Understanding the Different Types of Guards

Grille guards have caught on in a big way. According to recent research, the global grille guard market was valued at an impressive $3.52 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow steadily to a staggering $5.44 billion by 2027.

But even with its popularity, learning about grille guards can be confusing due to the variety of names that are used in the space. You might have heard terms like “brush guard” and “bull bar” used interchangeably, but these names typically indicate specific features and applications that are important to know.  

Technically speaking, a grille guard protects the grille, while brush guards usually refer to a guard that extends protection to include the headlights. Bull bars are also known as bumper guards, and are normally smaller than either grille guards or brush guards. They wrap from underneath the front bumper to just below the grille—offering protection without dramatically altering the truck’s appearance. 

HERD cuts through the potential confusion around the terms by offering grille guards in three distinct sizes, increasing in size and coverage with each series. Which one is right for you? It depends on how much extra protection you need and how drastically you want to change the look of your truck.

To help you decide, here are a few reasons why adding a grille guard is a good idea, regardless of the kind of truck you drive.

 

1. Grille Guards Offer Protection from Animal Impacts

If you’ve ever hit a deer, you know it can be an intense experience— and for those who haven’t, it’s a lot more common than you might think. There are as many as 2 million crashes between motor vehicles and large animals like deer every year. 

The height of a semi-truck typically protects a deer from rolling over the hood, but a collision like this can still cause significant damage to the truck itself. A grille guard absorbs the brunt of the impact, sparing crucial components of a truck and preventing costly damage and downtime.

 

2. Grille Guards Prevent Damage from Minor Collisions

In a minor fender-bender or low-impact crash, a grille guard can be the difference between coming out unscathed and replacing body panels, headlight glass, and even parts like radiators and cooling fans.

Fender benders might seem like a minor issue, but parking lot collisions account for 20% of all transportation accidents. For owners and operators, this can mean thousands of dollars in repairs and weeks or months of downtime. Grille guards help increase the likelihood that minor collisions won’t mean major problems.

 

3. Grille Guards Provide a Mounting Point for Lights and Accessories

In addition to protection, grille guards also provide a convenient location for things like fog lights and LED strips. The guards strength and durability also make them the perfect place to mount tow hooks. These add-ons can be a game changer depending on the conditions of your regular routes.

 

4. Grille Guards Deflect Road Rubble

Chips from debris affect far more than just the look of your truck. Areas that have paint chipped away can develop rust and corrosion, compromising the overall integrity of the vehicle over time.

With a grille guard, rocks, small pieces of metal, and other types of road debris that would normally be kicked up directly into the truck’s front end are stopped in their tracks.

 

5. Grille Guards Improve a Truck’s Appearance

Making your truck more rugged and aggressive isn’t just an aesthetic choice. It’s also a signal for how you live your life.

Adding a grille guard sends the message that your truck gets used for its intended purpose and that you care about your vehicle enough to equip it with an extra layer of defense.

 

Give Back to Your Truck

Adding a HERD grille guard to your truck not only protects your asset in the short-term, it also works to maintain resale value and it can even have a positive impact on insurance rates. Stock trucks simply aren’t equipped to handle all of the diverse challenges your truck might face. That’s why it’s important to protect your front end for the long haul. 

Your truck does a lot for you. Return the favor by investing in its future.

 

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