The fact that truck and trailer designs can potentially allow underride when there are collisions with passenger vehicles has a long history of being misunderstood. That’s why we recently sent letters to two lists of “100 top carriers” in North America via Certified Mail.
Our goal was to make sure that their Boards and CEOs received information about the availability of engineering solutions which can modify those designs in order to prevent deadly underride and passenger compartment intrusion.
Here’s our mailing list of the 200 companies:
Mailing List for 2020 Top 200 Carriers
Here’s the Carrier Letter Template:
CARRIER LETTERS Please Stop Preventable Underride Injury and Death
Note: This was not our first communication to the trucking industry. Starting in 2014, less than one year after our crash, Jerry Karth began sending letters to trailer manufacturers and trucking companies — informing them of the IIHS underride research — and asking them to voluntarily upgrade underride protection. It actually made a significant impact: A grieving dad got the attention of the trucking industry & made a difference.
Later, Great Dane announced its improved rear guard as a retrofit option. And, in 2017, Stoughton Trailers held a press conference at the ATA/TMC trucking conference in Nashville to announce their improved rear guard and asked me to speak at it. Here’s a quote from their press release:
Upon learning of Stoughton’s decision to make this improved protection available on all of their new trailers, Marianne said, “Stoughton’s cooperative efforts to improve the performance of its rear impact guard demonstrates a genuine commitment to safety. Stoughton is to be commended for taking a significant leadership role in design and safety. In my opinion, many lives will be saved as a result of Stoughton’s efforts.”
And, of course, we are grateful that nine trailer manufacturers now have improved rear guard designs available as an option or for some as Standard.
So, while we are working to make this life-saving technology mandatory, we continue to reach out to the trucking industry. Communication, cooperation, and collaboration are essential. Let’s keep at it and — together — get this job done!
