Hitch, Tire and Tailgate Steps: Cheap Access Without Touching the Cab

Not every climb starts at the cab door. If you're reaching over the bed rail, checking oil on a tall truck or tying down a load on the roof, a running board does nothing for you. These steps are the budget end of the category, and they don't need brackets on your rocker panels. For the bigger picture, truck steps sorts every type by where your boot needs to go.

Which one for which job

If you came here for folding running boards that open by themselves, those are power running boards. If you want a ladder that hangs off the tailgate, bed steps covers tailgate ladders.

Hitch steps

The best paperwork we found here belongs to Westin. Its PRO TRAXX 5 sheet covers parts 21-50010 and 21-50015 and states "Universal Fit on all 2" Receivers". It's a real install, if a short one: an anti-rattle bracket, three holes for adjustment, M10 hardware torqued to 40 ft-lbs and an M12 bolt to snug it up. Three things to catch:

• The pin is not in the box. You secure the bracket "using the receiver pin (not included)".
• The fasteners need checking. Westin says to double check all fasteners before first use and periodically after that.
• No load rating. The sheet gives none for the step. Its general warning says never to exceed the vehicle maker's maximum tow and weight rating.

Westin's product page adds, "This product is universal fit. Please check specifications before purchase." Its hitch step category also lists HDX Drop, HDX Stainless Drop, R5 and Grate Steps versions, which we did not read in detail. We have no Amazon listing for these in our data, so we can't link one.

APS is the other maker we read. Its hitch step page lists a Universal Class 3 Hitch Step that fits all 2-inch receiver hitches, 12 inches wide, in two versions: HS03CAA2B with pin lock, stabilizer and hardware, and HS19CAA2B without. Look at that split before you compare listings, since one version leaves you buying the hardware. It states no load rating.

The one hitch step in our Amazon data is the 3-in-1 tow hitch step^*. It's listing data only, according to the seller, so it isn't a recommendation. Its title names no brand or receiver size. The title also gives a tow figure. We don't print it, because a tow number from a seller doesn't tell you what the step holds with you on it. Check your receiver size on the listing, along with your exact year and cab, before you buy.

Fit sheetAd

Brand not in title

3-in-1 hitch step (no brand in title)

A step sold for the hitch, with no brand and no receiver size in the title.

Why here: Shown because it is the only hitch step in our Amazon data, not because we recommend it. The title names no brand or receiver size.

Fits, according to the listing

Tow hitch (no truck, year or receiver size in the title) (as of November 2, 2026)

Style

Hitch step (as titled)

Material

Not stated in the title

Weight rating

Not stated in the title

Install

Not stated in the title

Price class

Budget

Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

Why it makes the list

• Title says it is an anti-slip tow hitch step

Watch out for

• No brand in the title
• No receiver size in the title
• Listing data only, according to the seller; the title's tow figure is not printed here and no step rating was read

Best for: Owners who want a step at the tailgate and can confirm the receiver size on the listing.

Listing data only: We only have the Amazon listing title for this one, no maker sheet. It is an option, not a recommendation.

View on Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon

Tire steps

A tire step is the simplest of the lot: no bolts, no brackets, and it stays in the toolbox until you need it. Our data has two, and both are listing data only.

The Powerbuilt^* title carries a part number, 647596EC, says it adjusts to fit any diameter tire up to 13 inches wide and says it folds flat for storage. So measure your tire first, because a wider off-road tire may rule it out. Powerbuilt's own product page refused our requests, so we print no load figure from the title.

The folding tire step^* title names no brand and no tire size. It says only that it folds, adjusts and mounts on a tire on a truck, SUV or RV. That's thin, so you'd need the tire limit from the seller before ordering. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

Tailgate and bumper steps

Searches for truck tailgate steps mostly lead back to the factory. A 2019 Cars.com comparison describes three:

That article is years old, and options change by trim and model year, so check your own window sticker or ask your dealer. These parts come with the truck's tailgate setup, so we have no listing to point you to. As for aftermarket bumper steps, we read no maker document, so we state nothing about them.

What to get right

• Receiver size. Westin and APS both state 2-inch. Any title that leaves this out hasn't told you it fits your hitch.
• What's in the box. Pin, stabilizer and hardware vary by version.
• Load. No shared rating exists for pickup steps. How much weight can running boards hold? explains why we print only maker figures.
• Not a way into the cab. For that, go to side steps, or start with your truck under all trucks or on the truck picker.

Bottom line

We have no pick here, as the Amazon listings in this group have no maker sheet behind them that we could read. If you want documents first, Westin's PRO TRAXX 5 sheet is the most complete. If you want the simplest fix for reaching under a hood, a tire step is the one to look at, once you've measured your tire. How we verify fitment has the rules we use here.