Today's trucks have cubbyholes for just about everything

ByABC News
February 12, 2008, 7:04 AM

DETROIT -- For pickup owners who already can't remember where they stashed the spare house key in their cab, the next generation of trucks is only going to make life harder.

Automakers are cramming more storage crevices, nooks, bins, pockets and hidden boxes into pickup cabs and beds.

Engineers who crafted the 2009 Dodge Ram say they've put 42 cubbyholes of various sizes in the cab about 50% more than the current model. Ford counts 30 storage spots in its 2009 Ford F-150.

Ram and F-150, both due in showrooms later this year, have dual glove compartments, as well as multiple crannies in the dashboard and floor console.

Some voids won't hold much more than lip balm or a cellphone. Others, a six-pack in ice.

In different trucks, storage features also show up under the floor, in the sides of the bed, even on the underside of the lid for the center console.

The goal: Create usable stowage "anywhere there is dead air," says Chrysler Vice President Scott Kunselman.

The storage trend has evolved. First came automakers jostling to see which could add the most cup holders in their minivans. Then, the Pontiac Aztek appeared. It did not win raves for its looks, to say the least. Nonetheless, it had appealing and innovative interior storage features, including a removable drink tray in the console.

Auto executives say motivation to add cubbies came from observing how hard-core pickup owners, such as construction workers, use their trucks.

So are moms. "For a lot (of buyers), this is the family vehicle," Kunselman says. A pickup can be "Mom's office."

Organization a challenge

But all those spaces also provide ample opportunity for losing track of things. Dry-cleaning receipts, extra shoelaces or a leftover ham sandwich all could take up long-term residence.

"People have a tendency that if there is empty space, they are going to fill it," says personal organizer Julie Hibbs of Squared Away Organization Solutions in Houston.