8 pickup trucks that build the tailgate step right in

Pickup trucks have gotten taller as manufacturers chase towing capacity and ground clearance, but taller beds are harder to reach without a boost. Automakers have answered by folding a step directly into the tailgate itself, turning a slab of stamped steel into a piece of load-in hardware. Here are eight pickup trucks that build the tailgate step right in.

1. Ford F-150: The Original Step

The Ford F-150 introduced the factory tailgate step in 2015, cutting a flip-down step into the top edge of the tailgate design alongside a hidden grab handle in the spoiler. The step swings down under the license plate and locks flat against the tailgate face at rest. Ford paired it with a second step in the rear bumper corner, giving climbers two separate ways up into the bed.

For owners who load a bed weekly, the feature removes the awkward climb over a tire or tailgate lip that wears out jeans and knees alike. It became a segment expectation once rivals saw how often buyers used it, pushing competitors to design their own versions rather than dismiss it as a gimmick.

2. GMC Sierra: Six-Way Tailgate Trick

GMC introduced the MultiPro tailgate on the redesigned Sierra lineup, a six-function panel that opens as a full tailgate, a load stop, a work surface, or a built-in step with a grab handle for climbing into the bed. A secondary inner gate swings out independently, so the step deploys without dropping the whole tailgate flat first. GMC marketed the panel as class-exclusive when it launched, and it has stayed on the options sheet through every model-year update since.

The design lets a shorter driver reach cargo lashed near the cab without hauling out a stepladder or bracing a knee on the bumper. It also doubles as a spot to stand while tying down a load, which matters more on this truck than on shorter beds.

3. Chevrolet Silverado: GMC’s Twin Solution

Chevrolet built its own version of the corporate six-function tailgate into the Silverado lineup, branding it the Multi-Flex tailgate and folding a corner step and inner gate into the same stamped panel used on its GMC sibling. The step tucks flush against the tailgate when closed and drops down on its own hinge, independent of whether the main gate is up or down. Chevrolet later added a power-operated version that opens and closes the panel from a key fob or an interior switch.

Because the two GM trucks share the hardware, the feature spread to fleet and work-truck trims rather than staying a luxury-trim exclusive. That matters for buyers who load a bed daily and never spend for the top package elsewhere.

4. Ram 1500: Barn Doors With A Step

Ram offers a multifunction tailgate on the current 1500 generation that splits down the middle into barn-style doors in addition to folding flat like a standard gate, and the panel incorporates a lower step edge that shortens the reach into the bed. The split-door mode opens a narrower gap for reaching cargo close to the bumper without walking around to drop the whole panel. Ram sells the feature as a stand-alone option across trim levels rather than bundling it only with the top package.

The fold-flat step mode is the one most drivers use daily, since it does not require the extra swing radius the barn-door mode needs in a tight garage or driveway. Either mode still locks flush when closed.

5. Toyota Tundra: A Boost For A Tall Bed

The current Tundra generation sits higher off the ground than the truck it replaced, so Toyota added bed-access steps meant to offset the taller ride height rather than leave a loader to brace on the tire or bumper. The steps sit built into the rear corner of the body rather than the tailgate face itself, but they serve the identical purpose of getting a loader up without extra equipment. Toyota kept the feature standard rather than tying it to one trim.

The added height helps towing geometry and departure angle, but it makes the bed rim noticeably harder to reach for a shorter driver, which is exactly the problem the built-in step solves. Buyers cross-shopping ride height should weigh that step against the climb.

6. Honda Ridgeline: A Gate That Swings Or Drops

The Ridgeline uses a dual-action tailgate that either swings open sideways like a door or drops flat like a conventional pickup gate, and its unibody bed sits lower than a body-on-frame rival’s, cutting the climb before any step is even needed. The swing-open mode gives a loader a clear walk-in path to gear stowed against the cab instead of a reach over a dropped panel. Honda has kept the dual-action design through multiple redesigns rather than replacing it with a stepped panel.

Because the bed floor starts lower, owners get much of the benefit that a built-in step buys other trucks without adding hardware to the tailgate itself. That lower ride height is also why the Ridgeline carries less payload than some full-size rivals.

7. Nissan Titan: A Fold-Out Assist

Nissan built a fold-out step into the rear bumper of the Titan to ease the climb into the bed, pairing it with a grab handle mounted near the tailgate for a two-point hold while stepping up. The step folds flush against the bumper underside when not in use, keeping ground clearance intact for towing and light off-road use. Nissan carried the feature across Titan and Titan XD trims rather than reserving it for a single package.

The bumper-mounted location means the step works even when the tailgate is up, which matters for a loader reaching over the side rail instead of through the back. It is a smaller execution than a full folding tailgate panel, but it solves the same daily problem.

8. Rivian R1T: A Step Into The Tunnel

The R1T pairs its bed with a gear tunnel under the cab, and Rivian built a step-through design into the tailgate area so a loader can climb up and reach both the tunnel and the main bed from the same footing. Because the truck is electric and carries no transmission hump or exhaust routing through that space, the tunnel and step share a clean, flat opening rare on a combustion pickup. Rivian markets the tunnel as usable cargo space, and the step makes it reachable.

The arrangement gives owners a place to stand while sorting gear split between two storage areas, rather than climbing in and out twice. It is a newer take on the same access problem older trucks solved with a flip-down step.