Tow Professional Podcast
Tow Professional Podcast
From Ranch to Recovery: How GoLight Is Transforming Roadside Safety
From the plains of Nebraska to highways across America, GoLight is revolutionizing how towing professionals illuminate their most challenging recovery scenarios. Southeast Sales Manager Caleb Morgan shares the fascinating origin story of GoLight, which began when founder Gary Gohl—tired of holding spotlights out his window while checking cattle—created a remote-controlled lighting solution that now serves towing operators worldwide.
GoLight's signature pan-and-tilt remote-controlled spotlights offer unparalleled versatility with 370-degree rotation and 135-degree tilt capabilities, all manageable from up to 100 feet away. Their proprietary LED technology produces a remarkable 544,000 candela of brightness, transforming night operations into daylight-clear visibility. The GT series provides the workhorse reliability that built the company's reputation, while the advanced Striker ST series adds Bluetooth-like 2.4GHz technology for controlling multiple lights simultaneously with minimal interference.
What truly distinguishes GoLight is their commitment to standing behind their products. With warranties ranging from three years on the GT series to an industry-leading ten years on their fixed GXL performance lights, they demonstrate exceptional confidence in their durability. When support is needed, customers speak directly with regional managers like Caleb who intimately understand both the products and industry needs.
The future looks even brighter with GoLight's upcoming innovations. A new hybrid beam pattern will soon combine spot and flood functions for better work area coverage, while an integrated low-light camera system will stream directly to smartphones—allowing recovery operators to document scenes while keeping their hands free for critical work.
Whether you operate wheel lifts, quick-picks, or heavy-duty rotators, GoLight offers mounting solutions from permanent installations to magnetic options that protect your investment when not in use. Experience these exceptional lighting solutions firsthand at the Florida Tow Show or visit golight.com to discover how proper illumination isn't just about seeing better—it's about working safer and more efficiently when every second counts.
Welcome one and all to Toe Professional Podcast. Remember, this is your podcast. It's for the pros that have a need to know, that are on the go. This is truly the voice of the towing and recovery industry. I'm DJ Harrington, better known as the Toe Doctor. I'm the co-host, but the real host of this program is the main man. He's the president and publisher of Toe Professional Magazine, a great friend of the industry, a good friend of mine, darren Weaver. Darren, how are you this beautiful day?
Speaker 2:Man, dj, I am fantastic. We're inching up on the Florida Toe Show and we've got some beautiful weather today in Alabama and I'm very excited about our guest today. Let me tell you Go Light has been a company that has done business with Toe Professional for many, many years, and not only do they offer fantastic products but, man, I have been lucky enough to strap some of them on the Bronco and take those out there to adventure as well with them, and I can attest for the product as well and tell you they're phenomenal. So today it's going to be a great one, dj. We're going to have some great information for our listeners, and who we have on today is Caleb Morgan, who is a Southeast sales manager for GoLight. So, guys, buckle your seatbelt, get ready, listeners, because this will be a good one. We'll get a lot of good information on lighting when it comes to this industry and the products that GoLight offers. Caleb, welcome today.
Speaker 3:Thank you guys. Thanks for having me on. This is a great opportunity and great pleasure of mine to speak with both of you.
Speaker 1:Well, let me tell you, Caleb, everyone, now they'll get the voice and they'll see you at the Florida Toe Show. I've seen you at the Florida Toe Show so many times and all the other toe shows, so a lot of people know. And now I realize that's why you're there. You're from the Southeast, so it makes sense, so it is good to have you on here. So I want to be the first one to ask a question, and my question is can you tell us a little bit of what, what's happening? I'm going to do right, tell us a little bit about go light and your association there, there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Go Light. We're based out of southwest Nebraska, kind of been in the vehicle manufacturing lighting industry since the beginning. Our bread and butter is kind of our pan and tilt remote control vehicle mounted light spotlight. We also do some vehicle mounted fixed lights. I believe that's what Darren has a few of in some of our Excel performance lights. But we originated with the pan and tilt spotlights and we do from marine markets to military markets to utility companies, military markets to utility companies. A lot of the big bucket trucks use us, a lot of the tow guys use us for recovery and stuff like that. So we've kind of got a versatile market that we cover and have been around for a while.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I've seen you at a lot of shows, so it makes a lot of sense. Darren, I'll pass it on over to you so you can go from the next one. Okay, well, caleb, I know. Pass that on over to you so you can go for the next one, okay.
