There are many different features found on service trucks, but the ones that arguably get the most attention are usually performance-related. Safety- and productivity-related features, however, are also important, which is why lighting capabilities should not be overlooked when it comes to outfitting service trucks. Why? Well, a service truck can have all the latest tools, but the ability to use these assets is greatly diminished if personnel cannot create a safe, well-lit work environment in which to operate.
Thankfully, many lighting options are available in the marketplace today. Incandescent and Halogen lights have long been used on service vehicles, but high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon lamps are another available option. Light-emitting diode (LED) lights, however, are what many in the service truck industry are now turning to because of the attributes and efficiency LED technology offers.
LEDs taking the lead
Photo by Keith Norbury
Hamsar Diversco's Alexandra Fricker
Alexandra Fricker, director of marketing and national accounts for Hamsar Diversco Inc. demonstrates WXWL series LED work lights at the 2015 Demo Expo in Louisville, Ky.
“The majority of our business is in LED lights,” explains Alexandra Fricker, director of marketing and national accounts at Hamsar (www.hamsar.com), a Burlington, Ont., manufacturer of heavy-duty work lights built for extreme working conditions. “HID lights are very expensive and we still have some business in halogen lights, as it’s a price-point issue, but our LED business has really taken-off in the last 5 to 10 years.”
Even though they primarily operate as an OEM manufacturer, Fricker says they also have the ability to do custom work for fleet managers seeking special lighting options. Continued growth and development in LED lighting, though, is where the marketplace is headed she says.
“LED lighting is definitely more efficient than halogen lamps, so you’re going to use less fuel; and you’re also not going to be faced with having to deal with a lot of replacements,” offers Fricker.
Durability is also a key, which is why Hamsar work lights feature IP68 and IP69K ratings for dust protection and waterproofing, as well as die-cast aluminum housings and polycarbonate lenses. Fricker says making LED lights smaller, brighter, and more efficient is also important. An example of this is the new dual-intensity LED light, which offers two light outputs (1,500 and 3,000 lumens) in one compact light with a self-regulating electronic thermal management system to prevent damage from overheating. The company is also introducing a new combination LED break light/back-up camera to meet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 ruling, which requires all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds to have rear-visibility technology by May 2018. So the use of LED lights is not just limited to the lighting of work areas.
Photo courtesy of Hamsar Diversco Inc.
Hamsar lights - Ford Pickup
Hamsar work lights shine from the front bumper of a pickup truck.
Terry Cook from Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. (www.imt.com) in Garner, Iowa, confirms LED lights are also being used throughout the service trucks they design and manufacture.
“We are increasingly seeing LED lighting requested,” says Cook, a senior customer support manager. “This includes all the basic vehicle operation lighting, such as taillights, as well as compartment lights, strobes, and work lights.”
Lighting needed from many angles
At a minimum, Cook believes service trucks should be equipped with adjustable work lights mounted to the compartments at the rear of the bed to ensure work areas are adequately lit. In addition, he says a high-mounted beacon light and corner-mounted strobes should also be utilized to increase the visibility of the service truck at all angles on a work site.
“It’s important that service technicians familiarize themselves with the specific safety requirements and regulations of each work site to ensure their own safety, as well as the safety of others on-site,” explains Cook, who says with all the focus on lighting work areas, it is common to forget about having adequate tool compartment lighting, which allows personnel to find tools and parts in low-light conditions.
Culbertson, Neb.-based Golight Inc. (www.golight.com), a manufacturer of lighting solutions, has also seen the marketplace transition from low-efficiency incandescent and halogen lighting to high-efficiency LED technology.
“End-users are expecting increased durability, longevity, quality, and efficiency in their lighting,” says Jason Repass, a sales manager for Golight. “And as companies incorporate greater numbers of hybrid vehicles into their service fleets, power consumption becomes a critical issue and low-power-consumption LED lighting becomes more attractive.”
Given this, Repass says Golight continues to work on improving the durability and performance of the fixed-position LED work lights that remain popular. Golight, however, also offers a pan and tilt remote-controlled work lamp (called the “RadioRay”), which the company introduced more than 20 years ago.
“Users can direct a brilliant LED light anywhere they need it by simply manipulating the lamp’s remote control feature. Even workers suspended in a bucket above their vehicle can adjust the RadioRay’s beam direction,” explains Repass, who says the market for remote-controlled work lights is growing rapidly.
LEDs not high maintenance
Repass also points to the overall efficiency of LED lighting as a major selling point when it comes to utilizing the technology on service trucks, especially when you consider LED lights need a minimal amount of maintenance.
Photo courtesy of Golight Inc.
Golight LED Lighting
Golight Inc. work lamps illuminate a utility pole.
“With a service life of between 30,000 and 50,000 hours for a LED work lamp, compared to just 150 to 540 hours for a halogen lamp, there is no comparison,” offers Repass, who says it’s a myth to think LED lighting is too expensive. “The reliability, performance, and lighting characteristics of LED lamps is now more commonly understood by most work truck fleets, so LED lighting is a safety feature that adds value far beyond the simple function of providing illumination for work trucks.”
In the end, LED lighting is not only going to get better, but it will also continue to make the environments in, on, and around service vehicles safer and more efficient says Brett Johnson, president and CEO of Optronics International (www.optronicsinc.com), a leading manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty LED vehicle lighting in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“LED lighting has clear advantages in light quality, longevity, durability, power consumption, beam reach, and pattern and control,” explains Johnson, who indicates the marketplace today is “enjoying greater LED lighting flexibility at a much lower cost.”
Johnson also cites the advent of LED strip lighting, which can be mounted just about anywhere to illuminate truck compartments, as an important step for the promotion of safety and efficiency. Overall, though, he says smaller lamp packages are netting bigger light outputs, and he anticipates even more advances in the future.
“LED lamps can now be installed virtually anywhere they are needed and this enhances every work truck’s productivity when operating in low-light conditions,” Johnson says.
Mark Yontz is a freelance writer from Urbandale, Iowa.