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Stoughton Trailers Touts 40 MPH Rear-Impact Test Results
OEM Says 35 MPH Industry Standard Was Exceeded
Key Takeaways:
- Stoughton Trailers said it successfully completed a 40 mph rear-impact crash test using a 30% overlap protocol conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- Company executives said the rear-impact guard prevented compartmental intrusion and is a standard feature on dry, refrigerated and intermodal chassis.
- Separate testing found Stoughton’s PureBlue refrigerated trailer to be more thermally efficient and more airtight than competing units.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — announced it has surpassed industry standards with a rear-impact test of 40 mph.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted the crash based on its protocols and standards for what is known as a 30% overlap rear-impact test. This means the test car hits the rear of the trailer at an angle. The results beat the previous 35 mph standard for the van trailer industry.
“We are the first OEM in this space to successfully crash test at 40 miles an hour through the 30% offset test,” Jeremy Sanders, Stoughton chief commercial officer, at the 2026 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting. “The standard componentry on our dry and refrigerated trailers is the rear-impact guard that allows us to meet this standard.”
Stoughton Trailers noted the crash test was conducted Dec. 22. The trailer maker showcased a video of a car with a test dummy hitting the rear angle of a trailer. The front end of the car became severely damaged, but because the trailer did not buckle, the car bounced off instead of becoming more entangled.
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“There’s a couple of key factors that you see here. First and foremost, there’s no compartmental intrusion,” Sanders said. “When you have no compartmental intrusion, you have a situation that you can literally save lives… Secondly, you notice how the car responds.”
30% Overlap Crash Test
Stoughton Trailers purposely chose the 30% overlap crash test, as it is more challenging to pass than the straight-on and 50% overlap tests. Simulation modeling had already shown the rear-impact guard could pass all three tests at the elevated speed of 40 mph. The testing was done at an independent third-party facility operated by Calspan in Buffalo, N.Y.
“We are trying to lead our way into the future by continuing to make our product as safe as we can make it,” Sanders said. “And again, these aren’t options, this is a standard feature for our dry, refrigerated and 53-foot intermodal container chassis.”
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Stoughton Trailers stressed that the 5 mph difference represents a significant increase in force. The company found the kinetic energy at 40 mph is about 31% greater than at 35 mph.
“If you look at what it takes to make that successful, energy increases exponentially with speed,” said Todd Eicher, vice president of refrigerated products at Stoughton Trailers. “So just remember that what we’re offering comes at no additional cost and no additional weight to the customer.”
Stoughton Trailers also commissioned Element Labs to conduct independent competitive testing to benchmark its PureBlue refrigerated trailer against five leading refrigerated trailers. The results showed the trailers were 18.2% more thermally efficient on average, potentially reducing annual fuel costs by up to $910. The test also found the design to be 27.7% more airtight on average than competing units.
