“More than anything,” he adds, “fleets are most interested in state-of-the-art products that provide greater reliability and the least total cost of ownership over the life of the trailer or truck body.”
According to Page Large, national fleet sales manager for Grote Industries, of primary importance to fleet managers spec’ing lighting systems are the quality of products, warranty, availability and service, as well as a reasonable price.
Bradley Van Riper, senior vice president and chief technology officer (CTO) at Truck-Lite advises fleet mangers to carefully look at maintenance and warranty data to see if any improvements can be made when writing new lighting system specifications. “The next step would be to have maintenance managers review with technicians some of the older vehicles in their fleet to identify areas on those units that may require improvement,” he says.
“Armed with this data, it’s a good idea to call in a lighting systems provider for a site visit,” Van Riper continues. “Manufacturers’ sales and engineering teams can aid in the improvement of specifications. To optimize fleet benefits, suppliers should be present for a formal review during the first builds to ensure that the product is correctly installed on the vehicle.
Future development
Van Riper also takes a look at lighting technologies that are being developed for future vehicles. “There are a number of new LED technologies that are being developed to enhance safety, improve productivity and efficiency,” he states. “The most interesting aspect of LED technology is the rapid improvement in white light output from discrete LED devices. LED signaling and marking devices in red and amber are also a beneficiary of improvements in output of discrete devices as fewer diodes are being used than ever before and many products have had significant reductions in the number of diodes in their lamp assemblies.
“The U.S. Department of Energy is providing funding to accelerate the development of LED technology and the transportation industry is an indirect benefactor,” Van Riper adds. “This investment in technology is making products that have never before been feasible.”
For Tim Gilbert at Peterson Manufacturing, the future is about “new technologies focused on complete electrical systems for longer life and reduced maintenance. Don’t just look at wiring and lights separately,” he states. “A complete system, if married together correctly –– including hard-wired LED lights with weather-pack connectors and a sealed harness –– will create complete electrical systems that are now being developed for future vehicles.”
Tim Brooks, chief engineer, advanced technology and services product engineering at Grote says many new products in lighting target savings in driver and maintenance productivity. In particular, he points to new LED interior lighting that casts a whiter and brighter light, providing a better quality light to identify package labels, easier review of documentation and higher quality work areas.
“LED signal lighting is now a mature technology,” Brooks adds, “because as fleets have recognized its long-term value widespread adoption has occurred. Advance-ments will also continue in the harness and connections to lighting applications. The harness system is the backbone of any lighting system. Advancements over the last few decades have all but eliminated the harness as a reliability issue. A properly designed and installed harness completely seals the lighting system from moisture. Engineering advancements not only continue this trend in reliability, but have also brought about improvements in technician productivity.”