Speaker 2:Well, Caleb, I know you said you guys are based out of Nebraska, but let me ask you this I know the bread and butter for the companies you said was your pan and tilt lights. So do you mind expanding a little bit on that and tell us a little bit about maybe the Go Light GT and the Striker ST series spotlights you offer?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely so. Our GoLight GT is kind of our striding through original pan and tilt remote control spotlight. It's more based off the original concept of the light. It's been tweaked and adjusted over the years but it's kind of the workhorse for go light it is. We have, you know, a variety of mounting options, from magnetic to plugging in your cigarette plug to hard mounting and wiring it in there. Um, all of them come with some sort of a remote control, from a dash mounted hardwired control to a wireless remote control. That's good within 100 feet of the light. Um, they, they originally started based on, oh, our, our founder of GoLight, who still works with us today. Gary Gohl was a rancher and he had started with those lights because he was tired of holding his arms out the window when he was checking cows, that is good.
Speaker 3:They come up with something and it's grown sick. And that's more what our GT light is. It's going to be. You know we do from LED to halogen. You're going to get 544,000 candela out of our LED. That was developed and designed by our own team Wow. And the halogens about half that. But everything's going more towards the led anyhow. And then our striker st series that you've mentioned is our little bit more expensive but it's got all the bells and whistles.
Speaker 3:It runs at 2.4 gigahertz, more like on a bluetooth. We catch less interference, a little bit less interference with it. It's got the ability to run two lights off of a single remote switch between the lights, run them independently or run them together. The LED technology in it's the same as the GT. All our LED technologies are the same as far as those go. And it also has a feature to home and bring that light. You push the home button, it brings that light back to center. It's been really big with the guys that want to put multiple lights on things From the top of their light bars or, you know, one on each end of the headache rack or whatever, just to have control so they have light up both sides.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love the lights here, without a doubt, caleb, because, quite simply, like you said, you can pull up, grab the remote and, instead of having a fixed light that's only pointing one direction, this thing is what 370 degree rotation, 135 degree tilt, so they can put it right on a accident, something they pull up on, see the approach angle they need to be at, set it back to home, pull forward, readjust and then readjust the lamp with their handheld. It's just quite doing it. Real simple, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, and the big thing is even with the safety. A lamp with her handheld, that just quite doing it real simple, right? Yeah Well, and the big thing is even with the safety. You know you don't have to go back to your truck and lose focus on whatever you're working on. If you're carrying that remote in your pocket, you can adjust the light where you need it while you're still continuing to work. Man, I like that.
Speaker 2:That's fantastic and, if I'm correct, the GoLite GT, that has what a three-year warranty. And the ST, the Striker ST, carries what a five-year.
Speaker 3:Yep, yeah, so the GT carries that three-year warranty and the ST carries a five-year and warranty is one of those things we really take pride in, what we do. Um, if you have a warranty issue or anything like that, you're going to call in and if you're from the Southeast, you're going to talk to me. Um, you're not going to talk to somebody that doesn't know the product. You're going to talk to one of our regional managers that deals with it day in and day out and they're going to take you through the warranty process, hold your hand all the way through it, and whether that means you got something happened and you need a new light or we can fix anything, we can do it all. Being the manufacturer, we can get anything set right for you, for sure.
Speaker 2:Man. I think that's one of the most important things. You know. So many people can make a product, but at the end of the day, we all can show we're human at one time or another and if you can get somebody on the other end of that line that has a passion for their product and what you're doing as much as you do, that really means something, and GoLight is one of those companies, without a doubt. Well, DJ, let's do this. Let's take a quick break for our listeners, and when we come back from this, we're going to get more knowledge, more information and, guys, you're going to find out why you need to start adding the GoLights, the GT or the ST and their lines of GXL performance lights to your truck right now. We'll be back soon.
