Are Semi Truck Grille Guards Worth It?

When you run a small business — like a trucking or freight company — it is important to understand the cost benefits of company purchases. This includes equipment purchases like trucks, trailers, and aftermarket parts like grille guards. We know a grille guard may seem like an unnecessary expense for many companies even with a long list of benefits, and many truck companies want to know if semi truck grille guards are worth it — but when you take a closer look at the repair costs and downtime it can save you, it is a great investment.

How Much Do Grille Guards Save in Repair Costs and Downtime? 

A high-quality grille guard is an investment — especially with a fleet of trucks — but when compared to repair costs and what downtime will cost you in productivity, it is a price that may be worth paying.

The primary benefit of RIGGUARD grille guards is the ability to prevent damage to the truck in the event of a traffic or animal collision and reduce towable accidents. Grille guards have the potential to reduce towable accidents by an estimated 80% — which means you can reduce downtime for your fleet trucks.

Traffic collisions can cost thousands of dollars in repairs with damage to the bumper, headlights, grille, and frame. A replacement bumper can cost from $500 to $1,500, headlights can cost from $100 to $500 per headlight, and a replacement grille will cost from $300 to $1,000 on average. Advanced radar collision systems are also at risk of damage in a front-end collision and can cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace.

Those repair costs add up quickly and that does not include the costs of downtime. Downtime can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 per day on average and you can expect accident repairs to take a few days in most cases. With significant repair costs and 2-3 days of downtime, you can expect to have costs that pass the $10,000 mark. A grille guard can help prevent those costs. 

Why Choose RIGGUARD to Protect Your Truck?

RIGGUARD products are easy to install, compatible with advanced radar collision systems, and provide added protection for your truck. When you consider investing in a RIGGUARD grille guard, we know many of you want to know about the real-world benefits and we have got you covered with a few customer testimonials that highlight how a semi truck grille guard can protect your fleet trucks.

We have a fleet of 350 trucks. We started putting RIGGUARD on tractors and some smaller trucks over a 2 year period and have recorded over 100 deer collisions with NO DOWNTIME or expensive repairs. Before, one truck without RIGGUARD cost over $8,000 in repair and 3 weeks downtime. Drivers don’t try to avoid deer anymore, they just keep on going. Safety-wise it’s better. We’ve now had RIGGUARD on tractors and box trucks over a 5 year period with no down time and very little damage; small dents, very little body damage at all.
– Dale Schipper
US Oil

Rigguard has been a wise investment for us here [at] Blue Ridge Lumber. We have installed (4) of your units, on Peterbilts, Macks and KW which has saved funds in the repair bills, because each one of the drivers have had incidents since the installation. We have not had to replace bumpers, grills, lights, fenders and even transmission coolers since we have been using the Rigguards. I suggest any driver that is traveling in an area, with a lot of wildlife to invest in guard. Example our first installation was on the KW, which the very next day struck a 150-200 [pound] black bear and there was no damage to the truck, the Rigguard took the hit and survived. Other tractors have had incidents and Rigguard withstood the damage. Good decision on our part to install.
– John Kingsley
Blue Ridge Lumber Inc. LLC

I purchased a full guard for my truck last year. I just struck a LARGE deer last night at 70 mph and the guard did a wonderful job!!!!! It prevented over $15,000.00 in damages plus down time & tow bill…..Thank you very much…
– Mark

READ MORE: Do Semi Truck Grille Guards Affect Insurance Premiums?

Are semi truck grille guards worth it? If you are considering a RIGGUARD grille guard for your truck, this overview may provide the proof you need to help you make a decision. Contact RIGGUARD today to find a grille guard to fit your truck!