Tailgate vs. Trunk — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 26, 2024
Tailgates are hinged at the bottom and open outward, primarily found on trucks and SUVs, whereas trunks are compartment lids found at the vehicle's rear, common in cars.
Difference Between Tailgate and Trunk
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Tailgates are integral components of pickup trucks and some SUVs, designed to provide easy access to the vehicle's bed for loading and unloading items. They are hinged at the bottom and open outward. Tailgates are versatile and can serve as a platform for social activities like tailgating parties. On the other hand, trunks are storage compartments located at the rear of cars, with lids that lift upward. They offer a secure and enclosed space for luggage and other items, keeping them out of sight. While tailgates facilitate the transportation of larger and bulkier items due to their open nature and capacity for extended space, trunks prioritize security and protection from the elements for stored items.
Tailgates are synonymous with utility and flexibility, accommodating a wide range of cargo sizes and shapes, and they often come with features like steps, handles, and tie-down hooks to aid in loading and securing items. This openness, however, can lead to security concerns for stored items. Trunks, with their enclosed design, provide a safeguarded environment for belongings, minimizing the risk of theft or damage from weather conditions. However, the fixed size of trunks can limit the ability to transport larger objects that might easily fit in a vehicle with a tailgate.
The choice between a tailgate and a trunk often depends on the vehicle type and the owner’s needs. Pickup trucks and some SUVs with tailgates are preferred by those who frequently carry bulky goods or engage in outdoor activities. In contrast, trunks are a hallmark of passenger cars, ideal for everyday commuters and travelers who value privacy and security for their possessions.
Vehicle design also plays a crucial role in the tailgate vs. trunk discussion. Tailgates are part of the vehicle's bed, contributing to the overall functionality and aesthetic of trucks and some SUVs. They can affect aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and even the vehicle’s visual appeal. Trunks, meanwhile, are designed to blend seamlessly with the car's body, offering a sleek and uninterrupted profile while also contributing to the vehicle’s structural integrity and safety by acting as a barrier in rear-end collisions.
In terms of customization and accessories, tailgates offer a broad spectrum of modifications, including bed extenders, liners, and aftermarket security systems, to enhance utility and protection. Trunks, while more limited in customization options, can be equipped with organizers, liners, and cargo nets to improve storage efficiency and protect the interior from damage.
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Comparison Chart
Location
Rear of pickup trucks/SUVs, opens outward
Rear of cars, lid lifts upward
Function
Easy access for loading/unloading; supports bulkier items
Secure storage for luggage/items; protects from weather/theft
Design
Hinged at the bottom; may include steps/handles
Enclosed compartment with a lifting lid
Security
Less secure due to open nature; can add locks
More secure, enclosed; items out of sight
Customization
Wide range of accessories for utility/security
Limited to organizers, cargo nets for improved storage
Compare with Definitions
Tailgate
A gate that controls or holds back water, especially in a sluice.
The farmer adjusted the tailgate to irrigate the fields.
Trunk
A large, strong container that is used for storing clothes and personal belongings, often used for travel.
They packed their belongings into a trunk for the overseas journey.
Tailgate
A hinged board or gate at the back of a vehicle, used for loading and unloading goods.
The workers lowered the tailgate to unload the construction materials.
Trunk
The enclosed space at the back of a car for carrying luggage.
They stored their luggage in the trunk before starting their road trip.
Tailgate
Informal: Following another vehicle too closely.
The driver was tailgating the car ahead, creating a safety risk.
Trunk
A flexible tube conveying water or other fluid, similar to the trunk of an elephant.
The firefighter used a large trunk to douse the flames.
Tailgate
The act of hosting a party or gathering at the open rear of a parked vehicle, typically in a stadium parking lot.
They planned to tailgate before the football game started.
Trunk
The torso or main part of the human body, excluding the head, arms, and legs.
The swimmer's trunk was strong, enabling powerful strokes.
Tailgate
A door or gate at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading.
He sat on the tailgate while enjoying the view at the park.
Trunk
The main woody stem of a tree as distinct from its branches and roots.
