A pickup truck bed lighting system for mounting on a bed rail of a cargo bed side wall. The system including a scuff plate having a plurality of downward extending retention clips engaging holes in the bed rail to secure the scuff plate on top of the bed rail; and a lighting assembly including an electrical cable supported by the retention clips and a plurality of lamps mounted to the cable, the lamps spaced along the cable adjacent to the retention clips and aligning with the holes in the bed rail.