I was working on my 02 and saw some rust above where the factory running boards were so I removed them. The truck looks better but the rust is way worse than I thought. I think it was the snow/salt sitting on the running boards. Anyway, I am wondering if there is a cover for that area. I don't even know what to call it to research it. Thanks.

 

That is called the rocker panels. It is a common problem on Fords around that year.
The bad news is that they rust from the inside out. If you can see rust, or paint bubbling, you can probably poke your finger through them in places.
Your options are to patch over any holes, and buy some time, or completely cut them out and replace them like I did.

Here's a thread with pictures of what I did on mine.
https://www.f150forum.com/f6/project...der-way-60210/

 

Thanks for the help. Your project looks great. I may hire it out.