They don’t make ‘em like they used to, and we can be thankful for that. Over the course of time, pickup trucks have gotten physically larger. Getting in and out of a truck bed used to be pretty easy, but with trucks that sit higher off the ground and with higher bedsides, this has become a more difficult task. Thankfully one of the Chevy truck features makes this activity much easier and has been offered for a long time. Finally, we’ll see something similar on Ford trucks.

Why should Ford adopt any Chevy truck features?

The Ford F-Series trucks are the best-selling vehicles in America, hands down. As the leader in the industry, it doesn’t seem practical for Ford to add features found on trucks that don’t sell as well. That said, The Chevy trucks offer something that makes it much easier to reach, handle, move, and manage cargo. Adding these features could send sales of Ford trucks through the roof.

Rear bumper steps; a saving grace in Chevy trucks

For some truck owners, the decision between a Ford and Chevy pickup could come down to ease of access to the bed. One of the most useful Chevy truck features is the rear bumper steps. These are cut-out steps in the corners of the rear bumper that makes it easy to step up and access the cargo in the bed. These steps first appeared in the 2002-2006 Chevy Avalanche and eventually became a standard feature of the Chevy Silverado lineup.

But Ford has a step for its trucks

Ford didn’t take long to adopt a step for its trucks. The 2009 models of the F-150 featured a tailgate step, but there’s a challenge to this feature. In order to utilize the tailgate step in Ford trucks, the gate must be open. The rear bumper steps on Chevy trucks don’t require an open tailgate for use.

Ford evolves with the new 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty

Instead of stubbornly sticking to a step that must be pulled out of the tailgate and extended downward, Ford is evolving. The Chevy truck features rear bumper steps expanded to include bedside steps for larger trucks, and Ford does the same with the latest Super Duty pickup. This new F-Series truck adds a series of steps in the bedside and rear bumper. MotorTrend tells us these steps are now standard equipment from the XL to the Limited models of the F-250, F-350, and F-450 trucks.

Will Ford keep the tailgate step?

Whether it’s an effort to offer one more feature than the Chevy trucks or a little more convenience, Ford trucks will continue to include the tailgate step. This feature is standard on the top three trims and an option for lower trim levels of the Ford Super Duty trucks.

The new bedside and bumper steps of the Ford Super Duty trucks are found on both the driver and passenger sides of the box and are large enough for steel-toe work boots.

Will these new steps give the Ford trucks a greater edge over the Chevy trucks? Only time will tell.

Next, check out the larger V8 engine of these big Ford trucks, or learn more about the new Ford Super Duty trucks in this video below: