When every second counts, law enforcement officers need fast, organized access to the tools of their trade. That’s why truck bed slide outs aren’t just a convenience — they’re a vital component of a high-functioning police fleet. Skimping on them can slow response times, compromise officer safety, and undercut efficiency in the field.
Here's why experienced law enforcement fleet managers should consider slide outs a non-negotiable.
#1 More Usable Space Improves Officer Effectiveness
When a patrol officer, crime scene investigator, traffic enforcement officer, K-9 unit, or SWAT team heads out on a call, they need all their gear — and they need it fast.
But what happens when officers don’t have enough space in their van, truck, or SUV to carry it all?
They have to pick and choose what they think they’ll need, leaving room for error — and leaving officers without the necessary gear to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
A slide out can solve this problem.
A custom bed slide can more than double the usable storage volume in a van, truck, or SUV. Instead of reserving space to get in and out of the cargo area, a bed slide rolls out all of the storage to officers. Slide outs let you use up every inch of storage space so officers can bring everything they need to a scene without a second thought.
“One of the best ways to instantly add a lot of space to your vehicle bed is to install a custom sliding tray, like our Extendobed ,” said Brian Walsh, sales & marketing manager for Extendobed. “We build out custom systems for law enforcement of all types, including highly specialized teams like SWAT or the bomb squad. These systems can haul 1,000 lb. to 3,000 lb. of cargo, so locking weapon drawers, ATF-regulated day boxes, and even storage containers large enough to hold a bomb-defusing robot are all options police departments can choose for a vehicle slide out system.”
Slide outs can have a significant impact on what officers can carry on a daily basis. Carrying more gear, some of which can be dangerous in the wrong hands, doesn’t mean additional liability. Slide outs can be fitted with protective storage that prevents theft and other incidents.
Extendobed slide outs are custom systems for law enforcement, including highly specialized teams like SWAT or the bomb squad.
Image Courtesy of Adrian
#2 Better Organization Improves Response Times
When time is of the essence, every second officers save matters.
In an emergency, if officers don’t know the exact location of all the gear and tools accessible to them, it wastes precious time. Slide outs let officers pull out the entire truck bed or storage area to reach every part of it quickly and easily.
Mounting a custom storage system to a slide out makes gear storage highly organized. And because you can build it according to your needs, you can put important gear in easy-to-reach places for quick unloading. Instead of frantically searching for equipment, officers can quickly grab their gear and go.
Because better organization lowers response times, it can be the difference between saving lives and endangering civilians and first responders.
“Lowering response times should be a high priority, and our custom police storage systems can help accomplish that,” Walsh said. “Police units need a high-efficiency storage setup and design because quick access to important gear and equipment is key when responding to an emergency. One of the best methods to organize and structure a vehicle’s storage area is to use a truck slide out, as they provide easy access and improved storage organization. An intuitive layout and design allow users to reliably and effectively find the equipment that they’re looking for quickly.”
Slide outs help with quick access to important gear and equipment when responding to an emergency.
Image Courtesy of Adrian
#3 Officer Safety and Wellbeing
The last thing a department needs is to see an officer taken out of the line of duty due to a pulled muscle or back injury. But when officers have to reach or climb into a truck bed to access tools and equipment, it’s easy to pull a muscle or suffer a back injury.
Bed slides solve for this problem, too, by letting officers easily pull out everything stored in the bed. This easy access helps avoid injuries. However, Walsh says it’s important to choose your slide out wisely, because they’re not all created equal.
“A so-called ‘100%’ slide out platform suggests it slides all the way out of the truck, but it doesn’t,” he said. “Typically, when it’s fully extended, 8 to10 inches of these platforms still remain inside the truck bed. With only about 80% of the platform outside of the truck bed, officers still have to lean into the truck to access tools and equipment, leaving them exposed to injuries like muscle strains or tears.”
To spare officers from injury, it’s important to look for a slide out that pulls out completely, because it eliminates straining to reach tools and equipment.
“Adrian’s Extendobed extends 110%, bringing the platform past a truck’s taillights. This gives officers complete access without reaching or leaning into the vehicle.”
An ergonomic design does more than spare officers from injury. It can also save the department — and, thereby, taxpayers — money on Workers’ Compensation claims.
“One of our customers reduced job site injuries by nearly 50% by using Extendobed,” said Bob Browns, general manager, Extendobed. “A single back injury can cost more than $50,000 in a Worker's Comp claim, so protecting officers from injury is a wise investment of taxpayer dollars.”
Extendobed: Easy Installation with a Big Payoff
Truck bed slide out systems can make a significant difference in how quickly and effectively officers do their jobs — and they don’t require significant downtime to install.
Adrian’s Extendobed extends 110%, bringing the platform past a truck’s taillights.
Image Courtesy of Adrian
With Adrian’s Extendobed, it only takes a few hours to modify trucks, vans, and SUVs to make first responders’ largest tool — their vehicle — safer and more effective, while also providing better service to community members.
If you’re ready to learn more about how the right slide out can help out your officers, check out Adrian’s Extendobed slide outs for law enforcement .
