Driving around Texas you might see some trucks have huge, oversized, metal bumpers. It seems normal to us, but in other parts of the country they are quite an anomaly.

They look like something you might see on a police car to push cars out of the way in an emergency. They are also known by many names, such as cowcatchers, brush guards, grille guards, or bull bars.

I have decided in Texas most of us call them brush guards. They are made of aluminum alloy or steel bars mounted to the front of the truck, and they usually wrap around the grill and headlights.

Should You Have A Brush Guard On Your Truck?

I have owned many trucks over the years being from Texas. None of them warranted me putting one of these on the front.

It begs the question what are they actually for? They are very heavy and can't help the aerodynamics of your vehicle. If gas mileage is a concern, steer clear of getting one.

If you actually got into an accident with this on the front, it could minimize the damage of a very low speed crash. At high speeds a brush guard will be destroyed and might push into your truck’s painted and delicate surfaces, like the hood, grill, lights, and bumper.

Are Brush Guards Just For Looks On Trucks?

Brush guards are actually used to protect the front of your vehicle from brush when driving off road, thus the name. They can also withstand impacts from small animals.

If you hit a deer, cow, or another vehicle at high speed it might not reduce the cost of the collision. It might even make it worse. You will most likely have to get a new guard along with other repairs to the front of your truck. So it still begs the question, why do we have these?

Only a true Texan knows the real purpose a brush guard actually serves. I turned to Bar 7 Ranch in Texas on TikTok for their perfect explanation of what these are for, and I think you will really get a kick out of it.