WHY PICKUP TRUCKS GET HIT HARDER BY HAIL

If you've ever compared a hail-damaged truck to a hail-damaged sedan from the same storm, the truck usually looks worse — and there's a straightforward geometric reason for that, not just bad luck.

More Flat, Upward-Facing Surface Area

A full-size pickup has a wide, flat hood, a full-length roof, and tall bed sides and doors, all presenting more total flat surface to falling hail than a sedan's more sloped, compact body. More exposed panel area during the same storm simply means more total impacts.

Ride Height Changes the Angle

A taller vehicle changes the angle at which wind-driven hail strikes vertical surfaces like doors and fenders compared to a lower sedan, which can mean additional dents on panels a shorter vehicle might partially avoid.

Panel Material Adds a Wrinkle

Some trucks use aluminum panels — the Ford F-150's hood, doors, and bed on many trims, for example — which respond differently under hail impact and require different PDR technique to repair correctly compared to steel panels on the rest of the vehicle.

What This Means for Repair Time and Cost

Because trucks often end up with a higher total dent count from the same storm, a full hail restoration typically takes a bit longer than an equivalent repair on a sedan. The underlying insurance process is identical either way — you pay your deductible, and the repair cost is billed to your insurer directly.