What are flat truck bed covers called???

Our blog, What are truck bed caps called???, has been really popular, and we see a similar amount of confusion around the terminology and pronunciation when it comes to flat bed covers, so we thought we would follow up with part two - What are flat truck bed covers called???

The primarily adopted term within the industry is TONNEAU COVER. This applies to any truck bed cover that is generally flat on the bed, unlike a truck cap or topper, which is cab height or taller.

Popular manufacturers like BAK, UnderCover, Truxedo, Retrax, LEER, and others use tonneau cover as the primary descriptor of their products. As such, we also identify the product primarily as a tonneau. That being said, we generally qualify tonneau cover by also stating the type of cover. Here are the main types of tonneau covers on the market -

Soft Roll-Up Tonneau Cover - Soft roll-up tonneau covers, like ones offered by Truxedo, are extremely popular. Typically made using an aluminum framework below and a soft vinyl top, soft roll-up covers release at the tailgate and roll toward the front of the bed where they can be secured for driving with the truck bed uncovered.

Soft Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover - Soft tri-fold tonneau covers aren’t as popular as soft roll-up tonneau covers, but they are often inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to remove. They also typically feature an aluminum framework and a soft vinyl top, but rather than rolling forward, they fold in three sections.

Hard Folding Tonneau Cover - Hard folding tonneau covers, like the BAKFlip line from BAK or the Flex line from UnderCover, are the most popular type of hard cover. Generally constructed with aluminum framework and aluminum or composite panelling, hard folding covers give you the versatility of soft covers, but with greater security. Hard folding tonneau covers can be three or four panels and typically release at the tailgate end and fold toward the cab offering various positions for driving with the truck bed uncovered when needed.

Retractable Tonneau Cover - Retractable tonneau covers, like ones from Retrax, have a canister mounted at the front of the truck bed and the cover rolls up inside of the canister below bed rail height. The cover can be made out of aluminum, vinyl, plastic, or a combination. Retractable covers can also be manually operated or electric.

One-Piece Hinged Tonneau Cover - One piece hinged tonneau covers, sometimes call lids, are a flat one piece cover made from fiberglass or lightweight composite, that hinge at the front and lift with gas props. These covers are very secure and offer a sleek custom look.

Although we and the industry at large are primarily using the term tonneau cover to describe any flat truck bed cover, you still might hear other names. Here is the back story on the term tonneau cover and a few other terms you might hear at the barbecue-

Tonneau Cover (see pronunciation video below) - The general term for all flat truck bed covers. The term tonneau in the automotive industry dates back to the early 1900’s and refers to the open rounded rear passenger area on a vehicle. Taking the name from the French word tonneau, meaning cask or barrel. The tonneau cover was originally a fabric cover for this seating area.

Tonto Cover - You’re just thinking of the guy from The Lone Ranger and adding a T. It’s tonneau cover.

Lid - Lid is typically used when describing a hard, one piece, often painted, tonneau cover, such as the LEER 550 and LEER 700 covers, or the UnderCover Elite, SE, or LUX covers.

Truck Bed Cover - This one makes sense, but may still leave you explaining yourself as to whether you are referring to a tonneau cover or a topper.

Bed Cap - This one can be confusing on two fronts. One, because the protective plastic coverings on the bed rails of your truck are also called bed caps, and two, because some people use this term to describe a truck cap or topper.

Just like with truck caps, the bottom line is that there is no wrong answer. Call it what you like. If it gives you a place to throw your groceries, keeps your tools out of the weather, or covers up your golf clubs, then that’s what it is, but if you want to sound like a pro, use one of the tonneau cover types above, at which point you will still have to explain what you are talking about.

Pronunciation is half the battle. See how to pronounce tonneau below -