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Loading and unloading your truck bed can do some serious damage if you're not protected. Dents, dings, gouges and scratches wreck the look (not to mention the value) of your truck in virtually no time at all. Protecting your bed rails only gets easier with the following 5 tips for truck bed rail and bed cap protection.

Let something besides your paint bear the brunt instead, and dress up your vehicle while you're at it! Top your truck bed (and tailgate, too) with a sturdy set of bed caps, bed rails or both, and you'll discover the following 5 tips:

Sweet looks that range from burly to smooth and stylin'
Premium protection for your sensitive truck bed paint
Simple mounting to your vehicle in virtually no time
Extreme tie-down strength for securing the heavy loads
Top-shelf durability thanks to tough materials

Tip #1: Improve your standard bed rail looks

Stock truck beds look pretty boring as-is. And nothing says ugly like a dinged, scratched or dented bed. You might think this frightening bed condition would be confined to painting, plumbing and auto glass installer trucks, but it's an everyday problem for anybody who actually uses their truck as a truck.

Bed caps and bed rails do quite a remodel job on these uncovered stretches of paint. Bed rails top your truck bed with the wicked appearance of smooth black or mirror-polished steel. A matte finish can lend a tough edge to your vehicle. Or, some extra shine can do your truck's body good and is sure to turn heads. Bed caps can bring smooth and rugged looks with the best of them, too*not just for a fresh appearance, but also for covering old marks.

Tip #2: Premium protection for the paint on your bed rails

A key function of bed caps and bed rails is stopping damage before it hits your paint. Loading boxes, tools, bikes and more gets much less precarious with your bed top protected by a set of bed caps. And, they're custom-molded to the exact shape and size of your vehicle, leaving no space uncovered.

Bed rails are also effective guardians, rejecting items that would otherwise dent your bed. They keep large cargo from bashing either at the cab or at the gate, along with safe containment of stacked loads thanks to heightened tie down points. This way, you won't have to take it so easy on your heavy-duty rig.

Tip #3: Quick and simple mounting

Bed caps are one of the easiest to install accessories for your vehicle. Most require no drilling to mount securely, instead, attaching with double-sided, heavy-duty adhesive foam tape. Bed caps go from in-the-box to mounted-in-place in a couple minutes, at most.

Bed rails typically mount just as fast to the stake pockets of your vehicle. Fitting directly in the pocket, bed rails use a bolt and a backing plate for securing to the top of the bed. Vehicles without stake pockets will require minor drilling.

Tip #4: Sturdy tie-down strength securing your truck's heavy load

Securing large items in your truck bed can be a tricky proposition. Lashing them down to a set of bed rails makes a huge difference in cargo stability. In fact, some of our bed rails are equipped to handle an incredible 500lbs. or more of weight capacity. Boxes, furniture and even random gear stay anchored in place where you intended. Plus, they're stronger and more convenient than in-bed cleats and hooks.

Tip #5: Durability due to strong materials

Bed caps and bed rails are both built to last. Bed caps, which thrive on durability to combat the harsh conditions of the top of your truck bed, use either a plastic composite material or sheet metal such as stainless steel or aluminum. They're specially crafted to last without fading, denting or otherwise losing their looks.

Pure steel tubing is the material of choice for bed rails, as these sturdy center supports are the anchor point for your heavy loads. Thanks to their all-steel construction, bed rails have the capacity they need for holding any load in place. Thick-wall tubing is used for the center bar; cast steel for the ends.

For the ultimate in protection and looks, the combination of both bed caps and bed rails is without a doubt the way to go. One of the leading manufacturers of top notch truck bed products is Putco.