Discover some budget-friendly upgrades that will take your work truck to the next level.
Finding quality work truck accessories that don’t drain the wallet can feel like digging for a needle in a haystack, especially when dealing with questionable listings on social media marketplaces. But believe it or not, you can get brand-new upgrades for your work truck without breaking the bank – yes, even in this economy.
Whether you’re looking to boost storage, improve safety or just make day-to-day life a little easier, the aftermarket is here to help. Below are five top-tier work truck accessories, all priced under $500 and all guaranteed to step up your vehicle’s functionality.
For those who haven’t graduated to a bed-mounted truck toolbox yet – or are just getting tired of their current setup – Dee Zee’s lineup is worth a look. With steel, aluminum, and rugged polycarbonate options in a wide variety of sizes and styles, the company offers several toolboxes at or under $500.
In addition to providing impressive power-of-choice, Dee Zee packs its products with innovative features like lockable paddle handles to keep sticky fingers off your tools, foam gaskets for weather resistance, and dampened gas shocks to ensure even lid movement. Better yet, Dee Zee products are made in the USA, and most come backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Plus, depending on what toolbox type you reach for, that $500 could really stretch with Dee Zee, leaving you enough cash leftover to throw in a truck bed mat. Constructed of high-density fiber-infused rubber compound that resists abrasion and tears from cargo, tools, and whatever else you throw in the bed, it’ll keep your work truck in fighting form for years to come.
BACKRACK Truck Rack
Speaking of tossing things in the truck bed… work trucks rarely haul convenient, lightweight items. Ladders, pipes, landscape equipment, scrap metal – if it’s bulky, awkward, and potentially deadly in a hard-braking scenario, there’s a good chance you’ll find it on the back of a work truck. To avoid watching said items crash through the rear cab window or jostle around and scratch up the truck bed, check out BACKRACK’s truck racks.
Sometimes called cab guards or headache racks, these accessories “guard” the truck’s cab and take the “headache” out of safely transporting large items. Available in a variety of styles to suit both your personal taste and your professional needs, BACKRACK’s truck racks all share a few common features that make them excellent work truck upgrades:
- Reinforced steel construction with protective black powder coating
- Secure tie-down spots to prevent shifting cargo
- Low profile design that allows you to park your truck in places you couldn't with a full-size ladder rack
- Hassle-free light and accessory mounting
- Tonneau-cover compatibility
Made in Canada, BACKRACK work truck accessories are rugged, dependable, and stylish – with nearly the entire lineup starting under $500.
CARR Truck Steps
While shifting cargo and tools can certainly present some dangers when operating a work truck, the most reported injuries on job sites are actually slips, trips, and falls. That means, some of the most dangerous things you do at work are simply entering and exiting your truck, or hopping up to retrieve things from the bed.
CARR truck steps not only increase on-the-job safety by giving you a sure-footed step up, they also improve your daily ergonomics. You don’t have to fall down to throw your back out of alignment – often, it only takes one awkward twist or movement.
Available in steel or aluminum, CARR truck steps provide wide stepping areas with rugged treads to ensure solid footing even in muddy work boots. Options include hoop-style or extra-rugged flat side steps, in a variety of sizes, as well as foldable hitch-mounted rear steps and a
very clever deployable work truck step for service trucks that stows away when not in use.
Another nice feature of CARR steps is that many options are available in a safety yellow finish, which helps you better see where you’re stepping and clearly marks your truck as work equipment.
HELLA Work Lights
When it comes to work truck upgrades, nothing boosts functionality and safety quite like auxiliary lighting. Allowing you to see better (and be more productive) during nighttime or low-light conditions, a good set of work lights also ensures you and your truck can be seen by other drivers or workers.
Available in various configurations, including spotlights, floodlights, or combination beams, HELLA work lights are specially engineered to stand up to the grueling demands of daily off-road use. This versatility and rugged construction allows you to choose the lighting style and beam pattern that best suits your work needs, whether it's focusing on a concentrated area or providing wide coverage.
Plus, HELLA is all about providing reliable quality at a normal market price, so you can easily outfit your work truck for long days at the job site without destroying your $500 budget.
Tiger Tough Seat Covers
Work trucks endure heavy use, and that daily wear-and-tear begins to show quickly on surfaces like plastic, leather, carpet, and upholstery. Earmarking some of your budget for interior work truck upgrades is not only an investment in your comfort, but also in your professional image.
When clients or customers see a well-maintained interior, it conveys attention to detail and pride in workmanship. But keeping up with dirt, grime and who-knows-what-else is easier said than done -- especially when it comes to OEM seat upholstery. Cover up that delicate cloth with something designed to endure hard knocks.
Tiger Tough seat covers are built for heavy-duty use. Crafted of 1000 Denier CORDURA, they are waterproof, easy to clean, airbag-compatible, and near-indestructible. They’re also customized to your vehicle, so you can expect a snug fit, and they come with an unconditional warranty for at least two years.
Pricing is competitive too, coming in at nearly half the cost as some other big-name brands that use less-durable fabrics. Plus, depending on what you drive, you might be able to cover both front and rear seats of your work truck for right around $500.
Remember, even small upgrades can make a big difference in terms of convenience, safety, and productivity on the job. So, take a closer look at your work truck's needs and explore the possibilities within your budget. With smart choices and strategic investments, you can transform your work truck into a well-equipped and efficient tool that does much more than simply get you from point A to point B.