Will a full-size mattress fit in the bed of a truck?
Yes—often, but it depends on your truck's bed length, width, and how you orient the mattress. A standard full-size mattress (54 inches wide by 75 inches long) may fit in some pickups, especially those with a long bed, but not all configurations will accommodate it flat or without modification.
Assessing bed size vs mattress dimensions
To decide whether it will fit, you need to compare the mattress with common truck bed measurements and consider how you plan to load it. The key factors are bed length, bed width, and internal clearance around the wheel wells, as well as how you position the mattress inside the bed.
Before you review the figures, here are the core measurements you should know for mattress and truck beds.
- Full-size mattress: 54" wide x 75" long
- Typical long-bed pickup (6.5 feet): about 78" of usable bed length
- Typical short-bed pickup (5.5 feet): about 66" of usable bed length
- Bed width inside around the walls: often about 60-66" total, but the wheel wells carve out a central gap (roughly 50" between wheel wells)
- Diagonal clearance: the bed’s diagonal can exceed 100" in many trucks, allowing longer items to sit diagonally
Dimensions vary by model and year; measure your specific truck for accuracy. The exact numbers above are typical ranges for many light-duty pickups in current markets.
These figures illustrate the general feasibility: a 75" mattress can fit lengthwise in a 78" bed, and the width of 54" may be accommodated in the overall bed width, but the wheel wells often reduce usable width to about 50" in the central area. Diagonal placement can help, but it requires careful maneuvering.
Practical loading considerations
Once you understand the dimensions, the way you load the mattress matters. Here are practical guidelines for loading a full mattress into a pickup bed:
- Plan the orientation: lengthwise along the bed is usually the simplest approach if the bed is at least 75" long, and the width fits between the wheel wells or walls.
- Consider diagonal orientation: placing the mattress diagonally across the bed can leverage extra diagonal space, but you must ensure you can maneuver it past the wheel wells without bending or damaging the mattress or truck.
- Tailgate down: keeping the tailgate down increases usable length and can help with sliding the mattress into place, along with a helper.
- Protect and secure the load: use moving blankets, plastic wrap, or a tarp to protect the mattress, and secure with straps to prevent shifting during transport.
- Be prepared for adjustments: if the mattress doesn’t fit flat, you may need to use a larger vehicle or rent a moving truck, or transport with a mattress bag at an angle with extra protection.
Important: never force a mattress into a space if it clearly won't fit; risk damage to the mattress or truck, and could cause a hazardous load if it shifts while driving.
Bottom line: will it fit in your case?
For a reliable answer, measure your specific truck bed: the length from tailgate to cab, the interior width, and the clearance around wheel wells. If the bed is 6.5 feet long or longer and the mattress can be positioned without hitting wheel wells, a full-size mattress is likely to fit flat. If you have a 5.5-foot bed, a diagonal approach may still work in some models, but it is less certain, and in many cases a moving truck is a simpler option.
Summary
In short, a full-size mattress can fit in some pickup bed configurations, particularly those with longer bed lengths, but it is not guaranteed in every configuration. Always measure your truck’s bed and the mattress, plan the loading orientation, and consider a moving truck if you’re unsure.
