Abstract: A truck bed extension for pickup trucks, which extension is designed to increase the effective loading capacity of a pickup truck bed and requires no fasteners for mounting. The truck bed extension is characterized by a pair of quick-release cleats and brackets to facilitate rapidly loading and unloading the truck bed extension on the truck tailgate at the rear end of the bed of a pickup truck. In a preferred embodiment the truck bed extension includes a frame having parallel side frame members, each fitted with a cleat for removably engaging corresponding conventional bed brackets provided in the bed of the pickup truck. A pair of tailgate brackets are also welded or otherwise attached to the side frame members, respectively, for engaging the conventional latching pin mechanism attached to the ends of the downwardly-extended, horizontal tailgate of the pickup truck.