Hauling lumber

That is a good point. Could end up riding a wheelie home.

 

Wow, you must be some sort of gazillionaire

 

It's more like how many can you afford ?

 

How much you got?

 

The appropriate vehicle for hauling lumber

 

How much does each one weigh? Do the math.

 

I would honestly be more concerned about the tailgate bending with that much weight leveraged that far back. Depending on the length you go that puts a significant fulcrum point right about the tailgate area and that bitch flexes with my fat ass standing on it.... no way would I put 5 of me on that thing and trust it to be the same shape when I got home. this is all I can picture with that much weight in the bed

 

That is if he gets home with that much lumber. These days, I would be concerned with getting robbed by some desperate homebuilder.

 

The girlfriend wants a pergola, and come hell, high water, or highway robbery, she's getting a pergola.

 

My old man was born in 1906, and he skipped out on his apprenticeship to become a pattern maker (sand casting iron) which would have made him a good living... to start his own business selling bakery supplies at 17. A lot of the big freight trucks back then ran solid rubber tires. One of the first lessons he learned with his new business was to load an entire order on a delivery truck as long as it was possible to stack it high enough and tie it down. He made the mistake of going by the recommendations for weight once, and the delivery trucker returned to find out he had to make another run... and he wasn't happy.

Of course vehicles today aren't built to the same standards that they built them back then. If a truck back then had a frame that would rust out or bend under a load the buyers would never have kept them in business.

 

Look at the payload rating on your door sticker, then subtract the weight of driver, any passengers, anything you have in the cab or bed, any add ons you have put on the truck (bumpers, side steps/sliders etc.) that’s the weight you can carry per the ratings. I would check with the lumber company on the type and weight of the 2x4s that can be all over the place depending of kiln dried, if they’re out in the yard, etc.
As far as bed dimensions with your tailgate down you can stack 10-11 wide between the wheel wells then more when you get above the wheel wells but you’ll have to hand stack it, strap it all down. But likely you won’t carry 100 due to weight and 100 miles is a long haul overloaded and I wouldn’t.

I’ve carried ~1000lbs in my SR 6ft bed, payload rating 1500lbs and would be ok with doing 100 myself if the 2x4s were 10 lbs or less, kiln dried covered “whitewood” (aka yellow poplar, tulip tree, tulip poplar, etc.), fir, etc. Heavy yellow southern pine, no. Rent a trailer? Lol that’s why I have a truck.

 

Seriously though, it depends on the specie.
Spruce (100 2x4X8') could weigh in at 1,200 lbs
Southern pine possibly as high as 1,600 lbs.
Pressure treated even heavier.
Hope you don't have a short bed.

Edit: I have a trailer. I'd put it all on the trailer and rest easy.

 

The sky's the limit (your rear suspension might be as well).

 

Trailer. Gross overload causes hell in a lot of different ways, but most notably vehicle handling and braking distance. Too much weight is a legit safety risk.

 

No one is recommending he overload, he just asked how many he could carry. You don’t think a trailer affects handling and braking distance? It’s the same mass as far as braking goes but now you’re dealing with a hinge point. As long as I don’t overload in the bed is best.

I do have a 6 ft bed and a 1500 lb payload rating. Where are all the people who say a 5 ft bed Tacoma can do anything a 6ft bed can in so many to threads? All I hear in this one is “trailer!” Lol. I had a Colorado with a 5ft bed and hauled 2x4x8s with the tailgate down though not 1000 lbs worth. Here’s some folks doing work hauling lumber with their Tacomas:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/search/13994298/?q=Lumber&t=post&o=date&c[thread]=574940

 

I've got wood.

 

at the prices of lumber...I bet you can load a few thousand dollars worth.

 

I would haul 100 2x4”s no question. It’s a truck designed to haul. And yes, a 5 foot bed can haul as much as a 6 foot bed.