One flashlight may not be as good as another when you're a professional driver.
In order to find the one that best meets your
needs, first consider your needs, such as where you think
you'll use it most often and how.
Many years ago, we had a situation that happened to us in the course of our work as professional drivers that made us realize just how important this issue is...
We graduated from truck driver training school in late 1992, went through separate training periods with driver trainers and were then sent out as a team in February 1993.
Being from the southeastern part of the USA, we were not used to dealing with, let alone driving in, a lot of snow.
So, the weather itself came as a real eye-opener that first winter driving season.
We had a load that needed to be hauled across I-80 west to east.
However, the snow was so bad that we'd heard that the authorities either had or were going to close down the interstate in Wyoming.
In our naïveté, we thought that since I-70 was a lower numbered interstate(!) the possibility of snow would be less and the mountain ranges not as high as on I-80.
So, we drove south only to be greeted with the need to chain up (put chains on our truck's tires). (This would be the first and only time we ever chained up.)
Anyway, while we were parked on the shoulder on the west side of the mountain range facing east, the snow was coming down and the daylight was quickly fading.
Even as trucking newbies, we had had the foresight to pack a flashlight with us.
Unfortunately, we had not had the foresight to pack extra batteries.
So, the longer our "torch" burned, the dimmer and dimmer our light became.
We believe that the Lord sent an angel along in the form of another trucker who saw our predicament and offered to shine his flashlight under our truck the whole rest of the time while Mike finished putting on the chains. (Whoever you are, thank you for your kindness!)
That situation was a wake-up call for us.
We realized that you can never predict when situations will call for needing additional light -- if not for your own situation, then perhaps to help out someone else.
But not all flashlights are equal.
Here are some questions to help you determine which one is right for you:
This photo here shows
various
types of batteries.
Pen lights usually take "AA" batteries.
Many smaller flashlights use "C" and "D" dry cell batteries.
A "D" dry cell battery is shown at the very bottom.
Then there are also big, heavy lantern batteries, like the one shown here (not to scale).
Heavy duty lantern batteries are quite heavy compared to the other batteries shown here.
You will need to determine if the extra weight is worth it.
The flashlight shown here has a crank
handle by which the user can turn or wind the handle
to recharge it.
Many lights these days are re-chargeable, simply by plugging their custom adapter them into an A/C electrical outlet.
The most convenient method for recharging Mike's flashlight was by inverter connected to his truck's batteries.
If you don't have an appropriate inverter, perhaps you can take it in and charge it in the shower room while you are taking a shower at a truck stop.
There may also be some lights that are recharged by solar power, but we've never seen them for sale.
This flashlight has both a
crank handle and a radio built in.
Note the antenna.
If you are in an emergency situation, having a radio could come in handy.
However, bear in mind that this is not a two-way radio like a CB.
This is the type of single bulb
that you used to find in just about all flashlights.
If your bulb burned out, you were out of light.
Sometimes, you could find replacements in department stores, but not always.
Many torches are now being designed where the single bulb is being replaced by multiple LED bulbs.
This photo shows 9 LED bulbs
lit up on a flashlight.
Even if one burns out, you still have 8 as a back up.
This style of flashlight is
still very much in use.
It is easy to carry as you're walking.
You can hold it comfortably in a horizontal position.
But it lacks other features that may be important to you.
Plus, the longer such a flashlight is, the more batteries it will take and the heavier it will be to carry.
This light is shaped like a
lantern with a handle and flat bottom.
The neat thing about this particular light source is that it can be placed in a variety of positions.
The handle can be positioned
These are flashlights (sold
as
"spotlights") for sale at a truck
stop.
Mike once had one of these rechargeable units.
He thinks the reason why it stopped working was because it was dropped one time too many.
Of course, he had had it for 5 years and believes that it served him well.
We used to say that our favorite flashlight was the kind with a crank handle.
Even though it was a pain to crank it sufficiently to make it work (or provide a brighter light), we knew that it always produce light.
This kind of flashlight has its limitations and it isn't meant to continually be used for "work."
Since this article was first written, our favorite flashlight has to be one that can safely use rechargeable batteries, such as those sold by Amazon.com, with whom we have an affiliate relationship.
Money saving tip:
While it may
be difficult to know in advance the size or brightness of a light that
you'll need, don't overbuy.
For example, why buy a 6.5 million candle spotlight when a 1 million or 2 million candle spotlight will work?
There's no benefit in spending more if you don't need it.
As a general rule, truck stop chains sell similar products within a chain.
You can expect that what you will find at one truck stop, you will find at another.
Many truck stops sell products at a premium price.
Determine what features you like and see if you can find a similar unit at a retail store for less.
Of course, if you find a good buy at a truck stop (such as one that is on a super-duper sale), feel free to snap it up.
However, investigate the reason why a unit has a reduced price.
For example, was it re-manufactured or has the box been badly mangled (which is evidence that the unit has been handled a lot)?
In addition to looking at the warranty, look for any restrictions on returns at the store where you purchase your unit.
Return from Truckers' Flashlight Buying Guide - Light How You Need It to our Tools and Equipment page or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.