Unboxing The Pro Rack Truck Rack from Holman

What's in the Side Channel Box

The Holman Pro Rack ships as a two-component system: a side channel kit and a completely separate legs-and-bars kit. At Upfit Supply, ordering this product is simplified down to a single product page where you enter your truck's year, make, and model, specify whether you have a crew cab, extended cab, or regular cab, and select your bed length, whether that is 5.5, 6.5, or 8 feet, and the correct combination of all the necessary parts gets automatically assembled for you behind the scenes.

The side channel box weighs in at around 70 lbs on its own, and the legs-and-bars box runs a bit heavier at over 100 lbs, so the entire kit ships to you via LTL freight carrier strapped securely to a pallet. That shipping method is genuinely the right call for a product this heavy, since steel components shipped through standard parcel carriers like UPS or FedEx tend to get handled fairly roughly multiple times throughout transit, and standard cardboard packaging simply does not hold up particularly well to that kind of treatment when heavy steel components are involved. Inside the box, a dedicated cardboard separator keeps the individual side channels from shifting around against each other during transit, which is genuinely one of the most effective and simple ways to prevent shipping damage on a product like this.

This particular configuration, sized specifically for a crew cab short bed pickup like an F-150 Super Crew with a 5.5-foot bed, includes the standard version of the side channels finished in a gloss black coating. The longer of the two channel pieces is specifically built to extend over the top of the cab and includes a punched-out Holman logo as a brand detail. The top tube measured on these channels comes in at about 24mm in diameter, while the bottom tube measures roughly 49.38mm. A separate front channel piece is also included in this box, featuring open tie-down loops built directly into the structure for attaching bungee cords or ratchet straps, along with a couple of joining brackets, though notably no actual hardware ships inside this particular box, since all fasteners are packed separately within the legs-and-bars kit instead.

What's in the Legs and Bars Box

The legs-and-bars box uses dedicated shipping straps and foam blocking material to keep everything secure and immobile during transit, along with several smaller individually boxed components nested inside the larger outer box, a packaging detail that goes a genuinely long way toward protecting smaller hardware and components during shipping. Inside, you will find a Holman warranty card confirming the brand's three-year factory warranty on this product, along with a complete printed installation and assembly guide, a genuinely nice touch on Holman's part, since some competing manufacturers only provide a QR code that you have to scan and then try to figure out on your phone screen during the install. Holman's printed guide includes a fully complete parts list spanning multiple pages, a list of tools needed for the install, and individual part numbers for every component, so if you happen to mis-thread a bolt or need a replacement part down the road, you already have everything you need on hand to order through either Holman directly or through Upfit Supply.

Among the individually wrapped pieces inside, you will find what appears to be a front crossbar measuring around 54 to 55 inches from side to side, with a tube diameter of about 51.4mm, along with a dedicated wind deflector designed to attach to that front bar specifically to reduce wind noise and frontal drag at highway speed, covering nearly the entire width of the crossbar rather than just a short section in the middle, which is the approach some competing products take instead. A second crossbar, intended specifically for the rear of the rack, is designed to detach and swivel out of the way entirely, giving you full, unobstructed access to load a tall pallet or other oversized material directly into the back of the truck when needed.

The mounting legs themselves include built-in tie-down hooks along their length and a dedicated grab handle built into the rear leg, genuinely useful for pulling yourself up into the bed of the truck, with an opening measuring around 5 by 2 inches, providing plenty of room for most people's hands even while wearing work gloves. A large hardware bag rounds out the overall kit with heavy-grade galvanized bolts, nuts, various pre-threaded brackets, lock nuts, a dedicated pin used for the detachable rear crossbar mechanism, and a small specialized installation tool resembling a security star-head bit. Pre-applied threadlocker already present on several of the bolts is a genuinely nice touch that saves an extra step during the installation process. Sealant is also included directly in the kit, used throughout the install to seal every connection point where the individual side channels join together, which helps prevent moisture intrusion and resulting internal rust formation over the long-term life of the rack.

Forklift-Compatible Option

One feature genuinely worth knowing about ahead of time is that Holman also manufactures a forklift-compatible version of the side channel kit specifically intended for longer bed trucks, with dedicated cutouts built directly into the underside of the channels that allow a forklift operator to load material straight onto the rack and then pull the forks back out cleanly afterward without obstruction. This particular option is not available on 5.5-foot crew cab configurations due to genuine space constraints inherent to that shorter bed length, but on longer bed trucks it is a genuinely useful feature if you are regularly loading lumber, pipe, or similar long material at a supply yard that uses forklifts for loading. As far as currently available options on the market go, this particular forklift-loading cutout feature appears to be unique specifically to the Holman Pro Rack.

• Two-box system: side channel kit and legs-and-bars kit, sized to your specific truck
• Ships LTL freight on a pallet due to weight (side channels around 70 lbs, legs and bars over 100 lbs)
• Gloss black finish on steel side channels and crossbars
• Full printed installation guide with complete parts list and part numbers
• Three-year factory warranty from Holman
• Detachable, swiveling rear crossbar for loading tall material
• Forklift-compatible side channel option available on longer bed trucks

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to figure out which side channel kit and legs kit go together myself?

No, not if you order through Upfit Supply. The single product page system handles matching the correct side channel kit to the correct legs-and-bars kit automatically based on your year, make, model, cab style, and bed length entries.

Is the forklift-compatible version available for every truck configuration?

No. It is not available on 5.5-foot crew cab configurations due to space constraints, but it is available on longer bed trucks where the additional channel length accommodates the forklift cutout design.

What's covered under the three-year Holman warranty?

The warranty card included in the box covers manufacturer defects under Holman's standard three-year factory warranty terms. Refer to the included warranty documentation for full details on what is and is not covered.

Does the kit include all the hardware needed for installation?

Yes. All necessary hardware, including bolts, nuts, brackets, lock nuts, the rear crossbar detachment pin, and sealant, ships inside the legs-and-bars box, separate from the side channel box.

Can I order replacement parts if I lose or damage a piece during installation?

Yes. The printed installation guide includes individual part numbers for every component in the kit, making it straightforward to order a specific replacement part through either Holman directly or through Upfit Supply.

Find the right Holman Pro Rack configuration for your truck at Upfit Supply.