About Truck-Lite

The History Of Truck-Lite

Truck-Lite began with an ingenious idea that sparked a revolution in truck and trailer safety lighting. Tackling the problem of the short life of trailer lights, founder George Baldwin designed the first sealed marker light, using his kitchen sink for quality control. That first light was a commercial success, and Truck-Lite released the industry’s first sealed stop/turn/tail light soon after. Since then, Truck-Lite has grown into an international company with over 3,000 employees.


Truck-Lite has a history of firsts, including the first sealed lighting products, the first LED S/T/T lamps for commercial vehicles and the first LED forward lighting for both military and commercial vehicles. All these firsts represent major industry breakthroughs, but being first isn’t enough. Truck-Lite goal, from design to installation, is to deliver the best. Truck-Lite products have been copied time and time again, but Truck-Lite superior quality has never been met by others.


Truck-Lite began the initial research into LED forward lighting for the military in 2000. After eight years of development, rigorous testing and military certification, Truck-Lite began deploying LED headlights to the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters during Operation Desert Storm. Truck-Lite brought headlight technology to the civilian market in 2009, with the world’s first DOT compliant 7” round LED headlight. In 2012, Truck-Lite commercialized its LED forward lighting product for the heavy-duty truck market, offering the industry’s first customized LED forward lighting for Class 8 trucks.

Engineering

Truck-Lite’s market leadership is born from its deep commitment to research and development. Truck-Lite revolutionized lighting and LED technology for commercial vehicles, introducing many industry firsts and innovations. Truck-Lite commitment to innovation includes over 135 engineers and a portfolio of over 250 patents worldwide. As lighting becomes more integrated into the full vehicle electronic system, Truck-Lite’s ability to program software, design and print circuit boards and manufacture in-house is a unique advantage.

Innovations
  • 1955 - Truck-Lite is established by development of sealed lighting
  • 1962 - Introduced first independent grounded wiring system
  • 1968 - First company in the transportation industry to use polycarbonate material for light housing and lenses
  • 1979 - Introduced the first sealed wiring harness system
  • 1982 - Introduced the Super 40, the industry's first sealed and shock-mounted stop/turn/tail lamp
  • 1983 - Introduced the first full-system lighting and harness written warranty
  • 1993 - Introduced world’s first LED S/T/T lamp
  • 1995 – Offered First Lifetime Harness Warranty
  • 1997 - Introduced the first white LED license, dome, and back-up lights
  • 1998 - Introduced LED lighting to military market
  • 2007 – Introduced first LED Headlamp System
  • 2009 - Introduced world’s first DOT-compliant 7” round LED headlight
  • 2011 - Introduced the first LED mini marker clearance light
  • 2012 - Introduced world’s first custom designed LED headlight
Research and Development

When it comes to research and development, Truck-Lite is second to none. Truck-Lite combination of in-house engineers and industry-leading technology allows us to bring new products to market faster than our competitors. New products that are designed to work hard and keep drivers safer on the road.

Testing and Validation

Inside Truck-Lite fully equipped environmental testing laboratories located in North America and Europe, Truck-Lite put products through rigorous testing. Truck-Lite products are subject to extreme temperatures, harsh chemicals, real-world elements and much more to ensure top-of-the-line quality and performance.

Certificates

The commitment to being green begins way before the final product. Truck-Lite is ISO 14001 certified— a certification that exists to help organizations minimize adverse changes to air, water, or land.


Truck-Lite stands for quality. The focus of our TS16949-Main ISO/TS Certification is to avoid production process and supply chain problems and optimize customer satisfaction.


UL is a global independent safety science company with more than a century of expertise innovating safety solutions, from the public adoption of electricity to new breakthroughs in sustainability, renewable energy and nanotechnology. Truck-Lite’s UL listed products mean that UL has tested representative samples of the product and determined that it meets the organization's requirements. These requirements are based primarily on UL’s published and nationally recognized Standards for Safety.

Moving Forward, Responsibly

Over sixty years of innovation has established Truck-Lite as a globally recognized brand, trusted by users from the largest fleets to smaller owner-operators. As Truck-Lite reputation has grown, so has Truck-Lite global reach.

Timeline
  • 1955 - Truck-Lite is established
  • 2000 - Acquired Raydyot (Birmingham, UK), entering the mirror market
  • 2002 - Truck-Lite acquired the assets of Signal-Stat Lighting Products, gaining manufacturing processes for sealed and bulb-replaceable lighting, turn signals, emergency lighting and vehicle accessories
  • 2004 - Acquired FER (Eisenach, Germany), establishing European lighting manufacturing
  • 2006 - Acquired Rubbolite (Harlow, UK), increasing European OEM and aftermarket lighting
  • 2009 - Acquired Davco (Saline, MI), entering fuel processor business
  • 2015 - Acquired Rigid Industries (Phoenix, AZ), expanding LED lighting presence