OSRAM gives its top tips for lighting as the winter months edge closer.
By choosing OE-quality bulbs over low cost and poor quality alternatives, workshops can rest assured that customer satisfaction will increase, as they will not have to keep returning to the workshop for failed bulbs to be replaced.
OSRAM believes that workshops should apply and consider three key facts of lighting when servicing commercial vehicles and fleets, including changing in pairs, putting the driver’s vision first, and having easy and quick access to replacement products.
Change in pairs
Even if a commercial vehicle enters a workshop and only one bulb is blown, technicians should always look to change bulbs together. Not only is it a safer and more practicable option, but it presents a profitable opportunity to upsell.
Most importantly, both headlights are subject to the same stresses, so they will both be deteriorating together. Replacing just one failed bulb can result in an unbalanced or unpredictable headlight beam that can cause serious hazards for the driver and other road users.
A commercial vehicle is designed so that it works best when both headlights are functioning equally. Only then will the driver get the full advantage of the combined headlight beam on the road ahead, which is essential when driving at night – a requirement for many fleet drivers.
Upgrade your customer’s vision
When it comes to lighting, only the best quality products should be fitted on commercial vehicles, and workshops should look out for products that are OE quality and offer the same reliability and performance as those provided and fitted on the production line.
For example, OSRAM has a wide range of OE products, as well as a vast array of Value- Added Products (VAPs) that are perfectly suited to varying customer demands.
Truck and commercial vehicle lighting must withstand the toughest conditions, be highly reliable, and provide perfect lighting for every trip. For vehicles required to drive more at night in poorly lit rural areas, a brighter light such as Night Breaker Laser (12V) or Truckstar Pro (24V) would be recommended.
The range
OSRAM’s award-winning Night Breaker Laser range features innovative laser ablation technology and the highly engineered filament enables the bulbs to shine up to 150% brighter. They also provide up to a 150-metre long beam and 20% whiter light compared to the minimum legal standard, and the product offers a wide hot spot beam and sharp cut off. OSRAM has constantly developed the range over the last 10 years to maximise safety and visibility to ensure drivers can spot hazards quickly.
Truckstar Pro is a unique heavy duty, long-life range of bulbs that OSRAM has developed to meet the high demands of truck fleets. These 24-volt, high performance bulbs deliver increased illumination intensity whilst also offering longer lifetimes and better vibration resistance.
Truckstar Pro halogen headlamp bulbs produce up to 100% more brightness on the road ahead thanks to its unique single-coil technology. They help drivers to see obstacles and signs early, and thanks to the heavy-duty, long-life construction they also significantly reduce bulb replacement cycles.
This in turn reduces downtime and, therefore, helps reduce vehicle-fleet costs. The Truckstar Pro range is able to offer superior performance compared to conventional 24-volt bulbs.
Many fleet drivers are also required to drive with their lights on for long periods of time, and as a bulb change can be complex or not an efficient way to maximize time, a longer-life bulb could be beneficial. OSRAM Ultra Life bulbs offer complete durability as they have a lifespan up to four times longer compared to standard halogen bulbs and last up to 100,000 km (with an average annual mileage of 14,259 km and 60% light on).
Thinking ahead
Bulbs naturally degrade over time and, as a result, light output deteriorates. At the end of their service life, headlight bulbs can project less light, and this reduces a driver’s night- time visibility, which can be dangerous.
OSRAM recommends checking and changing bulbs before they have the chance to burn out and some OE quality brands will offer useful tools to help technicians find the appropriate bulb quickly and easily.
Customer satisfaction and an enhanced business reputation go hand-in-hand with fitting a high-quality OE product that workshops and their customers can trust. It is, therefore, important to take all these factors into consideration when opting for the right bulb for any specific vehicle.