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Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners. You know you're listening to the number one podcast in the towing industry. We can't thank you enough for listening. We really appreciate everyone telling each other about it. Remember, we're available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, stitcher, iheartmedia that's the number one Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. So we got Caleb Morgan from Go Light. So let's ask the next question Caleb, where did the idea come from altogether? You started talking about Gary, so we'll go there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Gary is our founder and he's, you know, obviously living in southwest Nebraska. Everything's farm and cows, and that's about all we have. We have more cows than people actually. Everything's farm and cows, and that's about all we have. We have more cows than people actually. He grew up on farms and ranches and he got tired of holding his arm checking cows out the window with the spotlight in the cold, and so he came up with a better way. There's got to be something better than this, so he started developing go light, and it's come a long way since he started, but the concept and the basis of the company has remained the same and, believe it or not, he still comes into work every day.
Speaker 2:Oh, kidding, every day been in business since 1994 wow, that is now. That's awesome. But y'all give that guy a day off, one or two, please.
Speaker 6:I don't think he'd take it.
Speaker 2:He sounds like it's me. If I got a day off, my wife says, well, let's get get to work now get to work. There's stuff to be done. So I, I get it. Well, let me ask you this Tell our listeners, caleb, about the features with the products that are most relevant to the towing market. Will you know first of all, firsthand?
Speaker 3:that everybody in the tow industry takes great pride in their trucks. It means a lot to them. It's their baby, it's more than just this work vehicle. So the different mounting options you don't have to bolt holes if you don't want to. You don't have to leave it out. You can do a magnetic mount and stick it on top and put it away when you're not using it. If you're out during the day and not using it, you put it in the back of the truck. You don't have to worry about getting stolen or nothing like that.
Speaker 3:But then if you're doing a recovery or something at night especially some of the rollovers and stuff that happen in some of the southeast thick woods and stuff it gives you that option to put that remote in your pocket, put that light out on top and, as you know, light's one of those things. You better have it when you need it because otherwise you're already in trouble. Well, this just gives you that extra light in the versatility of being able to control where that light is focused and move it around and point it in your work area and adjust it as your work changes. I think that's probably the biggest thing with GoLight and the tow market is just the versatility it gives you in that vehicle mounted, and the fact that our warranties are good. We stand behind them. You're not going to be putting something up there that you're just going to end up replacing in six months.
Speaker 2:Right, and they're also what UV resistant and saltwater resistant Is that?
Speaker 5:right.
Speaker 2:For people who are at the southeast and deal with salty roads and other stuff that they're dealing with. That makes for long-lasting. That they're dealing with, that makes for long lasting. I can tell you I've got one set that's been on my vehicle for, I want to say, two years now and they still look like they're brand new. Of course I like wiping them down and making them look good, but they're real easy to keep clean and, like you said, they look like they're a day old two years down the road here, two, three years down the road.
Speaker 1:Hey, dj, what I'm gonna do right now is I'm gonna throw this over to you and let you ask caleb the next question. Well, I I got two questions. Really, the reason is one of the guys during the florida show last year. They were asking directions, how to find you. So I'm looking up in my directory, I'm saying go lights over here. And the guy next to me says, dj, those guys have the brightest leds ever. And and I thought to myself what's the difference? So what do I want to ask you? That? The guy next to me, caleb, was the one who said, dj, send them over there. Their leds are brighter than other people's. So I wanted to ask you what do you have going on, you know, coming out in the future? And what made that guy even say that?
Speaker 3:Well, he probably was standing too close and turned one on, caleb. You know, I think a lot of people are happy to see us in shows unless they're in the booth across from us. Oh, amen, amen.
Speaker 1:Auto data direct when you were up setting up one time auto data directors next to you and the guy says I hate when they turn them lights on they blind us.
