In retrospect, because the Tundra truck models prior to the 2008 models were smaller than the traditional GMC, Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge domestics, Toyota's first truck model missed with a solid segment of the truck market, especially with farmers who have need of the biggest and most rugged equipment available.

With its 2008 model year, Toyota truck division delivered a re-designed Tundra as it's answer to criticism that it could not build a pickup that was big enough and rugged enough to compete with the USA half-ton Big Dogs (GMC, Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge truck).  With the 2008 model, Toyota set out to create the ultimate truck (designed, engineered, and built in America, for Americans). The new model was engineered at the Toyota's Ann Arbor, MI TTC facility. Armed with a new design and to lineup with its existing facility in Evansville, IN, Toyota built a completely new plant in San Antonio, TX to build their newly designed pickup truck. As stated by Don Esmund, senior vice president of Toyota's U.S. arm, "We're aiming at delivering what customers want, more than benchmarking any competitor."

The 2008 pickup Truck grew over its predecessor by 10 in. in length, 4 in. in width and 5 in. in height. The frame is 6 in. wider and built of thicker gauge steel over previous pickup truck models, is fully boxed under the cab and sports a reinforced, rolled-lip C channel for the mid-frame with a tougher C channel at the rear.  

This newly design pickup truck came with other new improvements:

• Toyota built a new, high-tech, 5.7-liter iForce V8 engine, and a six-speed automatic transmission to compliment the newly design pickup. Clearly, the 5.7 is the pickup heavyweight, with 381 hp and 401 ft.-lbs. of torque.
• The strong, year-old, 4.0-liter V6 from the Tacoma mid-size pickup truck and various SUVs is standard offering, with 236 hp and 266 ft.-lbs. of torque.
• The 4.7-liter V8 -  producing 271 hp and 313 ft.-lbs. of torque- is an available upgrade for the pickup.
•   The Tundra pickup truck regular cab has considerable storage space behind the seats.
• The pickup Double Cab truck has storage under the rear seats, which have flip-up cushions to allow storage of large items.
• The pickup has adjustable tie-down anchors in the bed.  
• Other pickup Truck Cab and bed improvements includes:        
  • The pickup sports a rear doors which open to a wide, 80° for easy access.
  • The pickup Truck Outer mirrors are extendible when hauling wide loads.
  • The pickup Truck tailgate is damped, so it comes down softly when unlatched.
  • The pickup Truck optional towing package starts with a receiver hitch built in as a hydro-formed cross-member of the frame. The Truck package comes with an upgraded cooling system, which includes a water-cooled oil cooler. The tow-haul mode on the pickup transmission alters the gear ratios to aid towing power. With high-tech drive-by-wire electronic throttle control, all of those alterations feel smooth and normal.