Do you need wheel well liners?

Got an update on the 2022 wheel well liner thread, and figured I'd get some. Had a conversation with my next door neighbor that has me questioning this. My neighbor is a retired heavy duty mechanic with a 2018 Silverado. For reference, we're in Canada where the roads are heavily salted. The temperatures often fluctuate around freezing (0C or 32F) resulting in periods of mushy salted slush getting on your vehicle for months at a time.

Mentioned to him getting with the wheel well liner for my 2023 Tundra. In his opinion, he felt they weren't worthwhile, that rocks & such offroading weren't likely to be an issue. As for salt, he felt the liners might actually trap salt behind the liner and cause more problems. He regularly washes his vehicles, and said he had no issues with salt. He suggested that the open design actually made everything easier to clean and that most trucks now have more parts exposed, and likely for a reason beyond cheapness.

Got me thinking - in a salty winter road climate, would using the covers cause more bad than good? Or worthwhile?