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• Basic size: Pickup trucks may be compact, compact/midsize or full-size in dimensions. Cars.com considers a pickup to be compact if it has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) below 5,500 pounds. Full-size trucks have a GVWR of 5,500 pounds or more. Some trucks don’t fall squarely into a category. The Dodge Dakota, for instance, is often categorized as a compact/midsize pickup. In addition, the Toyota Tundra qualifies as a full-size truck but is smaller than domestic brand models in this category.
• Bedliner: A bedliner is a coating or plastic insert applied to the interior of a cargo bed to protect it from scratches and damage. A few pickups can be purchased with factory-installed bedliners; others can be applied or installed at the dealership or after delivery is taken.
• Cab type: Three basic cab styles (or types) are available, but not every model comes in all three forms. A regular-cab pickup has a short passenger area with either a single bench seat or a pair of bucket seats and no backseat of any kind. Therefore, it seats only two or three occupants. Extended-cab pickups have a small backseat or jump seats to hold additional passengers for short trips. Some extended-cab trucks have one or two rear-hinged half-doors that permit easier entry and exit into the backseat. They can be opened only when the regular front doors are open. Crew-cab trucks have a full backseat and four, conventional, front-hinged doors. Some manufacturers use different names for their extended-cab and crew-cab models, such as King Cab and Double Cab.
• Cargo box: The cargo box is the portion of the truck to the rear of the cab that holds items to be hauled. Dimensions are available for both the length and width and are measured inside the cargo box (often called cargo bed). Figures for the approximate length are typically given, such as 6.5 feet or 8 feet, but actual dimensions could differ. What’s called an 8-foot bed might actually measure 95 or 98 inches long, for instance, rather than an even 96 inches. Short-bed pickups, as the name suggests, have a cargo box that measures no more than 6.5 feet long. Long-bed pickups pertain to models that have a longer cargo box. The bed’s width dimensions may be measured between the rear wheel wells, which take up space and cut into maximum cargo volume.
• Curb weight: This is the weight of an unloaded pickup, ready to roll, with all of the fluids and essential equipment installed.
• Dualie: This term refers to a truck equipped with dual rear wheels. Heavy-duty models may have two rear wheels on each side, rather than single wheels, for a total of six tires instead of four. Additional wheels may increase the truck’s load-carrying capacity because they distribute the weight over four rear wheels rather than two. In recent years, trucks and cars alike have been gravitating toward larger tires.
• Four-wheel steering: General Motors’ full-size trucks may be equipped with Quadrasteer, which is a four-wheel-steering system that enhances maneuverability and improves stability when towing a trailer. Under certain conditions, the rear wheels automatically steer in the direction of the front wheels. When this occurs, however, the rear wheels don’t turn to the extent that the front ones do.
• GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating): Every pickup has a GVWR figure, defined in pounds, which is the sum of its curb weight and payload capacity. This is the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle and all that it carries, including cargo and passengers.
• Payload: Specified in pounds, this figure indicates the amount a truck can actually carry, including the weight of passengers, cargo, fluids and all appropriate equipment. A smaller engine can actually increase a pickup’s payload capacity, rather than reduce the limit, because it typically weighs less than a larger engine.
• Rated capacity: Each pickup has a basic duty level and is rated accordingly — as half-ton, three-quarter-ton or one-ton. These figures aren’t exact, and the actual load capacity is contingent on other factors.
• Towing capacity: Maximum figures, defined in pounds, are available for every configuration of a truck. A pickup’s towing capacity might vary according to engine type, transmission, tires and other factors. An increase in passengers and cargo weight reduces the maximum towing figure. Towing the peak trailer weight also may demand the installation of special equipment, such as a weight-distributing hitch. Pickups are able to haul heavier trailers if they have their own brakes, but for brakeless trailers, the maximum will likely be considerably lower.
• Transfer case: Four-wheel-drive pickups have a separate gearbox, called the transfer case, that works with the regular transmission. Some are controlled by a separate, shorter gear lever; others operate electrically via push-buttons or a rotary switch on the dashboard. Most four-wheel-drive pickups have three transfer-case positions: rear-wheel drive; 4WD-High, for ordinary operation; and 4WD-Low, for use on demanding terrain, such as mud or steep grades. All-wheel-drive pickups, such as the GMC Sierra Denali, have no separate lever; these systems are permanent and operate at all times.