An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

They’ve got standards for everything these days: tread depth, push-rod stroke, exhaust emissions. And headache racks, too, though only in British Columbia among Canadian provinces. Betcha didn’t know that.

A headache rack — sometimes called a cab shield or cab guard — isn’t considered part of a cargo-securement system but a safety device. As such, it has to meet certain standards in some jurisdictions. Transport Canada has no particular federal standard when it comes to cab protection. That’s why it seems to be quite alright in most parts of this country to nail a sheet of plywood to the front of a flatdeck trailer. In the broadest sense, it does function as a bit of a barrier between the cargo and the driver.

Part of the problem is that cab protection falls under the control of our provincial ministries of labor, not transportation. Occupational health and safety legislation demands some sort of worker protection from shifting cargo, but fails in most cases to define what sort of protection the cab guard must offer. In the absence of well-defined standards, the proverbial piece of plywood is indeed a barrier between the cargo and the occupants of the cab.

British Columbia, like the United States, does have standards for cab protection. The standards were developed jointly by the provincial Worker’s Compensation Board and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), and they’re written into the Motor Vehicle Act. Because they’re part of the Act, provincial roadside inspectors have the authority to ticket drivers for improper cab guards.

B.C.’s standards mirror those found in the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, part 393.106 (see sidebar). But even with the standards, the cab guard can only do so much. The best you can expect in the worst-case scenario is that the cargo might be deflected by the headache rack, or maybe slowed down a little. It’s unlikely that even the best cab guard will stop a stray 40,000-lb steel coil that’s gaining momentum as it rolls forward along the deck.

And even with properly engineered and labeled headache racks, there are still a few situations in which the device won’t meet the requirements.
America’s restrictive weight laws dictate that few loads will exceed 50,000 lb, making the maximum cargo-restraining demands of a U.S.-designed bulkhead about 25,000 lb. Canadian payloads can easily exceed 70,000 lb in some jurisdictions, thus requiring a cab guard to be capable of resisting a forward static load of at least 35,000 lb.

A driver may get into trouble when buying a cab guard in a jurisdiction where the standards don’t apply. It may be fine where you bought it, but travel far enough west or a little to the south and an inspector with a little time on his hands could make a federal case out of an uncertified headache rack. If it doesn’t meet the standards, it might as well not be there at all. If it isn’t U.S. DOT-rated or doesn’t meet the B.C. requirements, don’t try to operate in those jurisdictions. Better still, don’t buy it.

What to Look For

To the untrained eye, most headache racks on the market look pretty much the same, but there are differences. Ron Abramoff, president of Northwest Mfg. Ltd. in Saskatoon, says drivers often buy solely on price and cosmetic appearance with little regard for the effectiveness of the product.

“There’s a big difference between products that are designed to sell and products that are designed to do a job,” he says. “Unfortunately, most people don’t view these things as a piece of safety equipment.”

To offer proper protection, the cab guard has to cover the back of the cab or sleeper. They’re available in widths from 70 to 90 in. and heights from 65 to 68 in., but make sure there’s enough side-clearance for the cab extenders you might have. The feet and the uprights are universal and designed to fit any truck frame. But the strength of the uprights and the vertical braces is important. The ratings describe its ability to support a given force, but Abramoff suggests that the diagonal braces should be designed to absorb impact rather than resist it completely.

“If it’s built too strong in order to satisfy the rating, it’ll likely fail completely when struck from behind, rather than bending or collapsing in the act of absorbing the impact,” he says. “It should function like the passenger compartment of a modern car and self-destruct as it absorbs the impact.”

Strangely, according to Wayne Worobec of Magnum Trailers in Abbotsford, B.C., some guys get mad if the rack is destroyed in an accident. “That’s what it’s supposed to do,” he says.
Worobec also notes that a rack that’s certified for a minimum weight might not be sufficient for the load you’re hauling today.

“It’s better in the long run to spec the rack for the maximum payload you’re likely to haul. That way, you’ll never get caught short,” he says. “Otherwise, all you’re buying is an expensive sticker holder.”

But all the strength and engineering expertise money can buy will be lost if it isn’t installed properly. The mounting kits sold with the headache racks are part of the engineering process, and they’re integral to the overall strength of the unit. The B.C. WCB recently issued an advisory following the death of a driver who was crushed by a load. The WCB said the mounting U-bolts weren’t rated for the task. What’s the point of buying a top-quality cab guard, then installing it with the wrong hardware?

Brian Patelka of Aero-Kit Industries Inc. in Burlington, Ont., says the manufacturer’s mounting instructions should be followed to the letter, and buyers should always use the mounting kit supplied with the rack. He adds that it’s sad but true that it sometimes takes a fatality and a huge lawsuit to make folks see the light.

“It’s expensive to have these things tested. We spend upwards of $25,000 to test each design, and it’s unfortunate that some manufactures just aren’t willing to make that investment,” he says. “They can produce and sell anything they want here in Canada, and drivers will often buy on price alone. That’s pretty short-sighted.”

Cab guards are available in several different configurations, and many include optional chain racks and trays. Patelka says the half-trays are among his more popular options because they leave the driver room to store a rolled tarp under the rack. Care should be taken when spec’ing a chain tray or cabinet to insure there’s adequate clearance for the trailer to swing past in a turn.

The truck frame configuration is critical to the proper mounting of the rack. Sometimes, fuel-tank hangers and air tanks get in the way. Abramoff warns not to sacrifice the integrity of the cab-guard design by taking shortcuts when mounting the device.

And finally, many headache racks are built with portals or openings for extra visibility. If any portion of the cargo can fit through that opening, the cab guard is useless with respect to the certification. It may be just fine when hauling coiled steel or a machine, but if a two-by-four can fit through the hole, then you may find yourself in violation with a load of lumber. This applies in the U.S. as well as B.C.