The HANKUN HK-TMVMS-1821-24-A is a compact, truck-mounted variable message sign (VMS) with a 72 × 42 amber pixel matrix, near-field text and graphics, and a character height of 149.33 mm (5.88 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix; character size is set by the message format selected — on a 1530 × 880 mm active display area, powered from the vehicle it is mounted on.
Compact Amber Truck-Mounted VMS
Model HK-TMVMS-1821-24-A | Compact · Amber · Truck-Mounted
| Active Display Area | Max Character Height | Pixel Structure | Display Colour | Cabinet Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1530 × 880 mm / 60.24 × 34.65 in | 149.33 mm (5.88 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix | 72 × 42 full-matrix, every pixel individually addressable; per-pixel LED count confirmed per configuration | Amber; a five-colour configuration of the same platform is available — up to 17 LEDs per pixel | 1730 × 1080 mm (100 mm border basis; depth 200–250 mm) |
The HK-TMVMS-1821-24-A is a compact truck-mounted variable message sign (VMS) with a 72 × 42 amber full-matrix display, near-field text and graphic symbols, and a 149.33 mm (5.88 in) character height on a 1530 × 880 mm active display area — mounted on a vehicle already in the fleet and powered from it, so the job carries no trailer, no towing vehicle and no site power arrangement.
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The HK-TMVMS-1821-24-A is part of the HANKUN variable message sign range, built for road authorities, contractors and rental fleets that need a legible, power-autonomous message sign at the roadside. It is a compact truck-mounted variable message sign (VMS) with a full-matrix display, and its published figures are taken from the released engineering drawings.
In North America this class of equipment is called a changeable message sign; in Australia and New Zealand the vehicle-mounted version is called a truck-mounted VMS board.
CMS
In North America this class of equipment is called a changeable message sign, or CMS — which is how this model is specified.
Truck VMS
In Australia and New Zealand the vehicle-mounted version of this equipment is commonly specified as a truck-mounted VMS board, per AS 4852.2 practice.
Mobile VMS
UK and European road authorities and contractors refer to the vehicle-mounted version as a mobile VMS or a vehicle-mounted VMS in tenders and specifications.
— Core Characteristics
01
Every model in this range is a full-matrix display — each pixel is individually addressed — so message text, left and right arrows and work-zone warning symbols can all be combined on the same panel. Models differ in pixel matrix, display colour and active display area, not in whether symbols can be shown. Symbol capability is stated as a display capability and is not tied to any compliance claim.
02
149.33 mm (5.88 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix; character size is set by the message format selected. Character height depends on the character matrix selected, so the two are always published together.
03
72 × 42 pixels, full-matrix pixel structure (every pixel individually addressable); per-pixel LED count confirmed per configuration.
04
1530 × 880 mm (60.24 × 34.65 in) — the illuminated area, stated separately from the cabinet.
05
near-field text and graphics (variable format) — the layout is set by the message, not by a fixed character grid.
06
Amber for one message layer with nothing competing against it; a five-colour configuration of the same platform is available and linked from this page.
07
Cabinet 1730 × 1080 mm on a 100 mm border basis, depth 200–250 mm. Truck-mounted, powered from the vehicle.
08
Automatic dimming — display brightness and grey level are adjusted to ambient light conditions; a manual brightness setting is also available. The display therefore draws less power in low light, which reduces the load on the supply that powers the sign from the vehicle.
09
Display assembly and mounting kit supplied for vehicle installation; the chassis is the customer vehicle. Cabinet powder-coated and oven-baked.
10
4G; GPS position reporting. Message management from phone, tablet or PC. Open API and SDK protocol provided, for integration into an existing fleet management platform.
11
This page states what is confirmed and what is not. Confirmed for this model: the 72 × 42 display matrix, the 1530 × 880 mm active display area, the character height of 149.33 mm (5.88 in) and the pixel structure, together with the vehicle-power arrangement. The remaining items are listed as to be confirmed rather than estimated, so nothing on this page is a placeholder value.
