Having deceleration lights on the back of your truck is essential for ensuring your safety and complying with the applicable traffic regulations. However, many cargo trailers will not have these lights equipped, and this will need to be an upgrade that you make to the vehicle.

Avoid Wiring The Lights Yourself

It is a common mistake for truck drivers to attempt to wire their vehicle deceleration warning lamps themselves. While this may seem like it will be an easy upgrade to make, working with the electrical system of your vehicle can be a fairly dangerous task. When individuals make mistakes doing this work, they could seriously injure themselves or cause sizable damages to their vehicle. In addition to wiring issues, it can be easy to select lights that require more power than your vehicle can safely provide. For these reasons, you should always leave the installation of deceleration lights to a professional. In many instances, these professionals can provide guidance when choosing deceleration lights for your vehicle, and they may be able to wire these systems so that you can easily attach or remove the lights in the future.

Test The Deceleration Lights Prior To Driving The Truck

Each time you are needing to haul a large cargo trailer, you should perform a test of your deceleration lights. The bulbs in these lights are designed to last for years, but various issues can lead to them failing prematurely. If these lights are not functional, you will not enjoy the safety benefits of these lights and you may also be ticketed. While you may assume it will not be possible to test the deceleration lights without the vehicle being in motion, these lights will often have a test mode that will turn them on so that you can ensure the bulbs are working properly.

Inspect The Power Connection For Corrosion Or Other Potential Issues

Often, the power connection for these lights will be near the hitch of your truck. Unfortunately, many people will go for months or longer without closely inspecting the power connection. However, vibrations from the road can cause this connection to start to loosen, exposure to moisture can lead to corrosion and animals may chew on these wires. Ideally, you will want to thoroughly inspect this connection prior to using the trailer, but at a minimum, you should perform this inspection every month. By catching these minor damages and problems with the power connection, you can avoid situations where your deceleration lights have lost power.