FORD calls the type of Bed they started with,in Model T's, with separate Fenders, their Flare Side Bed, because tops of bed sides actually Flare outward thru 1979 at least.
In 1957 they came out with "Refrigerator" ( so called because of the squared off appearance). Ford F Series Pick Ups that have slabsided beds with wheel wells instead of fenders. FoMoCo named their "new" look the "Styleside Bed".

Step Side is a registered GMC trademark. GMC Shares it with Chevrolet beds which have separate fenders, with steps ahead of them. "Fleet Side" is what GM Called their Apache, which came along in '56.


Fleetside GM & Styleside FoMoCo are both slabsidebeds with fenders integrated into bed by use of wheel housings instead of outside, bolt on, fenders like Step Side & Flare Side both use.

So FoMoCo has Flare Side, Styleside and Stake Bed or Stake Body which is what they call their flatbed types.

GM Has Fleet Side, Step Side, and Flat beds Or so I was taught back in the day. . . .

When somebody says I want to take my Fleetside Bed off & install a Step Side Bed in it's place, they are talking about GMC or Chevrolet trucks as I understand it.

Often I say why would you want to put a GM Bed on Your Ford F Series Truck? I get a load of ^#*~&%$ over that for being a Smart remark, or a challenge or whatever.

Hope this clears the issue up. . . . .

Oh By The Way. . . . I don't care what Magazines call trucks or their parts, Magazines are simply critics. Critics do not create or name things, they only comment & criticize or critique on what others do or have done. So Don't come telling me ralphs truck mag or truck magazine or whoever says such & such is this or that. The OEMs Name stuff they build, and this is a site about FoMoCo Trucks. Least we cando is use Genuine FoMoCo Nomenclature to keep things Straight, Don't y'all agree?

FBp