Speaker 3:I gotta start bringing sunglasses for everybody around us. Yeah, um, yeah, I mean, there are it's. It's honestly one of the best parts about the go light is our leds are our leds. Our product development design team came up with these and that's the reason they're so intense, is they are it's part of our baby. You know, it's not just the fact that the light moves. We're we're proud of every piece of the light, including the technology we have in our led and what makes them so bright and so intense.
Speaker 3:Um, you asked what we had coming new. Yeah, we have a couple of things this year. Um, they actually, speaking of leds, reworked the LED and they came up with kind of a hybrid version of it. So it will have your combination kind of spot and flood all in one. You won't have to switch between the two. It changes that beam angle from an 8-degree real tight beam angle to a 15-degree. It gives you a lot more working light in your area, especially for people like the Toga.
Speaker 3:I think this would be where they're not, you know, a half mile off working. They're going to be a little bit closer and it's going to light up the entire work area instead of just a really focused spot that's coming out this year for all our LEDs. It'll be available in both GT and ST series. Probably look in June July timeframe before we officially launched the new LED. And then, on top of that, we are in the process of developing a low light camera system that will work in unison with our lights inside of our lights wow, yeah. So it'll have a low light camera built into our light housing with the same versatility of control with the remote, and also be able to go. I believe the plan is to have it string direct to your smartphone, tablet, whatever you have in the vehicle with you while your camera's running. Gotcha.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, so they can work on the scene and while they're working on the scene, they can take the video in of the scene that they're working on, as they're doing it with the light that's phenomenal.
Speaker 3:Yep, and I'm not. I haven't gotten a time frame. It'll be this year when that'll come out, but it's close. I know it's close, but I haven't gotten the exact time frame yet. It's close.
Speaker 1:I know it's close, but I haven't gotten the exact time frame yet. I got you, so it might be the third quarter, but even still. I mean this is really going to make a change. All right, how about we take a commercial? We'll come back and, folks, this has been a great message from Go Light and Caleb Morgan, who's our guest for today. So let's take a break, folks, and we'll be right back. Morgan, who's our guest for today. So let's take a break, folks, and we'll be right back.
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Speaker 1:Welcome back listeners, and I can thank you enough for listening to Tope Professional on the Go podcast. Remember to like, review and share everywhere, please. If you want to hear another industry expert like Caleb Morgan from GoLite, our hotline number right here at the podcast center 706-409-5603, and we will do our best to get another industry expert on the next podcast. So, darren, let me pass it on over to you, and this is the last segment and this will be the best of the bunch all right, thank you so much, dj.
Speaker 2:Well, I also wanted to remind our listeners, um, whether you've got a tow truck, you want to put this on, or you've got an off-road vehicle, or you have a winch box or any other application, they have lights for all the above guys. Let me tell you, when you go in here, they also any of you guys avid fishermen the Gobi light is awesome and it's remote controlled and it's something you can mount right there on your boat and use it for going through channels of water. And then also, they've got a line of fixed lights that are the GXL series, and this is from their off-road lights to their work light, uh, to their performance lights. And, like I said, I've used the off-road light and the performance light and they are absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 2:And, uh, let me tell you, uh, one other person said let there be light when it was off, uh, off-road, and the light came, and that was Jesus. The next one was go light, cause when I flip those things on, it's daytime, um, so, uh, really, really enjoyed those. So, kayla, I want to give you an opportunity to uh, to tell our listeners a little bit about the fixed lights and the um and the GXL series. Before we talk about where they can see you next before we talk about where they can see you next.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so thanks for bringing me back around. I got so fixated on one product that I didn't touch base on all of them.
Speaker 3:No, you're good brother, the fixed lighting. Yeah, so our fixed lighting is you're going to get the same intensity that you're going to get out of our remote control lighting and our LED, and probably even bigger with it, because our fixed lighting comes with a 10-year warranty, which a lot of people can't match that. But we stand behind it and we know that. You know if you have to spend a little bit more money trying to get a go-light fixed light, that we're going to stand behind the product and make sure that you get some quality that's going to last you the life of that truck. We can do from our GXL performance lights. They can be flood, they can be spot combination.
