Members of the trucking industry have expressed concern about potential operational issues which might occur with long-term use of the AngelWing side guards. Last week, we received an email with feedback from Glen Berry, COO of Thomas Transport Delivery, Inc., a transport company which installed the AngelWing side guards, in August 2017, on one of their trailers which goes back and forth between Ohio and Texas every week.

Marianne/Andy,

As requested…We now have 305,000 miles of Angel Wing use. There has not been a single issue with the structural integrity of the trailer since its installation. My initial concerns, of the Angel Wing System making the trailer frame rails excessively rigid, have dissipated. Because of the bracing structures design characteristics being very stout, to serve their purpose of course, I was worried they may cause frame rail stress, resulting in cracks or other compromises. This has not been the case. Again, I have had zero issues. I am very happy to inform everyone involved…The Angel Wing Test has been an outstanding safety project to be a part of.

Thank you.

Glen Berry

Update on January 28, 2021: Here is an August 12, 2020 Public Comment to NHTSA related to operational & cost issues of underride protection.

Here’s another happy owner of an AngelWing side guard system:

Here’s a crash test of a car into the side of a flatbed trailer at 47.2 mph:

Regarding cost of production of AngelWing:  Not all 11 million trailers would require side or rear guards based on their height relative to the ground, and many trailers are wheels-back trailers (see page below).  And using a $2,900 price for a single aftermarket guard is clearly not where the price would end up.  If a 13,000 lb trailer sells for no more than $30k or $2.3/lb then a side guard is gonna end up an absolute max of $1,300, but likely way less due to its simplicity relative the rest of the trailer.  I have designs and costs estimates from trailer makers showing it would be far less. (Perry Ponder, email, 9/18/2019)

AngelWing installed on a flatbed trailer:

Strick Trailers was motivated briefly to design side guards for their trailers after the Maravilla verdict back in ’00.  Anyway this 700ish pound side guard was estimated to cost them $328 materials and labor to make at that time.  A straight inflation conversion takes that to $450 in 2019 dollars… (Perry Ponder, email, 9/18/2019)

Remember the UVW study about length of trailer, wheelbase length and the height of trailer’s lower edge.  It showed that a trailer would have to be much lower than the AW makes it to hang up on in-spec RR crossings and driveway transitions (see diagram below from that study).
But the RR crossing argument is another red herring.  Google “semi trailer hits overpass” and you’ll see more instances of the height of a trailer causing problems than low trailers at RR crossings…is anyone in the industry arguing for lowered trailer roofs? (Perry Ponder, email, 10/16/18)

Backing a trailer with the SafetySkirt side guard across a raised median:

Update on January 28, 2021: August 12, 2020 Public Comment to NHTSA related to operational & cost issues of underride protection.

Pros & cons of Super Single Tires

Ignoring Underride Problem Discards Years of Automotive Crashworthiness Efforts

Jerry Karth poses these questions to the trucking industry and to Secretary of Transportation nominee, Pete Buttigieg:

• Are you aware of a side underride guard called the AngelWing? Would you be willing to familiarize yourself with this safety device?

• Are you aware that AngelWing was successfully tested when a mid-size car was crashed into the side of a tractor trailer at both 35 and 40 MPH at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with no Passenger Compartment Intrusion?
• Are you aware that DOT administrators were invited to view crash testing of side guards less than a mile from the D.C. DOT Offices on March 26, 2019? (at least one FMCSA official attended)
• Are you aware that AngelWing has been in commercial use for over 8 years?
• Are you aware that AngelWing has over 800,000 miles in commercial use on the U.S. highways?
• Are you aware that AngelWing has been durability tested?
• Are you aware that AngelWing has shown no operational issues (such as loading docks and railroad crossings)?
• Are you aware that AngelWing has shown no stress or damage on the trailer frame?
• Are you aware that AngelWing is being commercially used and one route is from Cleveland, Ohio to San Antonio, Texas round trip every week over 3,000 miles per week without any issues — since August 2017?
• Are you aware that AngelWing and a side skirt increase MPG for a tractor trailer?