Gear up your work truck for springtime with key interior and exterior upgrades.
It’s official. Spring is here and everything is changing – including the demands on our work trucks. As temperatures fluctuate and freeze cycles become unpredictable, melting snow and increased rainfall can change things up from moment to moment. That shortcut you take on busy mornings is now a muddy slippery mess, and it seems every commute brings some sort of visibility-reducing precipitation to contend with.
Today’s modern trucks are pretty terrific in their stock form, but when loaded up with aftermarket accessories, they can be so much more. Better yet, it’s not that difficult or expensive to customize a truck for personal preferences or to be better equipped to handle tough jobs.
So, let’s take a look at key interior and exterior upgrades you can make to your truck that will optimize functionality, comfort, and safety as you hit the roads this spring.
Must-Have Interior Accessories
As you prepare your work truck for springtime, consider enhancing its interior with accessories that improve both the vehicle’s functionality and your comfort. After all, this space might double as a mobile office; you’ll want to keep it looking (and feeling) professional.
Floor Liners
Starting from the floor up – if you’re still relying on factory mats for durable protection from the mud, water, and debris being tracked in by your work boots, then it’s time to consider investing in some quality, custom-fit floor liners.
Constructed to withstand heavy use and harsh conditions, aftermarket liners are typically made from durable materials like rubber or thermoplastic. They’re incredibly resistant to wear and tear, and most designs feature raised edges and channels to contain liquids, preventing them from seeping into the carpet and rusting out your floor pans. Additionally, custom-fit options – like those offered by Husky Liners and WeatherTech – are precisely molded to fit the dimensions of your vehicle’s floor, providing a snug fit that won’t slip or slide.
Check Out: Husky Liner’s X-act Contour Floor Liners offer premium protection and style. Built to withstand and repel whatever your boots truck in, they feature a no-spill edge, stay-put design, and glove-like fit.
Seat Covers
Your floor mats aren’t the only part of the cabin taking a beating. All that sliding in and out of the vehicle can leave the vulnerable upholstery exposed to punctures, tears, and abrasions – not to mention the stains left by all the meals you eat behind the wheel. A set of heavy-duty seat covers from Covercraft or TigerTough provides durable and easy-to-clean everyday protection, preserving the interior for years to come.
Check Out: Since nobody does workwear like Carhartt, why not upgrade your work truck’s seats with Covercraft’s Carhartt 1000 Denier Nylon Seat Covers? With striking good looks and a tough-as-nails attitude, Carhartt’s legendarily durable duck weave fabric and triple-stitched main seams ensure your truck’s seats can withstand the damaging effects of water, mud, grease, oil, food, and dirt. For added convenience, they feature an easy on/off installation, and are machine-washable.
Essential Exterior Upgrades
To ensure your vehicle remains both functional and visually appealing in the face of springtime obstacles, consider investing in some quality exterior accessories that improve protection, convenience, and style.
Tonneau Cover
The exterior of your work truck faces the brunt of spring's challenges, from muddy roads to reduced visibility due to rain. Installing a high-quality tonneau cover, such as those offered by UnderCover, Extang, or TruXedo, will not only protect the truck bed itself but also safeguard your cargo from the elements, theft, or damage. Tonneau covers are also known to improve fuel efficiency by reducing wind drag.
Check Out: Tough jobs call for tough equipment. The UnderCover ArmorFlex is a hard, tri-folding cover that ramps up durability by adding a premium-grade LINE-X® coating to its already heavy-duty panels. The result is a rugged tonneau cover that offers superior protection against dents, dings, and extreme environments – great for daily drivers that double as work trucks.
Bed Mat or Liner
Truck beds see a lot of abuse, whether it’s from shifting cargo or heavy, abrasive loads. Pair that tonneau cover with a durable bed mat from TrailFX or Dee Zee to protect your truck bed during transport and keep it looking like new.
If you really want to bump up the coverage, consider adding a complete drop-in bed liner. DuraLiner’s rugged HDPE liners are great for messy cargo, while BedRug’s uniquely-textured polypropylene offerings provide incredible impact and skid resistance.
Check Out: The BedRug Classic Bed Liner is the ticket if you want your work truck to have coverall workwear functionality that looks like a formal tuxedo. Designed to custom-fit your truck bed, this liner looks and acts like a padded carpet but, thanks to its ultra-tough polypropylene construction, will protect the bed surface from impact, dings, and damage. Better yet, it can be cleaned with a vacuum, hose, or power washer and dries in 20 minutes without absorbing any water, so it is resistant to mold and mildew.
Enhanced Visibility Features
Springtime conditions often lead to reduced visibility on the road, increasing the risk of accidents. To combat these challenges and prioritize safety, consider equipping your work truck with upgrades designed to keep your eyes on what’s in front of – and behind- you.
Fog Lights
Positioned low on the front bumper, fog lights are designed to cut through dense fog and rain, reducing glare and improving visibility. They’re incredibly useful when traveling during bad weather or low-light conditions. Unfortunately, not all trucks offer them as standard equipment.
Upgrading your work truck with LED lighting solutions from brands like Putco, Rigid Industries, and KC HiLiTES allows you to reap these benefits, while also offering more customization options to tailor your truck to your specific needs and preferences.
Check Out: With so many great vehicle lighting options available, it’s difficult to choose. The best options, however, can be identified by the flexibility of the product and its simplicity to install. Offering superior clarity in a road-legal package, Rigid Industries 360-Series SAE Yellow/ White Combo Driving/ Fog Lights can be used all year long, on and off the road. Plus, the ability to toggle between Selective Yellow or White lighting allows you to select the optimal lighting for your driving conditions.
Rearview Camera Mirror
In springtime conditions, when there are more drivers, pedestrians, and construction crews on the road, having a clear rear view becomes even more critical when maneuvering in tight spaces or reversing. Aftermarket camera systems like those by BrandMotion or Mobile Awareness generally offer better image quality and wider viewing angles, along with more customization to better suit the exact work your truck does.
Check Out: More than just a back-up camera, the BrandMotion FullVUE goes above and beyond by replacing your vehicle's entire rearview mirror with a live-streaming, full-HD video screen. While retaining the traditional mirror function, it seamlessly integrates a dash-cam, rear-view monitor, and recording ability, providing drivers with comprehensive visibility and peace of mind on the road.
Whether you're navigating muddy terrain or facing reduced visibility, investing in quality upgrades from trusted brands, like those available on Parts Via, will ensure that your work truck is well-equipped to tackle the challenges of springtime and beyond.