Chances are, if you own a pickup truck you probably have plenty of tools and equipment that will make its way into the bed.  Some things might simply be tossed into the truck bed or perhaps another form of storage.  It’s time to get organized.

A truck tool box is an excellent solution to any clutter or mess you may have come to associate with your truck.  Why wouldn’t you want to protect all your things from the elments?  If already know you want a tool box for your pickup, what’s next?  Well, first you are going to want to decide what type of toolbox fits your needs.  There are many variations of tool boxes and storage tanks on the market.  We are going to explore a few product types from Dee Zee, a notable manufacturer of truck tool boxes.

Single Lid Tool Box

The single lid tool box is the classic model.  It continues to be the largest selling pickup truck tool box on the market, and it surely won’t disappoint you.  This lid is great if you want access to the whole tool box and not just a portion of it.  Perhaps you have quite a few large tools, and you’re going to have to be able to lift the entire lid to insert and remove them.  Whatever the case, you can’t go wrong with a single lid.

Double Lid Tool Box

A single lid toolbox has one lid, so obviously a double lid has two.  Why wouldn’t I want to be able to lift the entire lid?  Well if you aren’t storing larger objects in the box, it can be more convenient to only lift half the lid to access what you need.  Sometimes more compartments, or two lids, keeps you organized a bit better than one.  If you can’t decide whether you are going to need two lids or one, the single lid tool box might be a safer bet.

Gullwing Tool Box

Wait isn’t that a double lid?  Well yes, technically a gullwing tool box is a double lid box.  There is a slight difference however.  The gullwing lids lift from the side rather than the front.  This makes it easier to access your tool box from either side of the truck.  Take a look at the embedded pictures if you need some clarification.  The way the gullwing tool box lids lift makes it look like a set of ‘wings’ and that is how it got its name.  If you’ve decided that you want two lids on your next pickup truck tool box, now you must decide where you will be accessing it from most frequently.

Utility Chest

Maybe you want the storage benefits that a truck tool box provides but you feel there are times when you need the entire length of your pickup’s bed.  This is where the utility chest comes in handy.  These are great for people who need to remove the box from the bed frequently, maybe because of storage or because they have a tonneau cover.

Side Rail or Topsider Tool Box

Maybe you’ve already got a single lid tool box and want additional storage.  Perhaps you simply prefer to have something more accessible from the side of your truck.  Whatever the case, a side rail or topsider tool box could be a great option.  These boxes will not limit the size of your pickup’s bed like a traditional truck bool box. These tool boxes go on the side of the truck bed, with the topsider providing more storage options than a side rail.  A side rail tool box often has only one compartment.

Under Bed Tool Box

Where does the under bed tool box go?  Under the truck bed of course.  This truck tool box isn’t compatible with all truck models, make sure you do your homework before buying one.  They hang under your truck bed, sometimes creating shelves or a single storage compartment.

Wheel Well Tool Box

The wheel well tool box is sometimes referred to as the pork chop box.  Why?  Take a look at the picture to the right and you will see.  The wheel well tool box is designed to fit snugly against the wheel well in your truck, and this gives it that pork chop shape.  These tool boxes are quite nifty, they provide an easily accessible compartment that doesn’t limit the size of your truck bed like a larger box can.