Work trucks are known for their dependability. However, what you don’t often think about regarding work trucks are comfort amenities, convenience amenities, or even luxury amenities. These features are essential because they comprise a large part of the ecosystem of packages and accessories available for heavy-duty trucks like Ford’s Super Duty series. But are there certain optional amenities you should have installed on your Lariat, XLT King, Ranch, or Platinum, even if it’s just for work? Are there certain amenities you should get packaged into your new 2024 Ford Super Duty F-350 that actually make your work life easier? Surprisingly, the answer might be closer to a resounding “yes,” and there are some excellent reasons for that.
Optional Equipment That Can Improve Work Truck Dependability
Some might think that convenience packages for a one-ton work truck wouldn’t be necessary if all you do is use the truck for daily driving and work purposes. Hauling, towing, trailering, plowing, or upfitting are the topmost important duties for a heavy-duty pickup like the F-350. Suppose you’re buying a brand new truck with the express purpose of using it for multiple tasks and as a family vehicle or daily driver. In that case, what you probably don’t want to do is risk getting it all dinged and banged up from work site activities.
For instance, if you’re working construction, maintenance, or in the tradecraft business, it’s not uncommon to be on site where a lot of equipment is being moved in and out of buildings, on and off the truck, and in and around the place. This movement—especially with a large truck like the F-350—can easily result in the truck’s exterior making unwanted contact with other objects. Some who rely on a work truck like the F-350 appreciate features like the available platform running boards. These work as side-skirt protection so that if you’re parking or other vehicles are pulling up beside your truck or rolling materials next to or by the truck, the running boards will catch the object before the lower door panels do.
That’s a work-truck-related amenity that you might easily pass over, but it can actually help preserve the aesthetic integrity of the truck. While electric running boards are much more convenient for looks— tucking underneath the truck and only coming out when you open the doors—the platform or off-road running boards serve a more practical and utilitarian purpose. Reducing exterior damage to the truck, even if a feature like the running boards might not seem important, can help extend the life of the truck’s appearance and its long-term value, which is crucial if you’re ever trading up or selling the vehicle down the line.
Optional Features That Make Towing And Hauling More Convenient
Most people opt for a Super Duty F-350 over an F-250 for its higher trailering and payload ratings, with the F-350 sporting a maximum towing capacity of 32,900 lbs and a max payload capacity of 6,950 lbs. So, if you’re absolutely serious about a one-ton class work truck that can haul and tow a lot, the F-350 Super Duty is your choice. Obviously, it would make a ton of sense then to use one of its most noteworthy optional features for drivers needing a utility-rich work truck: onboard scales.
Onboard scales and Smart Hitch are optional add-ons for select trims of the F-350 that tie into the infotainment setup. Utilizing exterior sensors around the truck, Smart Hitch gives you visual feedback on just how much the truck is laden when towing and trailering, while the onboard scales give you feedback on the truck’s payload tonnage. These are essential tools for removing any doubt about how much your work truck is being weighed down with certain equipment or trailering. They make it easier and more convenient to tow and haul without worrying about exceeding the truck’s weight limits. While it might be easy to assume that you won’t exceed the several tons of cargo you can haul in the F-350, knowing for sure removes all doubt and can add confidence and efficiency to the work-site process.
Protection Amenities For Keeping The F-350 Clean
A one-ton heavy-duty pickup used for work is expected to get a bit dirty. It’s expected to get filthy and stay filthy, especially if you’re regularly moving materials into and out of a quarry, construction site, or muddy pathways. Some people might just chalk it up that your F-350 just has to be that way; a dirty truck just comes with the territory, but it doesn’t mean your truck has to be dirty to the point of inefficiency. Some amenities can help reduce the amount of time it would take to clean up your F-350 or keep it clean.
The 2024 F-350 allows you to add essential features like mud flaps or splash guards to help reduce the amount of dirt and debris that can kick onto the truck’s body. They’re also helpful for preventing the truck from kicking up dirt and debris on other nearby vehicles as well. The wheel well liners for the single-rear-wheel and dual-rear-wheel drive configurations are also great for keeping the inner wheel well from getting clogged up with dirt, mud, or debris. Again, if spending less time cleaning up your vehicle’s underbelly is important, these accessories can be useful.
Another vital add-on feature is the spray-in bedliner or drop-in bedliner for the rear bed. Suppose you want to reduce scuffs, stains, and marks on your cargo bed. In that case, the available Tough Bed spray-in bedliner is an optional add-on that makes it more convenient to make the most use of the F-350’s payload capacity without risking the integrity of the bed’s inner structure. Another optional feature for a 2024 F-350 is the skid plates for the 4×4 vehicle versions. Skid plates help to protect the truck’s fuel tank and transfer case, which makes it easier to travel off-road or across uneven terrain without worrying about damaging the undercarriage of the F-350. If you spend a lot of time at logging zones, junk yards, or dig sites, having skid plates ensures you don’t damage any vital parts of the F-350 while traveling off-road.
Amenities That Improve The Efficiency Of Your F-350’s Utility
Protection and cleanliness are great for getting a lot of longevity out of your F-350. Still, other amenities can also help with the way your F-350 functions, namely when it comes to the utility. Suppose you have important work tools or equipment you don’t want to misplace. In that case, you can opt for an available in-vehicle console vault. This lockable safe can be easily accessed from the truck’s console. You can also install an interior work surface in the F-350, which is excellent for measuring items or doing some light handy work.
Another worthwhile amenity to help with utility is the cabin upfitter switches. If you use your F-350 for snow plowing, farm work, or commercial work, the upfitter switches are a perfect solution. You can have them added to your standard build of an F-350, which would take a lot of the workload off your shoulders in terms of accessing cargo bed functionality from the cab. Two other super valuable features are the 120-volt, 400-watt outlet for powering devices inside the cabin and the Pro Power Onboard 2-kilowatt add-on for powering devices outside the vehicle from the bed box. Using the F-350 as a mobile power generator for tools, lights, equipment, and devices is essential for some truckers, making the Pro Power Onboard add-on an essential feature.
Do You Need Amenities For Your 2024 F-350 Work Truck?
So, just how important are optional amenities for your 2024 Ford Super Duty F-350? Very important, depending on what you’ll be using the truck for and whether you find it necessary to keep aspects of the truck protected, clean, or comfortable. While some people might see them as unnecessary add-ons, they can help provide longevity for the F-350’s use and reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning and maintaining it. Again, just because the F-350 is known to be a heavy hauler and a dependable work truck for many tasks doesn’t mean that it can’t help from some tender love and care to get the most functionality out of it. Some optional amenities can undoubtedly help with that.
