Loading 4x8 plywood sheets in a DC

I've looked on line and didn't see much info, but is there a correct way to load 4x8 plywood in the back of a DC tundra? I know some trucks have pockets to drop 2x4s in to raise the load floor if you will. Will a sheet of plywood lay flat in the 6'6" regular bed on the DC or is there something else you need to do? I assume that maybe you have to raise it over the wheel wells? Please educate me...

 

You have to raise it over the wheel wells and lower the tailgate.

 

I just fit sheets of plywood in my crewmax.

shut the tailgate and slide them in, fit well.

 

And if all else fails.. say F it, it’s a truck and shove it in. 13 footers from an old barn.

 

I always leave the tailgate closed and slide them in so they angle down to the front of the bed.

 

Wrap with technique below so tension of straps will grip and prevent the posts from sliding back and forth. Ratchet down.

 

I just picked up some plywood last week in my DC with no problem. In between the wheel wells measures 49 1/2 inches, and with the tailgate down you have 8 feet 8 inches. I also recommend keeping the tailgate up like 602runner for a moderate amount of wood, i was picking up 20 sheets and didn't want all that weight on the tailgate.

 

I have a dc but with the tail gate open its hard to secure them. I close it and strap it down with the back bed ties as shown in the pic. Be careful of how much weight you put on the top of the tailgate though. Ive seen this guy who damaged his tailgate that way. It like smashed down the top portion somehow.

 

It all depends on how much you load in the truck. If it's a lot, tailgate down, just 10 sheets or so, tailgate up.

 

appreciate all of the replies on how to load plywood. Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I had seen damage on the top of the lift gate before and I certainly don't want to damage mine...

 

This is how I usually load them.. Bought tie down d-rings for my bed bolts though so I dont have to criss-cross the straps. Can just ratchet one over top. I dont load over the closed tailgate because Im 5’3” and cant unload them without standing on something.

Have since had the spray-in bed liner since I took this pic and it's much gripper so the sheets are less apt to slide out now. Not that they would with the 1500lb straps there but I'm paranoid..

 

that makes complete sense on going under/over the plywood with the ratchet strap. thanks for the pic.... It's good to know the plywood will fit in between the wheel wells.

 

My pops showed me that when I was being a typical blonde awhile back trying to figure out how to strap them without the bed rings. Couldn't hook the corner of that bottom sheet but there were 9 others on top of it so it wasn't going anywhere. You could probably get away with one strap but, me being a pilot, i'm all about redundancy. If one fails the other will keep them in.

 

For plywood and lumber up to 12' long I've always done it with the tailgate up (6' bed). With 12' lumber you put one end in the driver's side corner of the bed and the ends on the passenger's side of the rear of the bed and use a ratchet strap to hold them there. That leaves about 4' sticking out the bed. For sheetrock I made a 2x4 rack that sits on the floor of the bed for my 1st gen Tundra. It had a board the spaces them out that fits into the gap between the bed and tailgate when it's down so the rack can't slide out. It had a second board to space them out about a foot past the end of the tailgate. I would take a heavy duty ratchet strap from the rear pockets on the top of the bed sides, pass it under the boards beyond that second board, and back up to the other pocket. This would support the end of the rack. The only real problem is that the 1st gen Tundra leaf springs wouldn't handle two dozen 12' sheets of sheetrock. You would be riding on the bump stops and the steering was really light. But sometimes you just have to make do with what you have to complete a project.