Before purchasing a rack, manufacturers suggest end users assess their lifestyle. Look at the work and play activities, and what they will have to transport to accomplish those activities.

For seller-installers, it provides a basis to use as a guide so they can assist customers as they shop for the right rack to satisfy their needs.

When it comes to types of racks available, “Every manufacturer has different types and styles to meet consumer needs,” Alan Kuehl of Hauler Racks says. “We manufacture racks for pretty much anything you can think of for both commercial and lifestyle uses. We not only produce racks for trucks, but for utility vehicles, SUVs, vans and cars.

We have "a wide range of rack types for luggage, ski equipment, bikes, hunting and even camping,” Kuehl adds. Hauler Racks does not offer its products directly to consumers but instead, Kuehl says, “We work with 3,000 active commercial retailers in the U.S. while selling our products wholesale to distributors and retailers. We also outfit fleets for government agencies; and there are occasions when we will customize a rack for large clients placing bulk orders.”

In contrast to Hauler, is Torrance, Calif.-based Inno Racks. The supplier mainly sells lifestyle-related racks directly to multi-sports outdoor enthusiasts and travelers. “Our stuff is not for commercial use, it’s for consumer use. We design and develop 100% of our own racks,” Inno Racks’ vice president, Alex Connelly, says.

Inno Racks specializes in multiple racks that can be used on multiple locations of any vehicle, such as a" Rack-Over-Cab, which allows use for surfboards, canoes, bikes, kayaks, camping side awnings and all accessories needed to support sports enthusiasts. Our truck-bed bike racks feature a base crossbar which goes across the bed and allows you to use multiple attachments for each different utility,” Connelly says. “These bars even allow the consumer to put everything above the truck bed while still providing room for storage underneath. We also produce a special clip called the Velo Gripper.” The Gripper locks rack systems onto the bed using special clips to secure the cargo.

Another consumer-based rack manufacturer is Perrycraft, Winston Salem, N.C., that offers products for light commercial and personal uses, "and we work with different materials, custom products and vehicles,” relates company owner, Dan Epting. “Perrycraft also provides custom outfits for tonneau covers, minivans, crossovers and full-sized vehicles.” He says the company does not target the fleet truck market, “because we do not make commercial racks.”

Yakima, too, focuses directly on the outdoor lifestyle. “Our business has never been hardcore for fleet rack sales,” Mike Zoormajian says. “Our products can be found at multiple retail outlets, specialty sporting goods stores and automotive-centric dealers [on both truck and auto sides]. We consider ourselves to be a, full-service rack and cargo management company. Our motto is ‘If you want to take it with you and take it easy, Yakima can get it there.’”

Epting of Perrycraft does caution would-be customers to not just look at the outside of a rack when evaluating a possible purchase. “Looks don’t get the job done,” he says. “Consumers need to know what their needs are and ask a lot of questions.” Epting often encourages those within the rack market to “make sure you are getting the right rack for the right job. Although our racks are easy to install,” he notes, “we do not suggest a DIY [do-it-yourself] approach, especially if the install requires you to drill into the roof of your vehicle.”