Speaker 3:We have our GXL or our work lights sorry, excuse me, our work lights that we have different mounting options for all of them. Our work light can have three different lenses, from a flood based lens to a hybrid lens where the two bottom LEDs are flood in the top or spot, or an all spot lens. Um, so we're pretty versatile and all of that. And, um, our fixed lighting. I can't remember who I was talking to last year at the tow show. It was all about having those work lights put on the back of his tow truck because of the warranty he said most lights won't stand up to what they need and the fact that we would stand behind the light for 10 years while he put it on the back, while he was taking gravel and rocks and all that and he was super excited and I think he ended up ordering some the very next week. So, yeah, it's pretty versatile. We've got a lot of logging options.
Speaker 2:So, listeners, I tell you, whatever your needs are, whether it's a Jeep, whether it's a Bronco, an FJ, whether it's a trailer, you need lights on. Whether it's a trailer, you need lights on, whether it's a four-wheeler, a side-by-side you name it or a quick-pick truck, a wheel lift, or all the way up to your rotators. They have the products that fit all. And let me tell you, they hold up. And the best of all is you can get them on the phone. They stand behind them and when you see Caleb in Florida, you'll see his big smile. That's the guy that's going to sell them to you. That's the guy that's going to answer the phone and make sure they're always working for you as well. And with a company like that, what more can you ask? Well, dj, I'll let you take the final question and we'll go from there All right Now.
Speaker 1:Here's the final question, caleb when can we see your product at the Florida Tow Show? I know you don't know the booth number. Okay, but what direction do we go in? Are you indoors, outdoors, or do you have everybody yelling at you when you turn the lights on?
Speaker 3:indoors, outdoors, or do you have everybody yelling at you when you turn the lights on? We get plenty of people yelling at us when we turn the light.
Speaker 3:Um, we'll be indoors in that main hall. Yes, um, and I. You're right, I cannot remember the booth number. I tried to find it real quick and I still can't find it. Um, but yeah, we'll be there. We'll be there, just like we have been for the last several years.
Speaker 3:You know, and if you're curious, before you get to the show, about any of our products that you'd like to ask us about, jump on our Web site, wwwgoallightcom, and spell just like it sounds, and look at some of the products, look at what we have to offer. Come up some questions, come see me. I'm sure we'll have several things to hand out as well. Uh, I know that's always big at those shows, and if you have questions, call us. Call us. If you have questions before the show and you want to talk to me, give us a call. Um, you can reach. You can reach us, just ask for me. Ask for me by name caleb, and they'll. They'll send the call right over to me. You reach us at 1-800-557-0098, or you can shoot us an email at info at golightcom, either way, and you'll get, hopefully, the answers you're looking for.
Speaker 1:Well, I agree. Listen, Caleb. I've known you for years, so what I wanted to tell our listeners you know everybody who wants to have safety and everybody says let's light up the scene, let's light up for our work ethics, let's light up for the right reason. So go lights where you need to go, and go and visit Caleb and let him explain to you some of the benefits of some of the safety. You know, a lot of times you sit there and you say, boy, I wish I had a light on the scene here now and he just explained to you how wide the light could go Go by and see Caleb and we can't vouch enough for him. He's really a good guy and I'm glad, Darren, I'm glad you had him on the podcast today. This is a great guest and we'll go down and we'll see him in florida and and down in florida, you'll know you got to learn how to speak spanish and german and because it is an international show without a doubt.
