PART of the SingLEDiode family, the new LED Mini-Marker Light from Truck-Lite reportedly is the world's smallest LED lamp to meet clearance, side marker, and identification applications. This new lamp offers more efficient creative flexibility and lower amp draw to owner-operators who decorate their tractors and trailers with added lights.
Furthermore, the new LED offers trailer engineers and manufacturers new flexibility in trailer and rear door structure and also allows truck operators to continue to enjoy the benefits of significantly reduced damage to their lighting system while having a more efficient trailer door design.
“We estimate that 40% of fleet clearance marker lighting costs are a result of physical damage,” said Brad Van Riper, Truck-Lite vice-president of research and development. “A majority of damage results from tree limbs hitting the front and passenger side of the vehicle.
“Another major factor is heat entrapment or physical damage resulting from extruded dock seals on the back at freight terminals when loading and unloading. With only one powerful LED in the new Mini-Marker lamp, you can significantly reduce these costs.”
Last year, NHTSA ruled that regardless of door sill dimensions, rear identification lamps on new trailers must be mounted near the extreme top of the vehicle. Truck-Lite's Mini-Marker allows trailer manufacturers to meet this requirement, even with the narrowest of top door frames. With higher doors, carriers can load more volume more easily, with less fear of forklift damage.
The Mini-Marker LED is the smallest marker lamp available in the world today, measuring less than 3/4 inches diameter and depth, according to Van Riper. Two mounts are available. A grommet mount facilitates installation of this uniquely designed lamp. A more permanent, theft resistant flange mount design is also available. Unlike earlier LED clearance and marker lamps that were direct substitutes for incandescent lamps, the new Mini-Marker LEDs have no equivalent, thus reducing motivation for theft.
The lamp exceeds all photometric requirements for rear clearance/marker lamps in FMVSS108, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard governing safety lighting. Truck-Lite will offer a version where three Mini-Markers are hard-wired to a harness specifically for use as an identification lamp assembly. The sealed harness has welded wiring where the three leads are joined, leading to a sealed two-pin connector. Individual Mini-Marker LEDs are available as hard-wired, sealed, two-pin connectors for use as clearance, side marker, or identification lamps. The internal lamp components are completely sealed in epoxy to prevent corrosion and are backed by Truck-Lite's exclusive limited lifetime warranty.
