I don't think they were an option. I think the previous owner put them on to save his taillights. They're just heavy c-channel. I don't know if that was the brightest idea though, because if you hit something, it'll bend the bedside before it hurts anything else. I left them on it because I'd like to get some oak bedsides (matches the floor) made with our farm name engraved in it, and I think those add to the farm truck look.