PICKUP TRUCK TOOL BOX INSTALLATION

Looking for professional Toolbox Installation near Chicago? If you run your own business in Chicago or you’re in the trades like construction, plumbing, landscaping, or snow removal then a truck bed toolbox is a must-have accessory for your pickup truck.

Honestly, who wants to deal with digging tools from in and out of your truck bed all week? I mean seriously, you already work hard enough am I right. However, worry not grasshopper, the days of scrambling around your bed for the tool you need are over.

A good pickup truck toolbox installation will provide you peace of mind, and in time, you’ll find that your toolbox will be a trusty sidekick; always there when you need it. Sure, letting the tools of your trade drift freely in your truck bed seems like a budget-friendly idea at first.

However, when you take into account what you will lose by leaving your gear loose within the bed, you’ll realize a tool box for your truck bed is a good investment.

As most true pickups lack a trunk or similar cargo area, a decent number of pickup truck toolboxes are used merely for protection or as confined storage areas for personal belongings. Everything from shopping bags to groceries and emergency supplies like jumper cables will make their home in your truck’s toolbox.

TOOL BOXES PREVENT THEFT

Without a truck bed storage system your stuff will crash into the walls and break. Thieves will try to run off with your best equipment or finally, the ebb and flow of our unforgiving Chicago winters and summers will eventually rust out your tools and render them useless.

If you’ve ever had your cordless drill or circular saw ripped-off by some anonymous punk it’s not only an expensive inconvenience, but also maddening. This is often when a truck toolbox will pay for itself, with durable steel walls that keep your gear out if sight and rugged locks to keep things where you left them, instead of just using hope.

Because of the size, a pickup truck toolbox provides you with infinite storage choices, but they aren’t suitable for shipping. If shipped by UPS, FedEx or another similar carrier the chances of getting a damaged toolbox are high. On the other hand, shipping toolboxes LTL Freight is costly, and even if you can return your damaged toolbox for free, which rarely happens to who wants to deal with the hassle.

TOOL BOXES DETER MOISTURE

Rain, extreme sun, snow, and random dust. None of these are good for your tools. A truck toolbox keeps each of those enemies from prematurely damaging your equipment.

Moreover, your tools are guarded against rolling all over your truck bed once you make screeching stops, sharp turns, and fast starts. Not only can a truck tool box installation keep your gear protected, it’s also the perfect way to shield from the elements.

Most toolboxes have a weather seal between the lid and the box. This prevents moisture from entering the seams of your box. By utilizing rubber or foam tape seals that channel away moisture, the contents of your toolbox will stay dry even during the rainy season in Illinois. In any scenario besides driving into Lake Michigan, your tools will remain dry.

TOOL BOX MATERIALS

Truck bed toolboxes are available in a range of materials, every with their own virtues for tool storage. The most popular toolbox materials are aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and polyurethane. Many truck bed toolboxes are made of aluminum and come with a diamond-plated pattern.

The great thing about diamond- plated aluminum is that it’s durable, lightweight, and mean looking. Maybe the best quality of an aluminum toolbox is that you never need to worry about your toolbox rusting or rotting out.

As you may have guessed steel is the traditional truck toolbox material. Steel pickup toolboxes are heavier than aluminum boxes. However, aluminum toolboxes are less durable and more susceptible to unwanted scratches and dents caused by shifting tools.

Steel toolboxes are typically powder coated to help resist corrosion. However, any chip or scratch in the powder coating will promote premature rusting and corrosion, unlike aluminum toolboxes. Some truck bed toolboxes are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel won’t rust like aluminum, however this material costs substantially more than steel and stainless steel.

This costlier truck box material is reserved for premium toolboxes. Stainless steel can be polished to a much brighter shine than an aluminum toolbox and they don’t require powder coating.

TOOL BOX CONSTRUCTION

Truck toolboxes use a range of key lock designs, most notably rotary latch lock mechanisms with spring-loaded paddles or push-button assemblies for opening the lid. Most boxes will also feature adjustable or self-adjusting lid strikers for the tightest attainable seal.

Unless a criminal is a professional locksmith or is lugging around a cutting torch, they won’t be getting into your toolbox easily. Beyond the wall and lid construction, several different elements are key to the life and quality of a truck toolbox.

An industrial hinge or set of hinges links the lid with the box itself. Basic boxes have twin modest-sized hinges; deluxe boxes use one long piano-style hinge. The hinges are generally forged from a corrosion-resistant alloy for years of smooth opening and shutting.

Both designs perform well, however, the continuous hinge style puts less stress on individual points of the lid and equally distributes the load of the hinge. That’s why you will find the continuous hinge on the higher end boxes. Basic struts assist in lifting the lid with ease and shutting effortlessly.

