Note: this article describes the regulations in force in Poland. Requirements in other countries may differ – check your local rules.
What is a marker lamp
A marker lamp indicates the width and height of a vehicle. It is mounted at the widest or highest point so that other road users can see the vehicle's actual outline – especially at night and in poor visibility. Used on trucks, trailers, semi-trailers and vans.
Colours – what the regulations say
- White or amber – front of the vehicle
- Red – rear of the vehicle
- Amber – sides of the vehicle
The most common arrangement is white-red (front-rear) or white-red-amber when side lamps are also fitted. Fitting a red lamp at the front or a white lamp at the rear does not comply with the regulations.
You will find detailed requirements for mandatory lighting and mounting dimensions in the posts Trailer lighting – regulations and Positioning of lights on a trailer – dimensions.
Marker lamps are not the only lights a trailer must have at the rear – how to choose combination lamps is covered in the article LED rear lamps for trailers – how to choose. End-outline marker lamps are also required on wide tractors, machines and agricultural trailers – more in Lighting and marking of agricultural vehicles, machines and trailers.
Stalk marker lamps
A type mounted on rubber or rigid stalks – found on trucks, semi-trailers and trailers when the load or body extends beyond the standard vehicle width. The stalk allows the lamp to be placed exactly at the edge of the actual width of the combination. The classic pattern is the twin-lens marker on a rubber base – a type that has had loyal fans for decades.
LED or bulb
- LED – longer life, faster response time, lower current draw. The standard for upgrades and new installations.
- Bulb – cheaper, easy to replace in the field. Chosen when repairing older equipment or when the wiring would require a resistor with LEDs.
Dutch-style truck tuning – where it came from
On Polish roads it is easy to recognise a truck done up "Dutch style": a row of lamps on the cab sun visor, symmetrically arranged marker lamps, stalk marker lamps, decorative trims. Where does this fashion come from?
The story begins in the 1970s on the routes to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar. Dutch and British drivers drove there in difficult road and weather conditions – and started fitting additional lamps. Round headlamps with yellow lenses under the bumpers, which research at the time considered more effective in fog. The tougher the route, the more lamps under the bumper.
In the 1980s came a style inspired by US trucks: five amber lamps on the roof (mandatory in America for a track width over 2 metres), round indicators under the mirrors and polished bumpers. At the end of the 1990s, the fashion for stalk marker lamps was popularised by the Danes, who turned to the already iconic products of the Swedish company Gylle – a manufacturer of rubber stalk marker lamps, used in Scandinavia since the 1950s.
The Dutch put it all together into one symmetrical whole. For decades their trucks drove all over Europe – and the fashion spread everywhere, reaching Poland together with used tractor units from the West.
Legality: no regulation provides for "Dutch tuning" as a category. Additional marker lamps in approved colours in the correct positions are permitted. Blue, green or multicoloured LEDs outside the designated positions – are not. Additional marker lamps on the cab roof in white and amber are a grey area which the ITD (Road Transport Inspection) often tolerates in practice – but tolerance does not mean compliance with the law.
Horpol and WESEM marker lamps at zemot.com.pl
We have divided the range by colour and type of mounting:
- White LED marker lamps
- Red LED marker lamps
- Amber LED marker lamps
- Stalk and multi-function LED marker lamps
- Bulb marker lamps
You will find the full range in the Marker lamps category at zemot.com.pl.