Aftermarket Switches

Trekking across the country in a semi-truck is a lot different than making the same journey in a car. While the switches that control everything from the radio to the air conditioner in a car are usually lost or mangled after only a few years of use, the series of switches in a semi-truck are rather important to not only driver convenience, but also driver safety. A larger safety hazard in the middle of the highway than a car, truckers attempt to avoid taking their eyes off the road, and a series of well-developed switches is the key to a trucker who can pay attention to more than one thing at a time.

Because switches are so important to the semi-truck driver’s career, it’s fortunate that one company makes so many of them. Cole Hersee is a switch emporium for anyone wishing to purchase aftermarket switches, featuring knobs, toggle switches, and light switch-like contraptions that can be applied to a variety of in-cab features.

For heaters and lights, Cole Hersee makes dimmers, the convenient type of switch that allows lights or heat to slowly fade on or off in certain conditions rather than requiring the trucker to take the time to fiddle with knobs and dials until they have the right settings. Available in rotary and push-pull switches, based on the driver’s preference, the company also offers electronic switches with “negligible-heat generation.” Headlight dimmers are one of the company’s even more important dimmer offerings, as they allow drivers to switch between high and low beams or decide on a variety of lighting combinations on their trucks, according to the web site.

One of the most necessary types of switch to power-up your vehicle, Cole Hersee caries a variety of ignitions that can be used with either a key or a lever. The switches can allow truckers to decide whether or not their engines are powered on with the turn of an ignition key, or if the ignition simply ignites the battery. Another type of starter featured on the company’s web site is the push-to-start Momentary starter that can stand up to some of the most severe weather. Although they are most useful for an easy ignition, these push to start switches can also be used to operate a variety of other in-cab operations. One of the most common uses is as a safety latch, used when opening and shutting cab doors. Pressure pushing on this button with a closing door can be used to trigger lighting or alarm systems. Other safety switches that can be operated either automatically or manually can control emergency lighting and alarms.

Although truckers mainly think of safety switches as those that control the emergency lights and alarms on their cabs, Cole Hersee also manufactures a different kind of safety switch, those that monitor the essential fluids in the engine. Although the depletion of these fluids may not necessarily lead to the type of emergency that a faulty cab alarm may cause, running low on essential fluids is extraordinarily dangerous to the truck driver. Because of this, Cole Hersee’s switches are meant to monitor oil pressure, oil pressure/choke vacuumed, fuel pump, and air pressure. Monitoring even more than the essential fluids, these switches can help you save some physical and financial pain by alerting you when a problem is found.

Small and seemingly insignificant, these switches are anything but. By using Cole Hersee to purchase aftermarket switches for customizing your cab, you increase your safety on the road.