Speaker 2:Well, dj, I will be at uh, toe, professional uh, for our 13th year there. First year we walked it uh, next 13 we've attended. We'll be at booth number 369. So if anybody has any questions, if you say how, how can I find go light, how can I find caleb? Come by my booth, I'll tell you right where he's at. I'll have, uh, I'll have the booth number waiting there and I'll point you in his direction. But, guys, let me tell you this is a company that that works with everybody, from first responders, outdoor enthusiasts, military work, truck, marine applications, law enforcement, boating, even snow cats. They cover the gamut of everything, front to back, a to Z. So remember golightcom when you're looking for the products and when you're at the Florida show, make sure you look them up. One last question, caleb what other shows or opportunities if somebody misses you at the Florida show? What other shows will you guys be at this year inside the towing industry? Do you have some more?
Speaker 3:There was talks about trying to go to oh, I think it it was a American towman show in Las Vegas. Yeah, there was talks of that. We're actually trying to. You know we've been so heavily integrated in military and law enforcement and utility companies. They've kind of thrown it on my shoulders to push and get through and get more into the tow industry and show people what we can do for the tow market. So we're actually open and listening to anything new as far as show possibilities and outreach.
Speaker 2:Well, I know it's certainly early in the year, it's just that we're just ending a first quarter, but we've got some good ones coming up in the towards the end of the year. We're just ending a first quarter, but we've got some good ones coming up towards the end of the year. You've got the North Carolina show. That's the mid-Atlantic show that is really starting to blossom. They had a great attendance there last year. And then we've got the 47th year for the Great Wolf Lodge and the Midwest Regional Show, so that one in Ohio. They're back at the Great Wolf Lodge. That's a phenomenal show as well. So if you look into those, we'll come back on here on the podcast with announcements and update our listeners. Let you know where you can see Go Light in the towing community in the future. We'll keep you updated on that as well. Any parting things here you want to say to the listeners, Caleb, before we go?
Speaker 3:Oh, I just want to tell everybody thank you. I don't know that I've met a nicer crowd than the industry. I mean just genuine people. Everyone's down to earth, just good people. All the tow shows I've ever been to have always been my favorite. Always, always good people. They're nice to talk to, they actually care um what you have to say and they're looking for themselves. You know it's not.
Speaker 4:oh, yeah, well, I'll talk to my boss.
Speaker 3:Most of them are the boss with the guy that's making the decision right there and just you know, give them your spiel, let them know what value you have, and they're always receptive.
Speaker 2:So I tell you, I've been in publishing since I was 24, Caleb, and I'm 51 now, and this is my favorite industry of all. Now, most of the time I look like I just robbed a Walmart clothes rack. So for a guy that doesn't like wearing suits, it's a lot better fit for me. But being a car guy, and as a lot of people call me, a muscle head about cars, I see a lot of the folks in this industry are the same way about their trucks. They'll stay out there and polish them for three hours in the burning sun to win a small trophy. But it's more about. It's not about the trophy, it's about the pride and the equipment. And hey, I get it. That's the world I come from, so I'm with you on it, man. I absolutely love this market. Well, listeners, as always.
Speaker 2:I want to end this with a prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you for every one of our vendors, dear Lord. I thank you for their ability to give us an opportunity to put their best foot forward. We ask that you bless their business, bless them with knowledge and bless them with prosperity and health for their efforts in this industry. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless every one of our men and women of service out there that go out there on a daily basis and put their lives on the line to make sure our loved ones come home safe. Dear Heavenly Father, protect them, increase their health, their prosperity and their ability to handle everything they do, and bring them home safe to their family In your precious name, amen, until next time.
Speaker 2:Listeners, we certainly thank you for making Tell Professional the number one podcast in the industry a little over 20,000 plus listeners worldwide. Keep listening. We'll keep bringing on phenomenal hosts like Caleb Morgan, southeast Sales Manager of GoLite. Make sure you check out golitecom and make sure you use your feet. I know they're going to be sore and dogs are going to be barking, but stop by there early, see Caleb at the booth at Florida and let him fill you in on how these things can work for you. And let me tell you, when you compare it to the cost of our of the equipment out there, it's like buying a set of floor mats and you get a lot more use out of these than a set of floor mats. So go by and see the fine folks at GoLite and let them show you the solutions they have for your company. Thanks again, everyone. Until next week, stay blessed and stay safe out there. God bless.