Does Milwaukee's Rolling Packout Tool Box Fit Under A Tonneau Cover?

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Milwaukee Packout storage options help keep tools nice and organized as skilled-trade professionals travel from one jobsite to another. While some work out of vans or box trucks, others prefer to use a pickup truck for transportation and a tonneau cover to keep their tools safe and out of the weather. Until recently, that choice created problems for those using the Milwaukee Rolling Packout Tool Box as the base for their Packout system.

The collapsible handle that came on the Packout Rolling Tool Box extends to a comfortable height that allows stacking other Milwaukee Packout components on top of the Tool Box while resting against the handle for transport. The problem occurs when it's time to load the Tool Box into the bed of a pickup underneath a tonneau cover.

With the Tool Box handle collapsing to a minimum height of 25.6 inches from the floor, it wouldn't fit under a tonneau cover mounted on the bed rails of any pickup truck on the market. Fortunately, Milwaukee Tool has responded to its customers' requests for a solution that doesn't involve laying the Tool Box on its back or removing the handle for transport. The new Low-Profile Handle for the Packout Rolling Tool Box collapses to 19.75 inches to fit under most tonneau covers.

The Low-Profile Handle upgrade for existing Milwaukee Packout Rolling Tool Boxes will allow it to fit under tonneau covers installed on full-size pickup trucks from Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, and Ram, according to a comparison of 2024 pickup truck bed space dimensions.

If you purchased a new Packout Rolling Tool Box toward the end of 2024 or later, it should have come with the new low-profile handle design. However, if your Tool Box has the taller handle, upgrading to the new style is quick and easy. 

First, you'll have to buy the new handle, available from Home Depot for $59.97 with free delivery. Of course, there are other places to buy Milwaukee Packout accessories, too, so shop around and find the best deal.

Once you have the new low-profile handle in your possession, it's time to remove the old one from your Tool Box and install the new one. It's a simple process that only requires one tool, a #2 Phillips screwdriver. 

Start by removing the one screw at the base of the handle on the back of the Tool Box. Then pull up on the old handle to remove it. Insert the new handle where the old one came from and replace the two Phillips-head screws.