A tonneau cover isn't a must, but it is nice to have during bad/rainy weather when carrying stuff in your bed....all stays nice, and dry, plus its way easier to push a ft of snow off it, rather than shovel out your bed. I never had one till my 2020 tacoma, and wished I did. Their not totally theft proof, but once latched down, and tailgate locked, its a bit of work to get inside the bed if a thief wanted enough to. The Toyota tacoma trifold tonneau cover is only available when you, or the dealer request the truck from toyota. Other than that you have to find someone selling a used one, or buy an aftermarket.