Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/201087
PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS BY JACK ROBERTS LED lamps aren't just brighter They're also safer, healthier for drivers O ne late evening last month, I was behind the wheel of a new 2014 Freightliner Cascadia daycab tractor on a dark, twisting two-lane Alabama highway to see if Truck Lite's new Custom LED headlamps indeed were the wave of the future for North American trucks. Truck Lite is owned by Penske, so it was no surprise that when I requested a demo truck to evaluate these new LED headlamps, my Cascadia was painted in that familiar shade of Penske yellow. It also was no surprise that the demo truck was a Freightliner: Daimler Trucks North America announced in July that Truck Lite Custom LED headlamps would be offered as standard equipment on all Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution models. Brad Van Riper, senior vice president and chief technical officer for Truck Lite, told me that LED headlamps offer several distinct advantages over conventional halogen designs: enhance blue and white colors in the light spectrum. headlamps cost more than conventional lights, the return on investment is greater. "We conducted extensive shock and vibration testing on this lamp design," he says. Truck Lite has rated the lights at more than 30,000 hours of life, with no failures to vibration during those tests. energy than halogen headlights. "That's more amperage available to recharge batteries or run auxiliary systems on the vehicle," Van Riper says. throughout their lifespan. Conventional headlamps eventually fade – usually so slowly over time that drivers never notice until replacement lamps are installed. But LED lights remain almost as bright at the end of their service lives as they were at the beginning. On the road, my first impression was the color of the 26 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2013 Truck Lite is owned by Penske, so my Freightliner Cascadia demo truck used to evaluate Truck Lite's new LED headlamps was painted in that familiar shade of Penske yellow. light emitted by the LED lamps. It's a natural white light, lacking the yellowish hues you see with conventional lamps. I found it easy on the eyes. Another readily noticeable trait was the wide coverage area. Many headlights tend to focus narrow beams of light that reveal little peripheral detail; the light is focused tightly on the road and objects immediately in front of the vehicle. However, the TECHNOLOGY'S ARRIVAL: Custom LED lamps Freightliner has standardized give greatly enhanced Truck Lite's Custom LED lamps on side views; I could see Cascadia model trucks. deer standing roadside as opposed to LONGER LIFE: Although LEDs generally are more expensive, seeing only bobbing their return on investment is much yellow eyes floating in greater. the dark. Also striking is REDUCED STRESS: LEDs can lead the greater range the to more alert drivers while on duty and less fatigued drivers after a shift. Custom LEDs offer