Home Automotive Cars Choosing the Best Ute Tool Boxes: A Guide to Maximizing Storage and...

Choosing the Best Ute Tool Boxes: A Guide to Maximizing Storage and Security

Tool boxes are as much a part of owning a ute as lift kits and 4×4 tyres. But with so many different sizes, styles, and even box materials on the market, it can be hard to distinguish between what you need and what you like.

A lot depends on balancing your storage space requirements with the amount of tray space that you actually have. A tradie who needs to transport a mobile workshop with tools and construction materials is likely to have more practical storage demands than a weekend camper who needs space for a fridge, canned goods, and a dirtbike. You can buy tool boxes for every purpose, and you only need to follow a few simple steps to make your selection process a little easier.

Time to Fine-Tune Your Transportation With Tool Boxes

source: g7australia.com.au

From full-sized, fully equipped tradesman-style boxes that would be a treat for any tradie or sparkie, to compact under-tray boxes that make convenient tray side storage for come-alongs and tie-downs, today’s selection of lightweight tool boxes for trucks is nothing short of impressive. They combine practical designs and features with lightweight and durability in ways that wouldn’t have been considered only a few years ago, making them the perfect solution for:

  • Versatile storage anytime you’re on the road;
  • Uncompromised security for your personal gear; and,
  • Unparalleled organization, regardless of the cargo you’re hauling.

No matter if you’re a craftsman or an outdoorsman, tool boxes give you the ability to fine-tune your transportation needs, and to optimize your cargo space like never before. Depending on the types of cargo you routinely carry, they can even save you money on lost or damaged material.

Premium Tool Box Designs For the Most Versatile Storage

Selecting the right ute boxes starts with assessing the scale and type of goods and materials that you need to transport, and then picking boxes that match those needs. In the same manner that oversized tools and bulky recreational gear require larger ute tray tool boxes, moderate-sized consumables like plumbing fixtures or even tinned goods are more handily stored in smaller, more easily accessible boxes.

Modern ute storage boxes give you more than just one-size-fits-all rigidity and are based on a core of premium designs that include:

  • Rectangular tool boxes. With full-length top lid openings that can stretch up to 1800mm and moderate heights between 300mm–500mm, these ute truck tool boxes are suitable for trays or tonneau beds, and can be mounted either length- or width-wise.
  • Square-edge tool boxes. With lengths up to 1900mm and a standard height of 1200mm, these ute tray boxes offer more-than-average vertical space for oversized cargo, and can be mounted either on a tray or a trailer.
  • Cross deck gull-wing boxes. These side-opening tray tool boxes are also known as part tray canopies, and are designed to be mounted crossways on ute trays so that they can be conveniently opened from either side of your vehicle.
  • One-tonner tool boxes. These full-sized boxes can reach widths up to 2100mm, and come with both full, and half lid configurations that can be safely opened without the risk of their contents falling out.
  • Under-tray tool boxes. Under-tray ute boxes offer compact, conveniently positioned storage capacity in the underutilized spaces fore and aft of the rear wheels, but without interfering with tyre travel or suspension clearance.

Once you’ve determined how much truck tool storage space you need, the next area you need to consider is the security of your tool boxes. If you’re potentially storing tens of thousands of dollars of tools and equipment on your vehicle, you need to be sure that the truck tool box combination you’ve chosen is rugged enough, and durable enough to protect your gear. Fortunately, today’s heavy-duty ute tool boxes are designed to check all the boxes for both environmental, and physical security.

Trust Premium Materials to Build the Toughest Tool Boxes

While size and style are the two main ute tool box characteristics that you’ll be on the lookout for, box construction is an equally important aspect of your selection process. Whether it’s on the job site or the campsite, you need confidence that the contents of your pickup truck storage boxes are as safely guarded from the climate and theft as possible, and that peace of mind falls directly to materials and construction.

Lightweight, aluminium storage boxes made from 2.00mm – 2.5mm flat, or checker plate stock are the perfect material to build your tray configuration around. With a choice of matte, polished, or powder-coated finishes, and superior corrosion resistance and rugged durability, aluminium tool boxes for utes are backed by a solid roster of build specs that include:

  • Robust, full seam, TIG-welded paneling;
  • High strength-to-weight, RHS reinforced roof and wall sections; and,
  • Reinforced internal structural support and corner bracing.

Between their combined strength and reliability, aluminium ute boxes give you all the tough coverage you need to protect your gear whenever you’re on the move. Solidly reinforced ute tray storage box lids help round out your security requirement, and you want to be sure that your box lids have all been equipped with the following features:

  • Dust and water-resistant rubber lid seals;
  • Full-length 304 stainless steel piano hinges;
  • Long life, gas strut lid supports;
  • Whale-tail type T-handle locks; and,
  • Multi-point, keyed security locks.

Unlike heavy gauge steel, stainless steel, or even polymer tray boxes, aluminum tool boxes for utes and trucks can also be easily modified and combined with other accessories to meet even your most exacting cargo needs.

Tool Box Accessories That Maximize Your Storage Flexibility

source: midwesttruckacc.com

Accessories are the final step toward getting the most from your aluminium ute box configuration. Not only do they give you the most flexibility for keeping your pickup tool boxes efficiently arranged, but they also add another layer of capability to your activities whenever you’re on the road.

Without compromising weight or security, some of the most popular and practical ute storage box accessories you can add to your ute’s configuration will include:

  • Two-, three-, and four-drawer organization units for tools, parts, and assemblies;
  • Shelves, shelving units, and basket trays for optimized adjustable organization;
  • Mudguards to help protect your undertray boxes;
  • Ladder racks for maximizing overhead carry capacity; and,
  • Jerry can, and poly water holders for convenient liquid transport.

Your aluminium storage box configuration can even be outfitted with remote-operated, wireless magnetic sensor alarms. These accessories can be configured to function either as multiple alarms from a single remote or paired to allow multiple remotes to activate a single alarm, offering you the advantage of a pickup tool box security solution that’s fully customizable according to your needs.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, as a ute owner, you want to be able to get the most versatile use from your vehicle’s available cargo space as possible. Tool boxes are designed to help you do it, but you have to choose the correct ones for your type of usage to get the full benefit of what they have to offer.

With today’s high-quality range of heavy-duty tool boxes for trucks, assembling a perfectly functional tray configuration is now easier than it’s ever been. Regardless of whether you use your truck for personal or professional transport, the right tool boxes will give you the edge for all your transport chores.