F-150

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

Truck beds have become far more than empty areas to throw sheetrock and plywood. For example, the 2021 Ford F-150 comes with an available Pro Power Onboard generator that has come in handy during the historic Texas snowstorm. Ford's bed has other innovative features, too, such as built-in ruler markings and clamp holes on the tailgate. But there's one key area where both General Motors and Ram have Ford beat; tailgate design.

The GMC Sierra debuted with the MultiPro tailgate with six different configurations. This same option is now available on the Chevrolet Silverado, rebranded as the Multiflex tailgate. Ram also offers a similar feature called the Multifunction Tailgate, which is split down the middle.

Ford has been rumored to add a competing tailgate to the F-150, but it seems like the company is now working on another new feature.

On February 20, 2021, Ford submitted a trademark filing for the name "Flexbed" with the USPTO. The trademark registration is "intended to cover the categories of land vehicles; customizable and organizational system for cargo area of vehicles."

There isn't much else in the filing to draw information from, but we gather that this may not be the multi-function tailgate competitor we initially thought. Instead, it sounds like the Flexbed will offer dividers inside the bed, likely to help owners arrange smaller objects that could roll around on the move.

Ford has offered multiple bed styles in the past. Some previous examples include the Flareside, which features a handy side step, and Styleside, which has a flat exterior and no steps.

We still believe that this Flexbed filing could still relate to a new tailgate design, though it seems odd to exclude the word "tailgate" from the name. Trademark applications don't always make it to production, so we'll watch to see if Ford releases any new truck features using the term Flexbed. We like Ford's existing tailgate step, but would like to see the F-Series offer another option like its GM and Ram rivals.