6 Best Contractor Racks For Carrying Building Materials For Chicken Coops Done Right
Building a chicken coop? Our guide reviews the 6 best contractor racks to help you safely transport lumber, panels, and all your building materials.
You’ve got the plans for the perfect chicken coop, a list of materials, and a truck ready to go. Then you get to the lumber yard and realize those 12-foot 2x4s and 10-foot roofing panels aren’t going to fit safely in your six-foot bed. This is the moment every project builder faces: how to get long, awkward materials home without risking your safety or your truck’s paint job. A good contractor rack isn’t just for professionals; it’s a game-changer for any serious hobby farmer tackling a build.
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Choosing the Right Rack for Coop Materials
A truck bed is great for bags of feed and tools, but it fails when it comes to the long-stock lumber that forms the backbone of a sturdy coop. A contractor rack solves this by creating an elevated platform above your cab and bed. This allows you to safely transport 8, 10, or even 16-foot boards, pipes, and roofing panels flat and secure.
The main decision comes down to a few key factors. First is material: aluminum is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and looks sharp, while steel is heavier, incredibly strong, and often more affordable. Next is installation. Some racks require you to drill directly into your truck’s bed rails for a permanent, rock-solid mount, while no-drill options use clamps and stake pockets, preserving your truck’s finish.
Finally, consider weight capacity. Even for a simple coop, the combined weight of pressure-treated lumber, a stack of plywood, and metal roofing can add up fast. It’s always better to have more capacity than you think you need. A rack rated for 800 pounds gives you peace of mind that a 500-pound load won’t even make it sweat.
TracRac SR: Top Choice for Versatile Hauling
The TracRac SR is the top-tier choice for a reason: it’s brilliantly versatile. Its standout feature is that the front and rear racks slide independently along a base rail. This means you can adjust the spacing perfectly for a short load of 8-footers or a long load of 12-footers.
When you’re not hauling coop materials, you can slide both racks all the way to the front behind the cab. This cleans up the look of your truck and, more importantly, gets them out of the way for loading bulky items like hay bales or a water tank into the bed. It’s the best of both worlds—a full-featured rack when you need it, and an open, accessible bed when you don’t.
Made from rust-proof aluminum, the TracRac is both strong and relatively lightweight. The crossbars also feature T-slots, allowing you to easily add load stops, tie-downs, and other accessories. It’s a premium system, but for the hobby farmer whose truck is a daily driver, a work vehicle, and a weekend warrior, that flexibility is worth every penny.
Weather Guard 1275: Heavy-Duty Steel Option
When your priority is pure, unfiltered strength, the Weather Guard 1275 is the answer. This is a classic, heavy-duty steel rack designed for serious work. It’s the kind of rack you buy if you’re building a large walk-in coop and plan on hauling a full load of lumber, plywood, and roofing in a single trip.
The four-post design distributes weight evenly across the truck bed, providing a stable and secure platform for loads up to 1,000 pounds. The powder-coated steel construction is built to withstand abuse from shifting lumber and harsh weather. This isn’t a rack that’s afraid of getting scratched or dented; it’s made for it.
The primary tradeoff is its permanence. The Weather Guard 1275 requires drilling into your truck’s bed rails for installation. This creates an incredibly secure connection but means it’s not coming off without leaving holes. For a dedicated farm truck, this is a non-issue, but it’s a major consideration for a vehicle you might want to sell or trade in later.
Adarac Pro Series: A Sleek Aluminum Design
The Adarac Pro Series strikes a fantastic balance between form and function. It offers the clean look and lightweight benefits of aluminum in a design that is both strong and easy to live with. Its uprights are easy to remove, giving you a clean slate when you need your full bed height.
Its biggest selling point is the no-drill installation. The Adarac system mounts to your truck’s stake pocket holes, making for a secure fit without any permanent modification. This is a huge advantage for anyone with a leased truck or who simply wants to protect their vehicle’s resale value.
