Ford patents wacky idea to nudge pick-up back and forth from the reardpa internationalDPAWed, September 16, 2026 at 10:34 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleOk, back a bit, no wait forward a bit: Ford appears to be looking for a way to let drivers inch their pick-up forwards or backwards without even getting into the car. Thomas Geiger/dpaFord has been granted a patent that allows a pick-up owner to nudge the vehicle backwards and forwards by winding a handle at the rear.Using the handle the owner can inch forward or backward in small increments without having to hop in and out of the cab each time, according to the details approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).The offbeat innovation could be useful for anyone who needs to unload paving slabs, soil or other garden materials a little bit at a time.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe idea would go down well in North America where Ford dominates a thriving pick-up market, although it is not clear if it will go into production. As with many other patent applications, the manufacturer could be making sure that no one else uses the same idea.An illustration accompanying the patent shows a person operating a loading assist device on the tailgate to move the pick-up truck.The patent description says the torque could be cut off once a signal is no longer received from the user and that a dead-man switch could also be fitted to avoid accidental use.Ford filed another unusual pick-up patent back in 2022 (12,723,418) for a pick-up truck that does not just haul materials but brings its own robotic 3D printer along for the ride. It has so far not been seen on a production vehicle.