12
Every published dimension — including the 72 × 42 matrix and the 1530 × 880 mm (60.24 × 34.65 in) active display area — is taken from the released engineering drawings and is internally re-checkable, so the figures can be quoted in a project specification.
Warning traffic approaching an active work area. 1530 × 880 mm of display area and a 149.33 mm (5.88 in) character height are the two figures that decide how the panel is placed.
Signs carried on vehicles already in service. Vehicle mounting with power taken from the vehicle means no towing vehicle and no second unit to position — the 1730 × 1080 mm cabinet is simply bolted to a bed that is already on the road.
Works measured in hours. A 1730 × 1080 mm cabinet suits a vehicle-mounted panel without a large footprint, and the 72 × 42 matrix holds the closure instruction and its arrow on one screen.
Vehicle-mounted deployment in minutes. This model carries near-field text and graphics on a 72 × 42 matrix with 1530 × 880 mm (60.24 × 34.65 in) of active display area at 149.33 mm (5.88 in), and the single amber output — one instruction with nothing competing against it — suits a short warning at the scene.
Staged traffic control over a day or several days. near-field text and graphics suits short instructions that change as the event moves, and the display is raised on the vehicle between positions rather than towed between them.
Fixed or semi-fixed work inside a site. The 72 × 42 matrix and one message colour — which suits sites that change a single instruction rather than a sequence — cover routine internal notices.
§ MUTCD Part 6 (Chapter 6F)
§ MUTCD Table 2E-4
US practice sets letter height from the posted approach speed. MUTCD Part 6 (Chapter 6F) gives 18 in (457 mm) as the minimum letter height for a portable changeable message sign and permits shorter letters on low-speed facilities; Table 2E-4 adds that 450 mm (18 in) should be used where speeds are greater than 90 km/h (55 mph), in persistently poor weather, or where the driving task is complex. Messages are limited to two phases, and animation, flashing and scrolling are not used.
§ AS 1742.3:2019
§ State roadworks guidance
AS 1742.3:2019 and the state roadworks guidance size characters to the approach speed, at roughly 120 mm for 60 km/h approaches and 160–200 mm for 80 km/h approaches, with the larger alphabet series applied to high-speed and multi-lane works. The sign face is confirmed with the road authority for each project.
§ NZTA CoP for Temporary Traffic Management
§ Published NZ figures for LED message signs
The NZTA Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management sets a temporary speed limit at least 20 km/h below the normal limit, gated across the carriageway, with repeat signs at 400 m intervals. The published NZ figures for LED message signs set characters at not smaller than 300 mm inside a 50 km/h area and not smaller than 400 mm elsewhere.
§ Traffic Signs Manual Ch. 8, Table A1.2
§ TSRGD 2016
The UK sizes characters by x-height rather than cap height. Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8 (Table A1.2) runs from 62.5 mm at 30 mph to 200 mm on dual carriageways at the national speed limit, and TSRGD 2016 sets the legal x-height limits at 35 mm to 400 mm, so a cap-height figure has to be converted before it can be placed in that table.
§ EN 12966:2014+A1:2018
EN 12966:2014+A1:2018 classifies a variable message sign on luminance, beam width, colour and luminance ratio, with a temperature class. The class required follows the road type, the viewing geometry and the climate at the site, and it is stated per configuration rather than as a single figure.
A movable 72 × 42 panel at 149.33 mm (5.88 in) for gate direction, bay allocation and lane status inside a site where no public-road consent is involved.
The site moves every few hours, so a vehicle-mounted 72 × 42 panel removes the tow and set-up step that a trailer adds — and the display travels folded on the bed between positions.
With no mains and unreliable coverage the board has to keep working unattended, so the 1530 × 880 mm display and the 149.33 mm (5.88 in) characters are chosen for the haul road rather than for a street.
Near-field text and graphics at 149.33 mm (5.88 in) suits street works and access restrictions, where the whole panel is read at low speed from a short distance, and one amber layer keeps the instruction unambiguous.
