The HANKUN HK-TMVMS-1207-44-5C is a mid-size truck-mounted variable message sign (VMS) with a 48 × 28 five-colour pixel matrix, three lines of up to eight characters per line or variable format, and a character height of 198.0 mm (7.80 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix — on a 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) active display area, powered from the vehicle.
Mid-Size Truck-Mounted Five-Colour VMS
Model HK-TMVMS-1207-44-5C Mid-Size Five-Colour Truck-Mounted
| Active Display Area | Max Character Height | Pixel Structure | Display Colour | Cabinet Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) | 198.0 mm (7.80 in) 5 × 7 character matrix | 48 × 28 full-matrix, discrete per-colour LEDs — up to 17 LEDs per pixel, no blending | Five-colour; the amber configuration is also available | 1564 × 992 mm (100 mm border basis; depth 200–250 mm) |
The HANKUN HK-TMVMS-1207-44-5C is a mid-size truck-mounted variable message sign (VMS) with a 48 × 28 five-colour pixel matrix, three lines of up to eight characters per line or variable format, and a character height of 198.0 mm (7.80 in) with the 5 × 7 character matrix; character size is set by the message format selected — on a 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) active display area.
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The HK-TMVMS-1207-44-5C is part of the HANKUN variable message sign range, built for road authorities, contractors and rental fleets that need a legible message sign at the roadside without towing anything. It is a mid-size 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-Mounted VMS
In Australia and New Zealand the vehicle-mounted version of this equipment is 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 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
198.0 mm (7.80 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
48 × 28 pixels, full-matrix, discrete per-colour LEDs — up to 17 individual LEDs per pixel (4 red, 4 amber, 3 green, 3 blue, 3 white); no colour blending.
04
1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) — the illuminated area, stated separately from the cabinet.
05
3 lines × 8 characters per line (variable format) — the layout is set by the message format selected, on a 48 × 28 matrix.
06
Five-colour for a colour hierarchy on high-priority warnings; the same platform is also available in amber.
07
Cabinet 1564 × 992 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. Mounting arrangement and vehicle interface agreed per vehicle.
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 48 × 28 display matrix, the 1364 × 792 mm active display area, the character height of 198 mm (7.80 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 48 × 28 matrix and the 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 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.
Short and medium works from a vehicle already on site. The 48 × 28 matrix sets how much of the instruction fits, and a 198 mm (7.80 in) character height sets how far it is read.
Signs carried on vehicles already in service. A 1564 × 992 mm cabinet is what has to fit the vehicle, and the 48 × 28 matrix is what has to fit the message.
Diversion messages at short notice. 3 lines × 8 characters per line (variable format) keeps the closure and the direction on screen together, and vehicle mounting with power taken from the vehicle means the crew does not position a second unit.
Vehicle-mounted deployment in minutes. This model carries 3 lines of 8 characters or variable format on a 48 × 28 matrix with 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) of active display area — 198 mm (7.80 in) characters — and the five-colour output lets one priority message carry its own colour above the advisory text, which suits a warning that is set once at the scene.
Staged traffic control over a day or several days. A two-layer message, with the priority layer in a second colour on the same matrix, separates the marshalling instruction from the access and parking lines.
Fixed or semi-fixed work inside a site. The 1364 × 792 mm active display area can be specified against the viewing position, and the mounting arrangement is confirmed with us.
§ 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 crew that arrives for a few days makes the site safe and moves on, so the message travels with the vehicle it is already driving: the 48 × 28 matrix and the 1564 × 992 mm cabinet are the two figures that decide whether it fits the job and the vehicle.
The site moves every few hours, so a vehicle-mounted 48 × 28 panel removes the tow and set-up step that a trailer adds — and the sign is already powered from the vehicle it arrived on.
A movable 48 × 28 panel at 198 mm (7.80 in) for gate direction, bay allocation and lane status inside a site where no public-road consent is involved.