Even better, the design of the rails often allows for the use of inside-the-rail tonneau covers. This is a massive practical benefit. You can keep tools and other supplies dry and secure under the cover while still having the ability to haul long lumber for your coop project on top. It’s a smart solution for a multi-purpose truck.
Erickson Big Bed Rack: A Solid Budget Choice
Not every project requires a thousand-pound capacity or a premium aluminum finish. For the hobby farmer building a single, standard-sized coop, the Erickson Big Bed Rack is a perfectly sensible and affordable choice. It gets the job done without breaking the bank.
This type of rack is typically made of steel and clamps directly onto the sides of your truck bed. Installation is straightforward, and it can be removed just as easily once the project is finished. While the weight capacity is lower—usually around 400 pounds—that’s more than enough for a respectable stack of 2x4s and a few sheets of siding.
You are trading some features for the lower price. The finish may not be as durable as a high-end powder coat, and the overall system won’t feel as rigid as a drilled-in rack. But for occasional use, it’s a brilliant tool that makes hauling your materials infinitely safer than letting them hang precariously out of the tailgate.
Holman Pro II Rack: A Great No-Drill Option
The Holman Pro II is another excellent choice for those who want serious strength without drilling holes in their truck. It’s a robust steel rack that uses a compression clamp system to grip the underside of the bed rails, creating a remarkably solid connection.
This rack is a workhorse. It’s built with heavy-gauge steel and often includes features like a rear grab handle and beefy load stops. It gives you the feel and capacity of a professional-grade rack while remaining fully removable. It’s a great option if you bought a new truck and can’t bring yourself to take a drill to it just yet.
Compared to other no-drill options, the Holman often has a more industrial, utilitarian look. It’s less about sleek design and more about raw capability. If your primary concern is hauling heavy, awkward loads for your coop and other farm projects without leaving a permanent mark on your vehicle, the Holman Pro II is a top contender.
System One I-Beam: Maximum Strength and Utility
If you’re looking for the absolute peak of engineering in a truck rack, System One is it. Instead of traditional round or square tubing, these racks are constructed from custom aluminum I-beams. This design provides an incredible strength-to-weight ratio, offering massive capacity in a lightweight, rust-proof package.
This is a complete system, not just a rack. The I-beams are integrated with T-slots on virtually every surface, allowing for a huge range of accessories. You can add toolboxes, conduit carriers, and specialized tie-downs that all work together seamlessly. It’s a modular platform that you can build out for any task, from hauling lumber to carrying ladders and equipment.
Let’s be clear: a System One rack is overkill for a small, 4×8 chicken coop. But if you’re the type who invests in high-quality tools that last a lifetime, and you have plans for sheds, fences, and other large-scale projects, this is a "buy once, cry once" investment. It’s a professional-grade system that will handle anything you can throw at it for decades.
Securing Your Load: Straps, Ropes, and Safety
A world-class rack is useless without a properly secured load. The materials for your coop—especially long lumber and slippery metal roofing—can become dangerous projectiles if they aren’t tied down correctly. This is not the place to cut corners.
Ratchet straps are your best friend. For any significant weight, especially lumber, use at least two heavy-duty ratchet straps. Place one near the front rack and one near the back, and crank them down until the load is completely immobile. Bungee cords are only for securing a lightweight tarp over the load; they should never be used as the primary restraint.
Don’t forget the details. Any material that extends more than a few feet beyond your tailgate needs a bright red or orange flag tied to the end to warn other drivers. After you get on the road, pull over after a few minutes of driving to double-check your straps. Loads can settle and shift, and a strap that felt tight in the parking lot might be loose after a few bumps. Safety is always the final, most important step.
Ultimately, the right contractor rack is the one that fits your truck, your budget, and the scale of your ambition. Whether it’s a simple clamp-on model for one small coop or a heavy-duty system for a lifetime of projects, making the right choice turns the logistical headache of hauling materials into a simple, safe, and efficient task. It’s the first step to building that perfect coop, done right from the start.
