If you're a rancher, a flatbed ute can be essential. It allows you to easily carry bales of hay, building supplies, slaughtered animals and countless other things, and when you're ready for a break, you can set a camper on your flatbed. However, if you want to protect the bed of your ute, you may want to invest in ute trays, and to ensure it performs the jobs you need, you may want to look for the following accessories.

1. Removable Bed Walls

While a flat bed is ideal for a lot of situations, it isn't always perfect. For built-in flexibility, you may want to look for removable bed walls. Then, when needed, you can add the walls so that your load doesn't slip and slide all over the place.

2. Under-Tray and Under-Bed Storage Options

To boost the storage capacity of your ute and to help you stay organised, under-tray drawers can be essential. You can put small tools, ropes and other supplies in these drawers, and if desired, you can add locks so that you don't have to worry about theft.

When a drawer doesn't offer enough space, you may want to look for an under-bed storage box. This can be great for power tools, saddles and other relatively large items.

3. Fuel or Water Tanks

When you're in a remote area, as many ranchers are, you may need to bring in your own fuel or water. For instance, you may need to bring water out to grazing cattle, or you may need fuel for some of your equipment. You can just pop a tank on your flat bed, but then, you need to worry about securing it so that it doesn't roll around. If you opt for a built-in tank, you can rest assured that it's going to stay in place over all the bumps in the road.

4. LED Lights

Some trays cover the brake lights and signals on your vehicle. If the tray you select covers your lights, you need to look for a tray with LED lights. Then, you can connect those to the controls in the inside of your vehicle so that they turn on or off as directed.

5. Openings for Fuel Caps

Similarly, you may also need an opening for your fuel cap. When you order your ute tray, talk with the sales rep to see if the tray is going to block your fuel cap. They should be able to let you know if that's going to happen based on the make and model of your ute. Then, if needed, you can get an opening added to your tray.