How the 2024 Silverado 1500’s Cargo Box Bests the 2024 Ford F-150’s

The light-duty pickup segment is as competitive as they come. It’s a hard-fought auto arena with a lot of great options and opportunities for truck drivers from all walks of life. However, in several key areas, some trucks simply fare better than others. When it comes to the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 versus the 2024 Ford F-150, for instance, the tailgate and bed box are two things that the Silverado does really well.

While both trucks continue to push the envelope with new features and content, Chevy’s impeccable design of their cargo bed and tailgate definitely stands out among its peer group. That’s why, if you were shopping for a Chevy Silverado 1500 for sale, one of the biggest selling points worth considering is this model’s utilitarian functionality, thanks to the varied uses of the tailgate and bed box.

Ford Introduces the Pro-Access Tailgate

For 2024, Ford introduced a brand-new tailgate for the F-150, known as the Pro-Access tailgate. This element includes a 20-60-20 folding design that offers both traditional tailgate functionality and a side-swinging door option for those who want to access the tailgate without lowering it.

This design sees the middle portion of the tailgate swing open, and you can open it up at set intervals that enable you to access the cargo box from the side-swinging door without opening it all the way. This is typically useful if you have a trailer hitched and you need to access the cargo box but don’t have the room to fully let it down; being able to open the door sideways at set intervals means you can get into the cargo box without bumping the tailgate into the trailer.

Unfortunately, the tailgate does not have additional side openings or side access for the other portions of the tailgate, so only the middle part opens up. The upside is that, as a traditional tailgate, it still has a powered dampened opening, so you don’t have to worry about it opening hard and damaging the bumper in doing so. But otherwise, the only added benefit to the Pro-Access tailgate is being able to open the middle section for entry into the cargo box without lowering the tailgate itself.

Chevy Stays on Top With the Multi-Flex Tailgate

Chevy’s Multi-Flex tailgate, much like the Pro-Access, offers multiple functions in addition to the traditional ones. It has a dampened opening that enables you to easily open and close the powered tailgate without any hassles. Where the Multi-Flex tailgate really shines is in its added functions for all sorts of uses, which can be incredibly valuable depending on what you need to use the tailgate for and how you plan to access it.

You can lower the inner gate when the tailgate is lowered in order to reach further inside the cargo box, which makes it a great way to put things into or take things out of the back of the Silverado 1500. Another feature is being able to unfold the inner gate when it’s lowered and use it as an accessibility step to climb into the cargo box; this is great if your hands are occupied and you need assistance stepping up and into the bed.

Another useful trait is being able to lower the inner gate when the tailgate is raised (as a way to provide additional space for objects inside the cargo box but you need extra room beyond the length of the truck bed). You can also use the inner gate as a load-stop by flipping out the inner surface while the inner gate is lowered and the tailgate is raised; this gives you additional room and security for elongated items stored in the bed box.

The Multi-Flex tailgate also has positional load-stop variations, as you can lower the tailgate itself and then flip out the inner gate so you have even more room to work with when carrying large loads into the bed. Another use for the Multi-Flex tailgate is using the inner gate as a raised work surface, which is great if you’re doing some last-minute measurements or want to get the most out of the work site activity without having to move the laptop or equipment to a desk.

More Cargo Space in the 2024 Silverado 1500

When it comes to how the tailgate ties into the cargo of a pickup truck, inner bed utility and cargo volume are extremely important, as they give you an opportunity to store more items, make use of the multi-function tailgates, and get the most out of the truck. In the case of the 2024 Silverado 1500 and the 2024 Ford F-150, the Silverado 1500 offers more capable cargo-carrying capacity compared to the Ford F-150. This applies to all three bed sizes of both the F-150 and the Silverado 1500.

Both 2024 models of the trucks are available in short, standard, and long beds. The short bed of the F-150 offers 52.8 cu.ft. of cargo volume compared to the Silverado 1500’s 62.9 cu.ft. The F-150’s standard bed offers 62.3 cu.ft. of cargo volume, whereas the Silverado 1500 offers up to 71.7 cu.ft., which provides you with 13% more space. The long bed of the F-150 offers up to 77.4 cu.ft. of cargo volume, while the Silverado 1500’s long bed offers up to 89.1 cu.ft., which provides up to nearly 13% of additional cargo volume as well.

What is the importance of the cargo space in connection with the tailgate functionality? It gives you more room to carry more or bulkier items. In the case of the Silverado 1500’s Multi-Flex tailgate, it means that you can make use of that extra 13% of cargo capacity for the standard and long beds and the extra load-stop capabilities when the tailgate is lowered. In fact, when the inner tailgate is lowered (or the whole tailgate is lowered and the lower load-stop is in place), you can actually extend that 13% even further; this gives you even more space to work with.

Get More Out of the 2024 Silverado 1500

Both the tailgate and cargo boxes of the Silverado 1500 and F-150 offer accessibility and functionality beyond just opening up and carrying things. For instance, both the F-150 and Silverado 1500 offer step-in accessibility for getting inside the cargo box with available assist handles, but you don’t get the extra step-in with the F-150’s Pro-Access tailgate that you do with the Multi-Flex tailgate.

You also don’t have the load-stop functionality with the Pro-Access tailgate that you get with the Silverado 1500, nor do you get the raised work surface. So there are a lot of extra features with the Multi-Flex, and there’s greater length and overall space for the cargo box of the Silverado 1500 compared to what you get with the F-150.

Why It’s Worth Shopping for a 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500

If you do a lot of hauling—either as recreation or as part of your work—having an easier way to get into and out of the truck bed makes it a lot more convenient for you in the long run. Having more space to hold more or bulkier items is also super useful, and having a tailgate that not only facilitates more hauling possibilities but provides you with more security in how and what you haul is also indispensable.

You’ll get a more expansive cargo box and more tailgate options if you find yourself a Chevy Silverado 1500, so comparing it to the Ford F-150 is only worth your time if you want to remind yourself why your gut keeps telling you to go with the bowtie brand.