Towing a full-size VMS trailer into a narrow urban lane or a crowded parking structure creates bottlenecks and a parking problem of its own. The compact amber truck-mounted VMS installs directly on a utility pickup bed or flatbed, so it warns traffic without taking an extra lane or needing a towed chassis.
A rigid sign standing upright on a truck bed acts as an air sail at highway speed, adding fuel consumption and cab noise. The powered frame folds the display flat against the bed rails for transit and raises it vertically only once the vehicle is on scene.
Stepping out into a live lane to set a board is the riskiest minute of the job. The in-cab controller carries preset message keys, so arrows and text warnings are deployed from the seat instead of from the carriageway.
Inner-city utility repairs, tree trimming and street-light work. The compact sign posts rearward text advisories from the bed without blocking narrow neighbourhood streets or driveway access.
Highway patrol support, crash clean-up and emergency towing. The panel is raised on arrival and diverts trailing traffic while the scene is still being secured.
Tunnel portals, parking structures and overhead infrastructure: the sign sits low on the vehicle, so crews post warnings without clipping conduits or portal furniture.
Paired with a compact radar sensor the unit runs as a mobile speed display, alerting drivers in residential zones and at school crossings.
“Upgrading our city service pickups with HANKUN’s compact amber truck-mounted VMS has made quick roadside interventions dramatically safer. The bed-mounted frame raises the panel only when we arrive, and the amber text is bright from a long way back. The controller lets our crews activate hazard arrows without stepping out into busy traffic.”
“As a commercial vehicle upfitter we needed a compact message sign that mounts onto light pickup beds. HANKUN delivered the build quality we expect at a competitive price. The folded profile sits flat on the bed at highway speed, and their engineering support made the power and wiring side completely straightforward.”
One matrix · layout follows the message
72 × 42 matrix→near-field layout→149.33 mm
149.33 mm→fixed 5 × 7→no taller matrix
Character height and line count are the same decision, and this platform answers it with its matrix rather than with a menu: a 72 × 42 grid laid out for near-field text and graphics, giving 149.33 mm (5.88 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix. Because this panel publishes one message format, character height is bought directly by the matrix instead of being traded against extra lines — which is the deliberate answer for a board whose job is a short message at close range.
Full matrix → every pixel addressed → symbols and text
72 × 42→full-matrix→per-pixel LEDs per config
text+arrows+work-zone symbols
The pixel structure is published as: full-matrix pixel structure (every pixel individually addressable); per-pixel LED count confirmed per configuration. That is what lets a 149.33 mm (5.88 in) character be assembled from a character matrix rather than drawn as a single line of block letters, and what lets arrows and work-zone symbols share the same 1530 × 880 mm of display area as the text.
Power on the vehicle · site off the brief
Vehicle power→no solar array
no battery bank→1730 × 1080 mm cabinet
Power comes from the vehicle, so the design brief is not a power system but a fit: a 1730 × 1080 mm cabinet and a mounting kit that go onto a vehicle already in the fleet. That is why the published figures for this model are the display figures plus the cabinet, and why the mounting arrangement and the vehicle interface are agreed per vehicle.
North AmericaAustralia / New ZealandUK / EuropeOther
Long-duration highway work zoneShort-term / incident responseSpecial eventsFixed facility (port, airport, utility)
Arrows (left / right)Arrows plus other symbols (work-zone triangle, speed roundel, etc.)
Amber is sufficient — this modelWe need five-colour
Answered the four? Send them with your enquiry.
We reply with the configuration that matches your market, duty and message set — the compact amber truck-mounted model on this page, or the five-colour configuration of the same platform if a colour hierarchy is needed.
Colour branch
Identical display geometry, only the colour configuration changes.
This is a colour choice, not a selection branch: it does not change resolution, character size or message format.
Mounting branch
The same display class in the other mounting configuration.
Truck-mounted suits vehicle-integrated operation; trailer-mounted suits long-duration deployment with independent power.
This is the largest published amber truck-mounted model. If the distance or the message volume exceeds it, tell us the road and the viewing position and we will confirm whether the range covers it.
