Ford, GM, and Ram are locked in a fierce battle to build the best truck tailgate

• Ford just unveiled the 2024 F-150 pickup truck.
• It has a new tailgate design called the Pro Access Tailgate. 
• The big truck makers have been in a battle over who has the best tailgate. 

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," does not apply to the cutthroat and highly lucrative US pickup market, where the biggest players constantly try to one-up each other with flashy new features.

Ford revealed the refreshed, 2024 version of its bread-and-butter F-150 pickup truck on Tuesday, introducing a bunch of updates that include a hot new take on the tailgate.

Ford is far from alone. In recent years, the automaker's biggest rivals, Stellantis (maker of Ram trucks) and General Motors (which makes Chevys and GMCs), have rolled out inventive tailgates with new capabilities to boost sales. Featuring fold-out steps, built-in Bluetooth speakers, grab handles, and more, this new generation of tailgates isn't just for sitting down and cracking a beer anymore.

The new "Pro Access Tailgate" (an optional add-on) doesn't plop down like a typical tailgate. A central section can swing open sideways like a normal door, providing easier bed access. To grab something, Ford owners will no longer need to stretch over the tailgate or scramble up into the bed. With the access door locked in place, the tailgate can drop down like normal.

It resembles Ram's Multifunction tailgate, which has two sections that open like barn doors. GM's jazzed-up tailgate can be configured in several different ways to create a bed extender, access step, and more.

The new F-150 also offers a bigger standard screen, a refreshed appearance, and more driver-assistance tech. It goes on sale in early 2024.