Tailgate
A hinged part that extends across the rear of a pickup truck or other vehicle and can be folded down or to a horizontal position for loading and unloading.
Trunk
A person's or animal's body apart from the limbs and head.
Tailgate
One of the pair of gates downstream in a canal lock.
Trunk
The elongated, prehensile nose of an elephant.
Tailgate
To drive so closely behind (another vehicle) that a collision is likely if that vehicle brakes suddenly.
Trunk
A large box with a hinged lid for storing or transporting clothes and other articles.
Tailgate
To follow another vehicle too closely.
Trunk
The main woody axis of a tree.
Tailgate
To participate in a tailgate party.
Trunk
(Architecture) The shaft of a column.
Tailgate
A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading.
Trunk
The body of a human or other vertebrate, excluding the head and limbs.
Tailgate
(British) The hinged rear door of a hatchback.
Trunk
The thorax of an insect.
Tailgate
Either of the downstream gates in a canal lock.
Trunk
A proboscis, especially the long prehensile proboscis of an elephant.
Tailgate
(US) tailgate party
Trunk
A main body, apart from tributaries or appendages.
Tailgate
To drive dangerously close behind another vehicle.
That idiot has been tailgating me for the last five minutes.
Trunk
A trunk line.
Tailgate
To follow another person through access control on their access, rather than on one’s own credentials, especially when entering a door controlled by a card reader.
Trunk
A chute or conduit.
Tailgate
To privately purchase or sell a security immediately after trading in the same security for a client.
Front run
Trunk
A watertight shaft connecting two or more decks.
Tailgate
To have a tailgate party.
Trunk
The housing for the centerboard of a vessel.
Tailgate
A gate at the rear of a vehicle; can be lowered for loading
Trunk
A covering over the hatches of a ship.
Tailgate
Follow at a dangerously close distance;
It is dangerous to tailgate another vehicle
Trunk
An expansion chamber on a tanker.
Trunk
A cabin on a small boat.
Trunk
A covered compartment for luggage and storage, generally at the rear of an automobile.
Trunk
A large packing case or box that clasps shut, used as luggage or for storage.
Trunk
Trunks Shorts worn for swimming or other athletics.
Trunk
Part of a body.
Trunk
The usually single, more or less upright part of a tree, between the roots and the branches.
Trunk
The torso.
Trunk
The conspicuously extended, mobile, nose-like organ of an animal such as a sengi, a tapir or especially an elephant. The trunks of various kinds of animals might be adapted to probing and sniffing, as in the sengis, or be partly prehensile, as in the tapir, or be a versatile prehensile organ for manipulation, feeding, drinking and fighting as in the elephant.
Trunk
(heading) A container.
Trunk
A large suitcase, chest, or similar receptacle for carrying or storing personal possessions, usually with a hinged, often domed lid, and handles at each end, so that generally it takes two persons to carry a full trunk.
Trunk
A box or chest usually covered with leather, metal, or cloth, or sometimes made of leather, hide, or metal, for holding or transporting clothes or other goods.
Trunk
The luggage storage compartment of a sedan/saloon-style car.
Trunk
(automotive) A storage compartment fitted behind the seat of a motorcycle.
Trunk
(heading) A channel for flow of some kind.
Trunk
A circuit between telephone switchboards or other switching equipment.
Trunk
A chute or conduit, or a watertight shaft connecting two or more decks.
Trunk
A long, large box, pipe, or conductor, made of plank or metal plates, for various uses, as for conveying air to a mine or to a furnace, water to a mill, grain to an elevator, etc.
Trunk
(archaic) A long tube through which pellets of clay, peas, etc., are driven by the force of the breath. A peashooter
Trunk
(mining) A flume or sluice in which ores are separated from the slimes in which they are contained.
Trunk
(software engineering) In software projects under source control: the most current source tree, from which the latest unstable builds (so-called "trunk builds") are compiled.
Trunk
The main line or body of anything.
The trunk of a vein or of an artery, as distinct from the branches
Trunk
(transport) A main line in a river, canal, railroad, or highway system.
Trunk
(architecture) The part of a pilaster between the base and capital, corresponding to the shaft of a column.