1364 × 792 mm of active display area is sized for arterial work, where the sign stands closer to traffic than a motorway deployment, and 3 lines of 8 characters or variable format covers the message set a district office actually posts.
Monochrome text-only signs on moving maintenance trucks are frequently missed by drivers travelling at speed. The Mid-Size Truck-Mounted Five-Colour VMS renders high-contrast, multi-colour warning graphics — red stop rings, green directional arrows, yellow hazard triangles — alongside dynamic text, so the priority element reads before the words do.
A board left standing vertically acts as a wind sail on a highway, adding fuel burn and wear. This unit is carried on a motorised tilt frame that folds the panel flat against the bed for transit, and raises it vertically only when the vehicle is deployed on site.
Stepping into a live lane to change a sign face is the exposure this arrangement removes. Messages, symbols and brightness are set from the controller supplied with the unit, or from a phone, tablet or PC over 4G, with the crew working from inside the vehicle.
Mounted on the rear of a crash-cushion attenuator truck, the mid-size electronic board acts as an active shadow-vehicle warning, guiding trailing traffic around moving road-marking or sweeping operations.
Multi-vehicle collisions, hazardous-material cleanups and lane closures: the panel is raised on arrival and the message is set from the cab, without waiting for a second unit to be towed in.
Set on a utility truck working inside a tunnel, the panel gives advance full-colour warning of a slow maintenance vehicle ahead of the portal, where there is no room for a trailer.
Paired with a Doppler radar sensor, the unit runs as a mobile variable speed limit sign, showing driver speed with colour-coded feedback before the queue reaches the crew.
“Upgrading our highway safety trucks with HANKUN’s Mid-Size Truck-Mounted Five-Colour VMS has made a massive difference in driver compliance. The five-colour graphic symbols are bright and legible from a long way back, so trailing traffic has time to merge. The motorised fold-down frame runs smoothly, and setting the message from the cab is a real safety bonus.”
“As an upfitter we needed a multi-colour truck-mounted sign that integrates cleanly with 12/24 V chassis systems. HANKUN supplied top-tier manufacturing quality at a competitive price. The sealed display has taken severe vibration and pressure washing with zero issues.”
One matrix · lines and height together
48 × 28 matrix→3 lines of 8→198 mm
198 mm→fixed 5 × 7 matrix→no lines traded
Character height and line count are the same decision, and this platform answers it with its matrix rather than with a menu: a 48 × 28 grid laid out for 3 lines of 8 characters or variable format, giving 198 mm (7.80 in) at the 5 × 7 character matrix. Because the panel publishes a three-line format, character height is bought directly by the matrix instead of being traded against extra lines.
Discrete colour → 17 LEDs → priority layer
4R + 4A + 3G + 3B + 3W→17 LEDs / pixel
→no blending→priority line + amber text
The 48 × 28 grid carries a discrete per-colour pixel — up to 17 individual LEDs per pixel, with no colour blending. That is a design decision rather than a bigger display: a priority line takes its own colour while the advisory text stays amber, on the same 1364 × 792 mm of active display area, which is why five-colour is published as its own configuration instead of being folded into one blended panel.
Vehicle power · the fit is the brief
powered from the vehicle→no generator
no site power run→1564 × 992 mm cabinet
Power comes from the vehicle, so the design brief is not a power system but a fit: a 1564 × 992 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.)
Five-colour — this modelAmber is sufficient
Answered the four? Send them with your enquiry.
We reply with the configuration that matches your market, duty and message set — the five-colour model on this page, or the amber configuration of the same display if a colour hierarchy is not needed.
Colour branch
Identical display geometry, only the colour configuration changes.
Choose amber if a colour hierarchy is not needed — it does not reduce any display figure.
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.
Confirmed per project. This is the largest published five-colour truck-mounted model. If the distance or message volume exceeds it, tell us the road and the viewing position and we will confirm whether the range covers it.
