that lets pickup owners slide straps, hooks, containers, and lights along rails for easier cargo control.
Michael Powers, Editor

Ford Motor has filed a patent for a modular bed-rail system, a design that hints at how the brand may equip its future pickups.

According to the filing, the setup uses rails secured along the upper edge of each side of the pickup bed. These tracks would serve as mounting points for a variety of accessories meant to be useful for the driver and passengers.

The application lists examples such as ratcheting straps, hooks, containers, and lighting units. The components are intended to move forward and backward along the rails, letting users position them for easier access when needed.

The concept reads as a neat way to keep the bed organized and tailor it to the job at hand; the ability to slide hardware along the rails should make positioning, securing, or lighting cargo more straightforward.