Future Ford Pickup Beds May Get Measurement System For Cargo

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a measurement system for cargo that could be used in future Ford pickup beds, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on October 26^th, 2021, published on April 27^th, 2023, and assigned serial number 0126542.

The Ford Authority Take

In a hyper-competitive space, Ford has filed all sorts of pickup-related patents in recent months as it aims to stay one step ahead of some fierce competition, including one for a new type of cargo system, magnetic pickup beds, multi-panel beds, sliding crossbars, a bed-to-cab passthrough system, and an integrated truck bed for power outlets – though some features – like barn doors – remain curiously absent from today’s Blue Oval pickups. Now, this newly filed patent previews yet another feature we might one day see in future Ford pickup beds – a measurement system for cargo.

The current-gen Ford F-150 debuted with a feature that the automaker calls its Tailgate Work Surface, which features cleats, clamp pockets, phone and pencil holders, a ruler, and a cupholder. However, this new patent takes that concept a step further by introducing multiple measurement gradations to the pickup bed, which could be used to quickly and easily measure items such as wooden boards and piping.

The idea here is that measuring devices such as tape measures can often wind up taking time to locate, or could even be removed from the job site altogether. However, this feature is always present in the bed of a truck, making it quick and easy to measure each piece as it’s removed, saving time (and potentially money) in the process. It’s a simple, easy, and likely cheap feature, and as such, seems like it has a good chance of making it to production.

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