It costs a fortune to operate a commercial trucking company, no matter how big the fleet is. Everything from fuel costs and driver wages to insurance costs affects the bottom line. However, installing side guards can work wonders to cut costs for commercial trucking companies.
Truck lateral protective devices, or side guards, can save at least 4% on fuel costs because of the improved fuel efficiency. Side guards can also lower a fleet’s insurance premiums, depending on location and the insurance provider. They reduce driver liability which can save lives, prevent devastating collisions, and help avoid litigation.
The improved safety that side guards offer can work wonders to reduce physical and mental trauma among drivers and pedestrians alike. Follow along as we explore how installing side guards can reduce liability and insurance costs for commercial trucking companies.
Are Truck Side Guards Necessary?
Side guards are necessary to protect drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. They prevent them from being swept beneath trucks, which would otherwise be devastating. Such accidents killed hundreds of people per year in the past.
This has become slightly less prevalent as more fleets adopt side guards, also known as lateral protective devices. However, Congress has yet to mandate side guards, so many truck fleets don’t use them. We could prevent hundreds of deaths and injuries per year if side guards were mandated.
This is why many truck drivers, fleet managers, and pedestrians believe they are necessary. Preventing such devastating accidents can save lives and money and prevent long-lasting physical and mental trauma.
Truck Side Guard Benefits
The most obvious benefit of installing side guards is that they can save lives and prevent injuries. After all, that is their purpose, but that hasn’t proven to be enough to make them the standard. Perhaps more fleets would adopt side guards if they understood the financial benefits they carry, including:
Better Fuel Efficiency
Side guards reduce air drag and maximize a truck’s aerodynamics. This can work wonders to boost fuel efficiency, which ultimately saves money. You can often improve fuel savings by at least 4% if you install a side guard on a commercial truck.
An active fleet can save thousands of dollars per year on fuel costs this way. Not only does this save money, but it can also help reduce a truck fleet’s emissions. This is more important than ever as the nation pushes to reduce its carbon footprint.
Lower Insurance Premiums
Commercial truck fleets have high liability insurance premiums that cost companies hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars. That’s because of the valuable goods they haul, as well as the threat they pose to other drivers. After all, a collision between a sedan and a commercial truck can prove fatal or cause devastating injuries.
The risk of being sued or fined a large fortune for such accidents has a lot to do with the high premiums that trucking companies pay. However, side guards work wonders to reduce the risk of deaths and serious injuries. Depending on the insurance provider, you may be able to save on your premium with side guards.
Many people who believe side guards should be mandated suggest that all insurance providers should offer discounted rates to compliant clients. This could help encourage more trucking companies to install side guards and make their fleets safer. That way, we can enjoy safer roads and lower insurance premiums until side guards become mandatory.
Reduced Liability
Liability affects much more than just your insurance premium. Understandably, many victims of commercial truck collisions and their families sue commercial trucking companies after severe accidents. Courts often hold trucking companies liable for such accidents, depending on the circumstances.
The more you do to protect drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, the less liable you are for such accidents. Collisions can still happen with side guards, but they aren’t nearly as serious in most cases. For example, it’s safer to collide with the side of a truck than to get swept beneath it.
Injuries are still possible, but they are much less likely to kill the other party or leave them with long-lasting medical conditions. Side guards provide the dual benefit of protecting others and protecting yourself from lawsuits that can impact your business. Most companies would do anything they can to avoid costly lawsuits, and side guards make this much easier.
Preventing Trauma
Commercial truck accidents often traumatize everyone involved in them. The physical and mental implications of such accidents can take years to bounce back from. It can take months or years to recover from severe injuries, especially if they affect the back, neck, and brain.
Even if the truck driver isn’t at fault, they may still feel tremendous guilt and anxiety going forward. The car driver, pedestrian, or cyclist involved is likely to suffer serious injuries or worse upon getting swept under a truck. Side guards significantly reduce the severity of truck-side collisions, whether they be with other cars or pedestrians.
They can reduce the severity of collisions, and in turn, reduce the trauma that comes along with them. Installing side guards can prevent a lot of unnecessary suffering and trauma, both physical and mental.
Are Truck Side Guards Worth It?
Side guards are worth it when you consider the safety and cost benefits they provide. Lives are priceless, but the lawsuits and raised insurance premiums that come with loss and injury aren’t. The prospect of being involved in a deadly or devastating accident and losing hundreds of thousands of dollars over it is hard to fathom.
At Dur-A-Guard, we strive to make the roads safer for everyone who travels them. In doing so, we help commercial truck fleets save money on fuel costs, insurance premiums, and litigation. Call Dur-A-Guard at (908)-688-0800 to learn more about our side guards and how they help cut costs and save lives.
