All the technology and gadgetry put into the next crop of American diesel trucks is for nothing if it can’t pass muster with the end users. From plumbers to contractors to deliverymen and more, the multitude of folks that depend on a useful, practical pickup calls for a variety of aftermarket add-ons like cargo boxes, shelving, and more. So how do they stack up when installed onto the forthcoming 2017 Super Duty?

That’s the question Ford wanted to answer with its latest round of testing on the platform. Conducted on the automaker’s Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, Michigan, the next-gen truck was given a variety of bed modifications to see if it could hold up against severe road conditions.

Said modifications included salt spreaders, glass racks, and ATV carriers, all of which went into the new aluminum cargo box that replaces the previous gen’s steel version. Supported by a fully boxed and stiffer steel frame, the hope was that everything would come out unscathed.

“Ford Super Duty customers depend on their trucks to work hard every day across a variety of jobs,” said Kirk Leonard, vehicle integration engineer for Ford. “We drove prototype vehicles over the durability roads of the Ford Proving Grounds fitted with common aftermarket accessories to test the fitment and capability of our toughest pickup box ever.“

Road terrain, as you might expect, was quite varied and never nice to these trucks. Diagonal ruts, washboards, and good old-fashioned dirt were a few of the terrain types available at the proving grounds. Yet no matter the harshness of the ride, it seems the trucks passed these tests with flying colors, if Ford’s engineer reports are indeed true.

In your line of work, do you think an aluminum bed can stand up to the abuse you throw at it? Let us know in the comments below.