When you think about truck and aftermarket parts, lighting systems are often forgotten. Most heavy vehicle operators will need to drive at night or in low-light conditions, making the light essential to the truck’s operation. Here are the main types of lights that you’ll need to ensure are in good working order at all times.
Headlights
The most common and perhaps most important lights on a truck are the headlights. One of the most popular brands of headlights is Hella because they’re known for their high performance. Hella is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for many European truck brands such as Daf, Iveco, Man, Mercedes, Scania and Volvo. For long-haul drivers and those who spend a lot of time driving at night, headlights are extremely important.
One of the reasons Hella is so popular is because they provide high-performance headlight solutions that are long-lasting and durable. Longer-lasting headlights mean fewer replacement costs and less downtime for operators – headlights are one part of the truck that you can’t legally drive without.
Marker lights
The primary function of marker lights is to inform other road users of the size and shape of a vehicle. When driving in dark conditions, marker lights help identify a truck from a standard light vehicle – even at a distance. Marker lights are used at various points on either side of a truck, particularly the hood, and along both sides of any towed trailers.
Generally speaking, marker lights are orange/amber on the front and red on the back.
Stop/Tail/Direction lights
Somewhat more generic in design and function than headlights, the stop, tail and direction lights are still an important part of a truck’s overall lighting system. Just like any vehicle, drivers are required to have working stop (brake) lights, indicators and tail lights.
Stop lights engage when the brakes are applied, signalling to other drivers that the truck is slowing down. Tail lights remain on while the headlights are in operation, and serve much the same purposes as a marker light by identifying the rear of the vehicle. Indicators, of course, signal to other drivers if a truck is making a turn.
The most popular technology for truck and trailer lights is LED, and one of the leading brands in this area is Narva. Depending on the vehicle, you may find some or all of the tail, stop and rear direction lights grouped together in one unit. Sizes and shapes vary between vehicle manufacturers. Narva offers a huge range of rear light solutions in different compositions to suit all trucks. Often, a reversing light is also part of this set.
Fog lights
For drivers who operate at night or in foggy conditions, fog lights are an important component of their vehicle. Fog lights are usually situated on the bumper, below the headlights. They emit a wide beam of light that is almost like a bar, but it has a sharp cutoff at the top. This prevents the light from reflecting off the fog and gives drivers greater visibility when standard headlights may not cut through the fog effectively.
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