Confirmed per project. This is the smallest published five-colour truck-mounted model. If the site is tighter than this model suits, a different display platform is needed — send us the site plan and we will confirm.
The HK-PTMS-MS-0809-37-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-1207-44-5C is one of 19 catalogued models — 15 of them published and available for specification — and it is the 4th by active display area among the published models. Within the mid-size five-colour vehicle group it is the 1st of 1. It carries a 48 × 28 pixel matrix — 48 pixels across and 28 down — over 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) of active display area, with a character height of 198 mm (7.80 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 VMS range
published & available
for specification
by active display area
among published models
within the mid-size five-colour vehicle group
Published range · by active display area4 / 15
Fourth of the 15 published models — above it sit only the full-size trailer and truck configurations.
Mid-size five-colour vehicle group1 / 1
The only published model in this group — no larger or smaller five-colour truck-mounted configuration is 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-1207-44-5C |
| Mounting | Truck-mounted (vehicle power) |
| Display colour | Five-colour |
| Active display area | 1364 × 792 mm (53.70 × 31.18 in) |
| Cabinet dimensions | 1564 × 992 mm (100 mm border basis; depth 200–250 mm) |
| Display matrix | 48 × 28 pixels | full-matrix, discrete per-colour LEDs — up to 17 individual LEDs per pixel (4 red, 4 amber, 3 green, 3 blue, 3 white); no colour blending |
| LEDs per pixel | 17 per pixel — 4 red + 4 amber + 3 green + 3 blue + 3 white = 17 LEDs per pixel (3 mm through-hole LED) |
| Message format | 3 lines × 8 characters per line (variable format) |
| Character height — standard matrix | 198.0 mm (7.80 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 | Text and graphic symbols on one display. 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. |
| Options | |
| Vehicle speed radar | Doppler speed radar, for speed feedback and dynamic speed limit display — configuration item, agreed at ordering |
| GPS position reporting | Included |
| 4G remote monitoring | Remote monitoring and control of the unit |
| Evidence — factory check, every unit | |
| Checks before shipment | 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 |
| 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 | One record per unit |
| Optional test arrangement | Testing arranged against the destination market standard, on request |
| CE documentation support | CE marking and Declaration of Conformity for Europe and the UK |
| Confirmed for this platform | |
| Automatic dimming | Dimming to ambient light conditions, with manual brightness setting |
| Remote | 4G connectivity, GPS position reporting, open API and SDK protocol |
| Mounting | Display assembly and mounting kit for vehicle installation, powered from the vehicle |
| 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, IP rating, operating temperature range and warranty terms; complete mounting-kit dimensions and vehicle interface |
| Not published | |
| Not stated on this page | Visual range, luminance value, contrast ratio, dimming levels, autonomy days, wind rating, IP rating, operating temperature range, warranty, complete unit weight and dimensions, controller model — none of these are estimated here. Automatic dimming is published as a display capability; its threshold values and step count are not. |
— 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 installation to applicable ADR requirements.
✓AS 4852.2
✓ADR
— Procurement Case
01
A 48 × 28 display over 1364 × 792 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 mid-size vehicle model — 1364 × 792 mm active display area, 198 mm (7.80 in) character height, 48 × 28 matrix, five-colour display colour and a 1564 × 992 mm cabinet — can be quoted straight into a project specification, because each one is traceable to the engineering record.
03
The five-colour output adds a priority layer on the same 48 × 28 matrix in this mid-size vehicle model, and the amber configuration of the same display is also published, so the colour choice stays reversible — and the same-platform options mean one spare-part set and one training path across a mixed fleet.
04
At 1364 × 792 mm this model is the 4th largest active display area among the 15 published models, and the 1st of 1 in the mid-size five-colour vehicle group — so it can be placed against the other models on published figures rather than on a sales description.