Trunk
A large pipe forming the piston rod of a steam engine, of sufficient diameter to allow one end of the connecting rod to be attached to the crank, and the other end to pass within the pipe directly to the piston, thus making the engine more compact.
Trunk
(in the plural) swimming trunks
Trunk
To lop off; to curtail; to truncate.
Trunk
To extract (ores) from the slimes in which they are contained, by means of a trunk.
Trunk
(telecommunication) To provide simultaneous network access to multiple clients by sharing a set of circuits, carriers, channels, or frequencies.
Trunk
The stem, or body, of a tree, apart from its limbs and roots; the main stem, without the branches; stock; stalk.
About the mossy trunk I wound me soon,For, high from ground, the branches would requireThy utmost reach.
Trunk
The body of an animal, apart from the head and limbs.
Trunk
The main body of anything; as, the trunk of a vein or of an artery, as distinct from the branches.
Trunk
That part of a pilaster which is between the base and the capital, corresponding to the shaft of a column.
Trunk
That segment of the body of an insect which is between the head and abdomen, and bears the wings and legs; the thorax; the truncus.
Trunk
The proboscis of an elephant.
Trunk
A long tube through which pellets of clay, p as, etc., are driven by the force of the breath.
He shot sugarplums them out of a trunk.
Trunk
A box or chest usually covered with leather, metal, or cloth, or sometimes made of leather, hide, or metal, for containing clothes or other goods; especially, one used to convey the effects of a traveler.
Locked up in chests and trunks.
Trunk
A flume or sluice in which ores are separated from the slimes in which they are contained.
Trunk
A large pipe forming the piston rod of a steam engine, of sufficient diameter to allow one end of the connecting rod to be attached to the crank, and the other end to pass within the pipe directly to the piston, thus making the engine more compact.
Trunk
A long, large box, pipe, or conductor, made of plank or metal plates, for various uses, as for conveying air to a mine or to a furnace, water to a mill, grain to an elevator, etc.
Trunk
To lop off; to curtail; to truncate; to maim.
Trunk
The main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
Trunk
Luggage consisting of a large strong case used when traveling or for storage
Trunk
The body excluding the head and neck and limbs;
They moved their arms and legs and bodies
Trunk
Compartment in an automobile that carries luggage or shopping or tools;
He put his golf bag in the trunk
Trunk
A long flexible snout as of an elephant
Common Curiosities
What is a trunk?
A trunk is the enclosed storage compartment at the rear of a car, used for securing luggage and other items.
What can you store in a trunk?
Anything from luggage, groceries, tools, and personal belongings can be stored in a car's trunk, as long as it fits within the enclosed space.
Can you lock a tailgate?
Yes, many modern tailgates can be locked to secure the contents of the vehicle's bed, and aftermarket locks are also available.
Are tailgates only found on trucks?
Primarily, yes, though some SUVs and large vehicles also feature tailgates.
What is a tailgate?
A tailgate is a hinged board or gate at the back of a vehicle, particularly on trucks and some SUVs, that opens outward for loading and unloading goods.
Do all cars have trunks?
Most passenger cars have trunks, but the design and accessibility can vary significantly, especially in hatchbacks and SUVs where the rear storage area is integrated into the passenger compartment.
What is tailgating in driving?
In driving, tailgating refers to following another vehicle too closely, which is dangerous and discouraged.
Is it safe to transport pets in a trunk?
No, it is unsafe and inhumane to transport pets in a car's trunk. Pets should travel in a secure carrier or harness within the cabin.
Can tailgates be customized?
Yes, tailgates can be customized with various accessories for added functionality and security.
What is the purpose of a trunk mat?
A trunk mat protects the trunk's interior from dirt, spills, and wear, and can provide a non-slip surface for stored items.
Can trunks be opened remotely?
Many modern cars feature remote trunk release mechanisms, allowing the trunk to be opened with a button on the key fob or inside the vehicle.
How do you secure items in a tailgate?
Items can be secured in a tailgate using straps, nets, or built-in tie-down hooks to prevent them from shifting or falling out during transit.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
