About AMP Research

Our Story

We founded AMP Research in 1980 with a simple conviction: American trucks and SUVs deserve accessories engineered to the same standard as the vehicles themselves. From our earliest days, we rejected the idea that aftermarket meant compromise. Instead, we invested in real engineering — patented mechanisms, precision machining, and relentless testing — to create products that work harder and last longer than anything else on the market.

In 1998, we focused our full engineering capability on the automotive sector, channeling decades of design experience into solving the everyday frustrations truck owners face. The result was the AMP Research PowerStep — the first electric-deploying running board ever manufactured in the United States. That single product changed the aftermarket truck accessories industry and established the automatic running board category that dozens of competitors have tried to replicate since.

By 2011, our growth demanded a purpose-built facility. We moved into our 55,000-square-foot headquarters in Tustin, California, housing design, engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing under one roof. That same commitment to vertical integration means every AMP Research product moves from CAD file to shipping box without leaving our control. In 2013, we joined the Truck Hero family of brands, expanding our distribution reach while maintaining the independent engineering culture that defines everything we build.

What We Engineer

Our product lineup reflects over four decades of solving real problems for truck and SUV owners. The AMP Research PowerStep remains our flagship — an automatic running board that deploys when you open your door and retracts flush when you close it, delivering 600 pounds of load capacity, integrated LED lighting, and pinch-proof safety technology. We expanded this platform into the PowerStep XL for lifted trucks, the dual-motor PowerStep Xtreme for extreme conditions, the illuminated PowerStep Vision, and the app-controlled PowerStep Smart Series.

Beyond running boards, we engineer the BedStep — a retractable bumper-mounted step that gives you instant access to your truck bed — the BedStep 2 side-mounted step for wheel-well access, and the BedXTender HD Max that adds up to two feet of cargo space to any pickup. Each of these products carries the same AMP Research DNA: aircraft-grade aluminum construction, vehicle-specific fitment, and a warranty that backs our confidence in every unit we ship.