Cargo bar

A cargo bar having reduced costs due in part to being constructed from square tubes and due to being collapsible to a length that fits a 4 foot pallet so as to facilitate shipping and storage. Pressure induced extension of the cargo bar against opposed truck walls is provided by a rack and pinion gear arrangement, the rack teeth provided on a first tube wall and the pinion teeth provided on a pivotal lever mounted to a second tube. The bar ends have pressure pads that will conform to side walls of a truck or van and the tube interior is alternately fitted with retractable track pins that extend through the pads and retract behind the pads to accommodate different cargo bar systems.