[N2TRUX]

Here we go again. This is an old one that comes to surface every so often.

While it's true that the manufacturers use SWB as an acronym for "short wheel base" the term "short wide bed" has been used to to distinguish a short wheel base truck as fleet side rather than stepside in the South for many years.

Where I grew up the majority of the short bed trucks were stepsides. Looking back I realize they were probably 67-72 GM trucks. When the 73-87 trucks came along the most popular one to fix up was a "short wide bed". We probably called it that because we didn't readily know the term "fleetside".

It may not be the correct term, but it certainly is one that was used by many when I was in high school.