If the sign can be placed closer to the traffic, the HK-TMVMS-1618-26-A covers the same message format at a smaller footprint, with a 96 × 36 matrix and a 1728 × 648 mm active display area.
The HK-PTMS-CS-0810-37-A is the trailer-mounted alternative in the same size class: independent solar power and towing between sites.
Between two sizes? Send the viewing distance and the message set.
We confirm the model against your site geometry — or point you to the next size up before you commit.
The HK-TMVMS-1821-24-A is one of 19 catalogued models — 15 of them published and available for specification — and it is the 7th by active display area among the published models. Within the compact amber vehicle group it is the 3rd of 3. It carries a 72 × 42 pixel matrix — 72 pixels across and 42 down — over 1530 × 880 mm (60.24 × 34.65 in) of active display area, with a character height of 149.33 mm (5.88 in).
Those five figures are the whole basis on which this model is chosen: the rest of the range differs in matrix, colour and display area, not in what a full-matrix display can do.
catalogued models
in the HANKUN PCMS range
published & available
for specification
by active display area
among published models
within the compact amber vehicle group
Published range · by active display area7 / 15
This model sits in the upper-middle band of the published range — larger units above it carry up to a 56 × 32 matrix.
Compact amber vehicle group3 / 3
Third of its own group — this model is the largest compact amber vehicle-mounted configuration published.
Need a different position in the range? Tell us the viewing distance.
We place your requirement on the same scale and name the model — this one, a step up, or a step down.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | HK-TMVMS-1821-24-A |
| Mounting | Truck-mounted (vehicle power) |
| Display colour | Amber |
| Active display area | 1530 × 880 mm (60.24 × 34.65 in) |
| Cabinet dimensions | 1730 × 1080 mm (100 mm border basis; depth 200–250 mm) |
| Display matrix | 72 × 42 pixels | full-matrix pixel structure (every pixel individually addressable); per-pixel LED count confirmed per configuration |
| LEDs per pixel | Confirmed per configuration (full-matrix structure) |
| Message format | near-field text and graphics (variable format) |
| Character height — standard matrix | 149.33 mm (5.88 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix |
| Character height — extended matrix | character size is set by the message format selected |
| Compliance path | MUTCD configuration options · North AmericaEN 12966 compatible configuration · Europe & UKAS 4852.2 configuration options · Australia & New Zealand |
— System & Operation
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | |
| Supply | Powered from the vehicle; the standalone power configuration for this model is confirmed at the configuration stage |
| Mounting | |
| Mounting | Display assembly and mounting kit supplied for vehicle installation |
| Coating | Powder-coated and oven-baked (display cabinet) |
| Automatic dimming | |
| Ambient light control | Automatic dimming — display brightness and grey level are adjusted to ambient light conditions; a manual brightness setting is also available. |
| Remote operation and integration | |
| Connectivity | 4G; GPS position reporting |
| Operating terminal | Message management from phone, tablet or PC |
| Fleet integration | Open API and SDK protocol provided, for integration into an existing fleet management platform. |
| Symbol display | Text and graphic symbols on one display — message text, left and right arrows and work-zone warning symbols are combined on the same full-matrix panel. |
| Options | |
| Vehicle speed radar | Doppler speed radar, for speed feedback and dynamic speed limit display — configuration item, agreed at ordering. |
| Position reporting | GPS position reporting. |
| Remote monitoring | 4G remote monitoring and control. |
| Documents available on request | |
| Technical data sheet | Issued against the configuration quoted. |
| Configuration options list | Item-by-item, so two quotes can be compared line for line. |
| Factory inspection record | Module burn-in before assembly, full-screen illumination test on the finished display, structural and sealing inspection of the cabinet and frame, pre-shipment re-check against the agreed configuration list — one record per unit. |
| Optional test arrangement | CE documentation support; testing to the destination-market standard arranged on request. |
| Still to be confirmed for your configuration | |
| Not yet fixed | Mast type, lift height and deployment method; controller model and NTCIP 1203 support; wind rating, ingress protection rating, operating temperature range and warranty terms; complete mounting-kit dimensions and vehicle interface. |
| Not published | Visual range, luminance value, contrast ratio, dimming levels, autonomy days, wind rating, IP rating, operating temperature range, warranty, complete trailer weight and dimensions and controller model — none of these are estimated on this page. Automatic dimming is published as a display capability; its threshold values and step count are not. |
Trailer-chassis specifications apply to trailer-mounted models. Truck-mounted and vehicle-mounted models carry the display assembly and its mounting kit.