Additional budget-friendly toolboxes use only one shock at the center of the lid, whereas most toolboxes have a shock on either side for easy lid operation.

Premium toolboxes typically have integrated guards around the base of every strut to shield the assembly from blunt force damage, as if being hit by a crowbar or hammer carelessly tossed into the box.

Truck bed toolboxes are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures for the various places you’ll be able to use them on your truck bed.

TYPES OF TOOLBOXES

The choices of toolboxes available for your truck are virtually limitless. There are toolboxes for the front, sides, rear, and even underbody of your truck bed for flatbeds. Choosing the right tool box installation can be a little bit tricky since there so many options to choose from. However, we can help you decide which toolbox is exactly right for your needs.

All Purpose Chest Tool Boxes

Installing an All-purpose toolbox chest will give you the flexibility to utilize your pickup trucks Tonneau cover while also maximizing your visibility. All-purpose chests sit below the bedrail accommodating tonneau covers and lids.

Most all-purpose chests like those from Weather Guard open to 90 degrees for easy access. Some even use offset hinges designed to allow a flush tool box installation against your truck’s cab.

Cross-Box or Gullwing Tool Boxes

The awesome thing about cross-box toolboxes is they allow you to access the toolbox from either side of the truck. Most toolboxes like this come with two independent locking covers a full weather seal to keep out the elements.

An alternative to a single lid crossover tool box, a double-lid toolbox features two smaller lids that open towards your rear window. Effectively splitting your toolbox into two equal halves.

Hi-Side Tool Boxes

Hi-Side toolboxes are the ultimate work truck toolboxes. Sitting on either side of your truck’s bed it’s common to add a ladder rack above them to maximize the storage capacity. If you’re a contractor, these toolboxes are necessary to have.

Lo-Side Tool Boxes

Lo-Side Boxes mount similar to the Hi-side toolboxes, however, the Lo-side toolboxes sit over the bed rails of your truck and keep your tools and parts right at your fingertips. Another distinction between the Hi-side and Lo-side toolboxes is that the Lo-Side toolboxes are usually less height than the Hi-side tool boxes.

Pork Chop Tool Boxes

Certainly, the most delicious sounding of all the toolbox models is the Pork Chop toolbox. No, they aren’t for storing your lunch, but you could definitely use it for that. Pork Chop Boxes make use of otherwise under-exploited space in your truck bed just above and behind your wheel wells. These handy toolboxes are perfect for storing small parts tools for instant access and can be combined with several other toolbox models.

They are also commonly called wheel well toolboxes. The swing-away models are also popular. Imagine accessing your tools, or gear by simply pulling a release lever without reaching over, or climbing into your truck bed.

Saddle Tool Boxes

Saddle Boxes or as they are also sometimes called low-profile toolboxes are undoubtedly the most popular pickup truck toolboxes available on the market today. Considered an easy of tool box installation in comparison to the other types of toolboxes, they are a high number of used low-profile toolboxes on Craigslist and eBay.

Underbed Tool Boxes

Underbody toolboxes are very popular with contractors who use flatbeds, platform or dump trucks. These toolboxes allow for extra storage without sacrificing the precious space above the bed of the truck.

Underbodies are the unofficial workhorse of the landscaping community and these toolboxes add protected storage to a place that’s out of the way.

Floor Tool Boxes

Are typically engineered flush with the side of the lid to prevent water from leaking into the lock and freezing. Some models even feature a cap over the lock.

Fifth-wheel Tool Boxes

The 5th Wheel Tool Box allows you to place the toolbox against the truck cab and still be able to open it. The back of the box is notched so the back of the lid has a place to go as you open it. The low profile design increases visibility and allows your fifth wheel to swing freely without hitting the lid during sharp turns.

Dog Tool Boxes

Also known as kennel toolboxes these versatile toolboxes let you carry your toolboxes and your best friend together safely and securely. A dog toolbox will keep your dog restrained and out of trouble. These toolboxes are perfect for animal control agents, hunters, and dog lovers too.

B-Pack Toolboxes

B-Pack tool box installation are ideal for cab-over trucks, flatbeds, stake, dump, and utility bodies. Most of these toolboxes provide clearance for frame mounted battery boxes and fuel tanks with their convenient, spacious storage behind your truck’s cab.

Trailer Tongue Boxes

These models of toolboxes are designed to save space and provide additional storage for the truck bed or in front of an A-Frame trailer on the tongue. These toolboxes offer an easy and affordable way to give added protected storage on your trailer.