# Are the laws of physics different in pickup trucks?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-laws-of-physics-different-in-pickup-trucks/160821>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 12, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-laws-of-physics-different-in-pickup-trucks/160821 "2003-03-12T14:25:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![stypticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@stypticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stypticus)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-laws-of-physics-different-in-pickup-trucks/160821/21 "2003-03-16T00:37:58Z")

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Counterexample: I once helped a fellow recover a stack of 8’ by 4’ plywood off the road after he drove off a little too enthusiastically, tailgate down.

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**Author:** ![consolid8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@consolid8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/consolid8)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-laws-of-physics-different-in-pickup-trucks/160821/22 "2003-03-17T03:51:09Z")

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If I have bags of groceries in the truck bed, they will fall over and scatter around. If I have a box of nails there, it’ll slide a bit but not spill. It’s also what you carry that affects the stability of the load. Bowling balls, I suspect, would be difficult to keep in the truck with the tailgate down no matter how gently you drove.

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