— Compliance & Regional Configuration
MUTCD configuration options; NEMA TS-4 testing available on request.
✓MUTCD
✓NEMA TS-4
EN 12966 compatible configuration (class confirmed per project); CE marking and Declaration of Conformity available.
✓EN 12966
✓CE + DoC
AS 4852.2 configuration options; vehicle build to applicable ADR requirements.
✓AS 4852.2
✓ADR
— Procurement Case
01
A 72 × 42 display over 1530 × 880 mm of active display area mounts on a vehicle already in the fleet, so the job carries no trailer, no towing vehicle and no site power arrangement.
02
The five published figures for this compact vehicle model — 1530 × 880 mm active display area, 149.33 mm (5.88 in) character height, 72 × 42 matrix, amber display colour and a 1730 × 1080 mm cabinet — can be quoted straight into a project specification, because each one is traceable to the engineering record.
03
The amber output carries one message layer on this 72 × 42 display, so a crew is briefed once and there is no colour decision to make in service — and the same-platform options mean one spare-part set and one training path across a mixed fleet.
04
At 1530 × 880 mm this model is the 7th largest active display area among the 15 published models, and the 3rd of 3 in the compact amber vehicle group — so it can be placed against the other models on published figures rather than on a sales description.
— Before You Specify
Platform, Frame & Mounting
A compact amber truck-mounted VMS bolts directly onto pickup beds, utility bodies or service flatbeds. It delivers immediate mobile traffic warnings without the towing friction, parking clearance issues or extra licensing that a towed trailer message board brings.
The frame carries the display vertically for active traffic control on site, and folds it flat against the bed rails for highway transit, which removes the air drag of an upright board. Actuator rating and lift height are agreed per vehicle at the configuration stage.
HANKUN supplies bed-rail mounting brackets, headache-rack adaptors and flatbed bolt-down bases, so the display can be retrofitted across light commercial, contractor and municipal truck fleets. The bracket set is confirmed against the vehicle at ordering.
Compliance, Power & Control
Yes, as a configuration option: the MUTCD configuration is built to the changeable message sign requirements for optical contrast, legibility distance and arrow patterns. Conformance is confirmed against the project specification before shipment.
The unit takes power from the vehicle’s 12V/24V DC auxiliary supply, with low-voltage disconnect protection available as a configuration item. The low-draw amber LED modules let it run through a long roadside shift without depleting the alternator’s capacity.
The controller carries preset message keys — “ROAD WORK AHEAD”, “LEFT LANE CLOSED”, directional arrows — so text and arrows are changed from the driver’s seat instead of from a live lane. The controller model is confirmed at configuration.
Yes. The controller pairs with vehicle-mounted Doppler radar to run as a dynamic speed display, showing live vehicle speed or a “SLOW DOWN” warning. Vehicle speed radar is a published option, agreed at ordering.
Applications, Price & Procurement
Yes. The sign sits low on the vehicle, so crews post warnings inside low-clearance parking structures and tunnel portals without striking overhead conduits. The clearance figure for a given vehicle is confirmed against the structure before deployment.
Removing trailer axles, tyres and solar charging banks from the build reduces raw manufacturing cost, and HANKUN quotes factory-direct against the agreed configuration list — per unit and for fleet volumes.
HANKUN builds vehicle-mount VMS systems with sealed, powder-coated enclosures and vibration-damped LED modules, supported by a factory inspection record per unit and global technical support. The ingress-protection rating is confirmed per configuration.
A question not listed here? Send it with your project location — the answer comes back with the configuration sheet.
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