Ford's patent-pending system for attaching the crossmember to the cargo area.

Ford has filed a patent application for a bed-mounted crossmember system that facilitates securing luggage.

Published February 23 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the application, filed in 2021, shows a U-shaped bar attached to the bedside rail. This allows it to slide back and forth depending on the position of the luggage and serves as a tie-down point.

Some of this can be done automatically. The application discusses "the user touching a button on a smartphone or smart device," which causes radar sensors to scan the load and use actuators to direct the crossbar to move into position. The driver then ties the load to the crossbar.

According to the application, the crossbar can also be used to move loads to and from the bed. A cable attached to the crossbar is hooked to the item the driver wants to transport, and the crossbar can use an actuator to pull it into the bed. The application also notes that "a winch, such as a gantry-style winch, could be attached to the crossbar and used to pull the cable."

There is also something to point out in the illustrations attached to the application. While most of the close-up drawings appear to be of the current Ford F-150 cargo bed, others show a wilder pickup design with a cab-forward configuration and wrap-around headlights and taillights. It would be interesting to see Ford produce such a thing, but it would be mere fantasy.

The crossbar system is not guaranteed to be produced, let alone have a futuristic truck with it on display. Patent Applications Don't Equal Production Plans Ford is attempting to patent a number of pickup-related features, from a midgate with folding seats to trailer side impact avoidance technology.