News & Publications
Road Safety & Logistics: Truck Guards
With thousands of vehicles transporting cargo to all corners of the United States, the safety of drivers, cargo, and the public is an issue that requires constant attention and refinement. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been working on some critical improvements for larger transportation vehicles: rear and side underride guards. Yet, such advancement in safety would require careful planning of a rollout and legislation that may temporarily impact the logistics industry.
What are truck underride and side guards, and why are they important?
Truck underride and side guards are structures that attach below the body of the truck's trailer to cover either the rear end of the trailer or the middle section between the tires. Made of steel plates and reinforced beams, these guards' goal is to prevent other vehicles and objects from ending up completely underneath the trailer in a crash. In fact, in a 2012 test by the IIHS, strong side underride guards have demonstrated the potential to reduce the risk of injuries to passenger vehicle occupants in 75% of cases where there was a side impact with a large truck.
What does this mean for companies that rely on trucks for transportation?
Unfortunately, like most recent safety developments in vehicles, truck guards require extensive time and money to be rolled out to the public. First, insurance companies and governmental organizations will need to work together to specify strong guards' standards, legislation for accountability, and dates to target full rollout. This step may prove more difficult than others because there is currently no requirement for front or side underride guards in the United States. Even though 7 out of 8 North American trailer manufacturers include rear-guards, these often perform poorly due to limited coverage. This, in turn, means it would take more testing and research to ensure that trailer and underride guard manufacturers create strong guard products that can mitigate injury and death risks effectively. Only after this is done may trucking companies or truck owners start to purchase adequate guards and install them on their trucking equipment.
However, we must not forget that all these steps contribute to the following costs: insurance, manufacturing, installation, ownership, oversight, and administration. These costs would be passed on to shippers who rely on trucks for any part of their logistics services via increased contract or spot quote prices. Shippers can anticipate an initial price hike before underride guards become popular, and then once critical mass is reached, a decline back to normal should ensue. Additionally, when legislation is in full force, there may be decreased capacity if the government decides trucks without adequate safety equipment cannot be on the road. Therefore, Shippers would need to plan accordingly to mitigate the loss of capacity, especially in rural areas that may already suffer from infrequent service.
Overall, as with all projects involving upgrading transportation equipment, truck underride guards' implementation takes a significant portion of time, money, and coordination upfront. Once completed, these costs will be offset as the trucking industry becomes a safer and more efficient transportation mode. All companies are thereby encouraged to monitor this development and other safety measures coming down the road to ensure they adequately address potential logistical issues.
Contributor: Erik Leal
References:
https://www.iihs.org/topics/large-trucks#truck-underride
https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/side-guard-on-semitrailer-prevents-underride-in-40-mph-test
https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-19-264#summary
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