If you work with your hands for a living, you know space is a valuable commodity.
Keeping your ladders secure is an easy chore with a well-made ladder rack.
These are all universal options for any truck bed. Let’s take a look at the highest quality choices available!
Here are the 4 best aluminum ladder racks for your truck:
1. Thule Xsporter Pro Aluminum Truck Rack with Load Stops
Thule is perhaps best known for their roof boxes, but they make other accessories as well.
Like this well-made rack rated for up to 450 lbs of cargo. The main reason to buy this is if you’re looking for an adjustable option.
However, you will pay a considerably higher price for their products generally. If you’re going for the higher end of the range in this category, this is about as good as it gets. But, if the price tag scares you don’t worry. We have other options below that are more affordable.
This comes in two colors, the standard aluminum or black. You aren’t relegated to ladders with this, it can haul your kayak or other items as long as it’s under the weight limit.
This is an adjustable rack by height and removable. You don’t have to drill into your truck for installation. To get a better idea of the product, this video below is pretty great. It is a compression fit on your bed rails using C-Clamps.
The turn dial adjustment knob locks into place and offers an easy way for you to fine tune it to the exact height you want. Most racks involve a complicated process if they even are able to be adjusted. Which most don’t allow.
This is one of the most sought after features and the reason some truck owners prefer this design. Here is the installation manual for this model.
2. Apex ATR Heavy Duty Universal Aluminum Utility Rack
Apex ATR is a stark contrast to Thule on the price scale in a good way, as are the rest of the options in this guide!
This universal utility rack is made of aluminum with heavy-duty ladder stops. They are the four metal triangles pictured.
You use them to loop through a tie down to keep your ladder or other cargo securely fastened. Which for peace of mind value, is fantastic. It’s also one of the highest rated options available, at up to 800 lbs.
This is a no-drill installation, your pristinely beautiful truck bed will remain intact. We’ve seen customers fit up to 3 kayaks on these racks. You can also adjust the horizontal position of the ladder stops with the tension knobs.
Simply release them and slide it where you want. Considering how much this setup costs, it’s an awesome value.
3. TracRac TracONE Universal Truck Rack- Silver
TracONE is a universal truck rack that has an 800 lb capacity as well.
The quality of the hardware mounts and crossbeams are a reason to inspire confidence in buyers.
They did a good job of making a quality product at a price that isn’t too outrageous for what you get.
However, one common complaint is that they’re not doing the best on quality control. If you do go for this option, make sure that it includes everything before you start assembly.
It does include 4 tie downs as you can see in the picture, and yes they are adjustable to keep your cargo safe.
4. AA-Racks Model APX25 Extendable Aluminum Pick-Up Truck Ladder Rack
The no-drill APX25 is an extendable option that uses a pressure fit clamp system.
If you have a white truck, they have a white painted option for this and it looks incredible.
It’s also available in black or aluminum. The paint is powder coated to stand up to the elements. This has a 800 lb carrying capacity and sturdy triangular tie downs. Like most options, they are adjustable horizontally.
This is a tossup for best value with our #2 option. Did we say it looks great if you have a white truck? Take a look at some of the customer pictures to see what we mean. For the price and value, this and Apex’s option are in the upper echelon.
FAQS
Why are all of these ladder racks made of aluminum?
Aluminum has some interesting properties as a metal. It isn’t as strong as something like steel, but the number one reason it’s used in outdoor applications is that it doesn’t rust. Which is why you’ll commonly see it used in tool boxes for trucks, or in this case a ladder rack.
Are these truck racks universal?
Most of them are, but it’s still important to check the specifications of each manufacturer to see if it fits your model. There is an Amazon garage tool to do this, or you can read their specific documentation.
It’ll save you a good amount of headaches if it’s not. But, they all work in the same way and should theoretically(d0uble-check before purchase) fit any truck. They use a combination of types of clamps for pressure fits, the most common being either a c-clamp or j-clamp.
Conclusion
If you are on the hunt for a quality ladder rack, we hope this made your life easier! If you wanted something adjustable, Thule has an option for you.
For us, we think either the Apex Heavy Duty rack or the APX25 are the best bang for the buck in this category. If you end up choosing anything from this list, let us know how it worked out for you. And as always, thanks for reading!