Truck Topics
I Can See Clearly Now: LED's
While most truck components have continued to evolve since they first began hauling freight, one area has remained (relatively) unchanged through the years - truck lighting.
Experts tell us that he most important spec on a vehicle to promote safety is lighting, yet it wasn't until the 1980's that truck lighting received an update.
That's when the federal government finally revised an ancient regulation requiring that all headlamps be of sealed beam construction. The next improvement came with the development of the quartz-halogen bulb followed by the introduction of the High Intensity Discharge bulb in the Nineties.
Each advancement has resulted in a brighter, whiter light which uses less power and is less susceptible to road vibration.
Visibility
The lighting evolution didn't stop there, however. Originally developed for turn, stop, tail and marker lamps, Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) are now being used throughout the truck.
Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 36 % of fatal accidents over a 3-year period involved a truck or trailer being struck in the side.
Safety through conspicuity is just one of the many reasons that many truck owners are now specing, or even retrofitting, LED stop/tail/turn (s/t/t) and marker lights on vehicles.
The brighter the better, first to warn vehicles following you of their distance from you and secondly for on-coming vehicles to show exactly where your vehicle is.
Actually, an LED is not a light bulb, it is a solid-state semiconductor which emits light when electric current is passed through it. LED technology uses far less power and greatly extends the lifespan over the conventional incandescent lamps it replaces. Increased resistance to vibration is also a benefit.
While more expensive than incandescent lamps, LEDs offer much longer service life, which can exceed 10 years. Because most LED lamp assemblies use several individual LEDs to generate light, a complete instantaneous failure is unlikely.
Incandescent bulbs exhibit a lag time before reaching full brightness, unlike LEDs, which come on instantaneously. Tests show that a standard bulbs lag time translates to more than 24 feet of stopping distance at 60 mph.
LEDs power conversion puts less of a load on the alternator and batteries. Incandescent lamps to meet DOT regulations will typically draw greater than 19 amps from the system.
By changing all the s/s/t and clearance markers to LED lamps, the current draw will typically drop to under 3 amps, roughly an 85 % decrease in current from incandescents.
Some other benefits of the reduced draw include increased fuel mileage; less load being placed on the alternator can reduce fuel consumption. In addition, most LED lamps will remain fully illuminated at less than 7 volts.
LEDs are growing in popularity. Some industry estimates are that LED lamps currently constitute about 15 % of s/t/t unit sales and almost 20 % of clearance/marker lights. Currently, an LED marker light costs about four times that of an incandescent; an s/t/t with LEDs costs only three to four times more. Many expect the cost of LEDs to continue to drop as they get more of the market.
One of the latest developments in LED lighting technology has been the addition of white LED lamps to the original red and amber offerings. This has allowed LEDs to move inside the truck or trailer for use in interior lighting fixtures.
One example is the low profile Truck-Lite Model 80 trailer interior lamp that debuted at the 2005 Mid-America Trucking Show. In addition to easier mounting and lower current draw, the Model 80 LED lamp also performs better in cold environments such as those found in refrigerated trailers.
EDs are retrofitable, but if price is a real problem, you don't have to retrofit an entire trailer or cargo box all at once, just as each incandescent light fails. Or retrofit all the lights on the upper rail, eliminating ladder climbing.
Of course, LED's might be more resistant to vibration, but they're not indestructible and physical damage is always a possibility.
“As much as 40% of lighting maintenance costs are the result of physical damage,†says Brad Van Riper, Truck-Lite Vice President of Research and Development. “Most of that damage stems from tree limbs hitting the front and sides of trailers and cargo boxes along with the heat that builds-up when lights are pressed against dock seals.â€
Truck-Lite says that it now offers its customers several new, flush-mountable fixtures that should significantly reduce foreign object damage.
"Trailer builders can now offer their customers more durable, damage resistant lighting,†said Bob Ives, Truck-Lite Vice President of Marketing. “The small size and ability to be mounted flush with minimal interior protrusion provides carriers with greater protection. That translates directly to lower operating costs. Fleets that previously avoided premium LEDs on trailers because of exposure to damage can now enjoy the benefits of LED lighting with greatly reduced replacement costs."
"Also, owner operators and truck show competitors, including those vying for the NAST national championship and the Truck-Lite Trophy, have greater flexibility in placing marker lamps more creatively all around their trucks.â€
Resources
Truck-Lite
Truck-Lite offers a free Lighting User's Guide, a 66-page, full-color manual containing tips and information about truck lighting and electrical systems. One section covers ""Why Lights Fail and How to Prevent It." The 4-1/2? x 8? spiral bound book also contains a mini CD-ROM of maintenance tips, product catalog and other useful information. Call the company at 800-562-5012 or e-mail at [email protected].
Visit www.truck-lite.com
Grote
As the makers of the world's first LED marker lights (1988), Groste Industries of Madison, IN has over 100 years of experience in the vehicle lighting technology field.
The company states that its ""Grote Catalog system makes it easy for you to get just the information you need. No fuss, No muss. Don't waste time looking through duplicate part numbers on every page. The concise design makes it easy to find parts quickly and easily."
Visit www.grote.com/marketing
Peterson
A manufacturer of vehicle lighting and safety products since 1945, Peterson Manufacturing Grandview, MO, offers a catalog that features over 250 new products including 75 new LED lights.