FAQs About Truck & Trailer-Mounted Attenuators
A truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) or trailer-mounted attenuator, also known as a shadow vehicle or crash cushion truck, is a critical piece of safety equipment for any roadside work zone. United Rentals provides MASH-certified truck-mounted attenuator rentals from trusted brands like TrafFix to shield your workers from errant vehicles. Additionally, our impact attenuators come equipped with arrow boards for improved traffic direction and site visibility. Whether you need a highly mobile TMA for moving work zones or a versatile trailer-mounted attenuator for a stationary project, our solutions are designed for maximum uptime and safety.
Learn more about our attenuator rentals in our FAQ section below.
Attenuators must meet strict safety standards set by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The current standard requires that all new attenuators pass the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) TL-3 crash test requirements. This ensures the device can safely stop a vehicle traveling at high speeds. When you rent from United Rentals, you can be confident you will receive a MASH-certified trailer-mounted attenuator or truck-mounted attenuator that meets federal safety guidelines for your work zone.
Choosing between a truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) and a trailer-mounted attenuator depends on your project's needs. A TMA is an integrated unit, making it ideal for mobile operations like line painting or pothole repair. A trailer-mounted attenuator offers more flexibility as it can be towed by any capable vehicle in your fleet. This makes it a great choice for stationary or short-duration jobs where you may need to free up the host vehicle for other tasks.
An attenuator, or crash cushion truck, is typically required by federal or state regulations for any work zone on a high-speed roadway where workers are exposed to traffic. This includes stationary work, like lane closures for construction, and mobile operations, such as sweeping or utility maintenance. They are also used to protect first responders and create a safer environment at incident scenes. Using an attenuator is a key part of high-speed traffic control to protect both your crew and the public.