Just wondering how you guys transport your rods. I have a 2020 Ranger and can put a few diagonal from back left up to the front passenger seat if it's just me. I hate putting them in the bed and risk damage. Any tricks for putting them in the bed?

I use rod socks for the rods and an old moving blanket under and wrapped around the reels. Not a mark on my rods or reels.

My Tacoma truck bed is 6’ so I can lay 7’ rods diagonally so they lay flat. Never had any issue transporting just make sure the reel is to the front.

I save the rod shipping tubes and pack rods, in their sleeves, in them. You can get several in one tube. As a result I'm not going to break em.... which I have accomplished on occasion in the past....😉

I have a 2020 Tundra so extra short bed, like 5 ft. While I fish out of a boat mostly, I do fish non boater some and transporting rods was difficult unless less than 7 ft. I use rod socks, lure wraps on any treble hook baits and then use 2 velcro rod wraps to bind rods together in a single group. These go in the front passenger seat area next to the center console extending to the back of the crew cab. I can fit 8 ft. rods this way. If I have a passenger it's not that bad for them unless they get a hook in the leg . 'spoon

bought a "rolli-n-lock" bed cover about three trucks ago and it has worked great for allowing me to carry things in bed of my truck...it's waterproof,lockable and probably most important thing is that it prevents people from seeing what's in back of my truck.....and real easy to roll it back in the few times I've needed to carry something that was taller than sides of truck bed....

Mine are always in the cab with me, in neoprene rod socks. I hate the mesh ones.

Good advice here. The reference to having the reel to the front is really important as a rod tip can catch air.

Inside the truck. Hell, they’re worth too much

I have a short bed 5.5 box I have a bed extender in bed just get a pool noodle some zip ties and cut groves in pool noodle.’just lay them in the groove never move but you could put a rubber strap across them I never do.
I also have a rubber mat in bed doesn’t damage the rods.
J. D

My dad has a after market soft mat in the back of his truck bed

Inside the cab. Never in the bed. Butt ends in the passenger floorboard.

In sleeves and wrapped/strapped together with these… https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Tackle_Warehouse_Rod_Wraps_2pk/descpage-TWRW2.html

I broke the tip off a rod laid diagonally in the bed of my truck last week. It was in a rod sock. I have no idea how it happened. Nothing got on top of it. I did drive 225 miles with them back there.

I carried mine in the bed for a long time and never had an issue but I felt like it was just a matter of time