— Before You Specify
Product Overview & Display Format
The HANKUN Mid-Size Truck-Mounted Five-Colour Variable Message Sign (VMS) is a mobile variable message sign engineered for highway maintenance trucks, municipal flatbeds and moving crash attenuators (TMA). It carries a five-colour LED full-matrix display — red, amber, green, blue and white — draws its power from the vehicle at 12/24 V DC, and shows multi-colour traffic symbols and text. The published figures are a 48 × 28 matrix, 1364 × 792 mm of active display area and a 198 mm character height, all taken from the released engineering drawings.
A five-colour variable message sign renders full-matrix graphic symbols in five distinct colours — red, amber, green, blue and white. Recognised road symbols (red stop rings, green detour arrows, amber hazard triangles) can be shown on moving work-zone trucks instead of a line of monochrome text, which is what separates the instruction a driver must act on from the line that explains it. Text and symbols share the same matrix, so no symbol capability is lost when a message is set.
The unit is supplied as MUTCD configuration options for North America and AS 4852.2 configuration options for Australia and New Zealand, with an EN 12966 compatible configuration for Europe and the UK. Chromaticity, flash rate and optical visibility are stated per configuration and confirmed against the project specification before shipment, so the standard is quoted against your specification rather than asserted as a blanket claim. NEMA TS-4 testing is available on request.
Power, Mounting & In-Cab Control
The panel runs from the vehicle’s 12/24 V DC system, with protection arranged as part of the configuration: surge suppression and low-voltage cut-out are specified with the installation, and automatic dimming lowers brightness and grey level in low light, which reduces the draw during long shifts. Because there is no solar array or battery bank on this model, the vehicle is the only supply — protection ratings and the cut-out threshold are confirmed per configuration.
Messages, symbols and brightness are set from the in-cab controller supplied with the unit, or from a phone, tablet or PC over 4G. The crew does not step into a live lane to change a sign face — which is the point of the arrangement. The controller model and its in-cab mounting are agreed with the vehicle interface at the configuration stage.
A board carried upright acts as a wind sail in transit. The panel is mounted on a tilt frame that folds it flat against the bed for travel — reducing drag and the load on the mounting — and raises it to the vertical work position on arrival at the site. Actuator voltage and the lift height available on your chassis are confirmed per vehicle, since bed height and body type differ between upfits.
The display assembly and mounting kit are supplied for vehicle installation; the chassis is the customer vehicle. Bed-rail brackets, headache-rack adapters and TMA tail-mount assemblies are agreed per vehicle — send the chassis model and the body drawing and the mounting arrangement is confirmed against it. Complete mounting-kit dimensions are issued with the configuration.
Applications, Pricing & Service
With the panel folded, the unit sits low on the bed, which is what allows a maintenance truck to work inside a low-clearance portal without clipping overhead structures. At the working position the display still carries full-colour symbols and 3 lines × 8 characters per line on the 1364 × 792 mm active area. Folded height is confirmed against your route’s clearance.
Yes — vehicle speed radar is a published option on this model. Paired with a Doppler sensor the unit runs as a mobile variable speed limit sign, showing the approaching driver’s speed with colour-coded feedback before the queue reaches the crew. The threshold is set to the posted limit for each site.
A vehicle-mounted unit removes the towed axle, tyres, trailer registration and separate solar array that a trailer carries, so the equipment investment is the display, the mounting kit and the controller. HANKUN supplies these as one configuration, factory-direct, quoted against a specific chassis rather than a generic trailer price. Ask for the configuration list and the tier structure that applies to your build volume.
HANKUN builds the display, the mounting kit and the controller as one configuration, so the upfit is quoted against a chassis instead of assembled from parts. Each unit ships with its own factory inspection record — module burn-in, full-screen illumination test, and a structural and sealing inspection of the cabinet — and the enclosure rating and vibration arrangement are stated on the order for your configuration.
A question not listed here? Send it with your project location — the answer comes back with the configuration sheet.
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