When it comes to heavy-truck trailer lighting, there is more than one type of light that needs to be adorned to your trailer. Some examples of essential trailer lighting include: turn signal lights and side marker lights.
In order for your vehicle to pass governmental safety inspections, all of the lights on your trailer have to be in optimal, working condition. Ensuring that your trailer’s lights are fully functional increases the safety of both the driver and the vehicle, as they ensure that other drivers know how your vehicle is going to stop, shows the length of your trailer, and the direction in which you intend to move.
Additionally, having your trailer lights functioning is also an essential component in preventing collisions and damage to your trailer.
The trailer’s light wiring system includes the plug that is attached to the lighting circuits of the towing vehicle, a connection that matches the trailer, a wire harness that spans the length of the trailer’s frames, as well as the wiring components of the trailers many lights (signal lights and side lights lining the trailer’s exterior sides). In order for your trailer lights to be functioning properly, all of these components need to work in tandem.
Multi-functioning lights can incorporate reflectors and lighting features into one small fixture to perform up to seven different tasks. This greatly simplifies the process of wiring and mounting the lights.
If your trailer lights are not functional, make sure to check that the white ground wire on the trailer plug is making a stable connection to the trailer’s frame. Next, once you have established that power is coming from the tow vehicle, make sure the tow vehicle’s lights are on for the trailer clearance lights to glow.
After checking power from the tow vehicle and solid ground, if all of the trailer’s lights are still not functioning, either the trailer’s wiring harness has been compromised and needs to be replaced or, on very big trailers, the plug may have been detached from the main wiring.
If your trailer lights are not working properly, then you can consider these troubleshooting steps or measures to fix the errors
To begin, turn on your headlights and attach the trailer and check that they are illuminated. If they are not illuminating try the following:
Firstly, check your trailer’s tail light bulbs; check that the trailer cord is inserted tightly into the socked; check the connectors in the plug and socket to make sure they are not damaged by corrosion, debris or oxidization and remove them if they are present.
If none of the above tips resolve your issue(s) or you do not feel comfortable completing the examination yourself contact Tubby’s Truck and Trailer!
Once your heavy duty truck’s trailer begins to experience issues with its lighting, or other repairs such as mechanical or technical issues, contact Tubby’s Truck and Trailer for assistance. At Tubby’s truck and trailer we also have technicians who are experts in other services including fleet servicing, roadside tire repair, emissions testing, and more.
At Tubby’s Truck and Trailer we strive to provide exemplary services to our customers both quickly and efficiently 24 hours, 365 days a year.
Contact the expert staff at Tubby’s Truck and Trailer today for more information or to book a consultation.