Splicing truck, splicing lab, fiber truck, fiber optic splicing truck – what do all these terms mean?

In a nutshell, they all have the same meaning. Sterling’s Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Caps are called many different things, but all go back to Sterling’s industry leading telecom product.

Splicing Truck, Fiber Trucks, Fiber Optics Caps or Splicing Labs all refer to Sterling’s SB-01 or SB-02 which is our fiberglass slip-in service capsule that has been customized to suit the telecom industry. These Fiber Labs are easy to deploy; saving you additional time and money by not having to hire and coordinate flagging teams when set up in city and suburban areas, requiring no holes to be drilled through your truck when installed, and transferrable from truck-to-truck with a 10-year warranty, it will easily outlast your first truck.

Sterling’s Fiber Optic Splicing Truck is a product that was developed over 10 years ago and has seen upgrades to suit the ever-changing demands from the industry. Before we jump into the benefits of our Splicing Lab, or the major difference between Sterling’s Fiber Capsule and its competitors, let’s take a look at the different Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Caps that Sterling has developed.

The SB-01 or Standard Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Cap

Our first generation of Splicing Capsule which has been on the road for over a decade was invented due to a huge shift in the demands of our clients as they were reaching new customers, which often required travelling over different terrain. A van or trailer simply couldn’t handle the day-in, day-out demands of the roads they were travelling. Not only could our customers access more locations and customers, they were finding that servicing cities and suburbs became more efficient and productive as it made parking easier as well! The Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Cap provided a dry, dust free and productive workplace for technicians to operate from.

The SB-02 or Premium Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Cap

With a new generation fiberglass slip-in service capsule, you still get all the awesome features and functionality of the SB-01, but Sterling slightly redesigned the tried and proven Mobile Splicing Lab to adjust for a 70:30 rear door configuration (50:50 on SB-01 model). With the SB-02 there are 3 distinct differences.
1. Improves Rear Access – with the change in rear door, the technician only needs to open one door to enter the capsule and place the FOSC inside.
2. Increased height – this model of splicing lab has an internal height of 6’3” (6’1” on the SB-01), giving you more space inside to operate and perform at your best.
3. Improved Design – the newer model not only looks more stylish but is more aerodynamic and hugs the top of the truck cab even tighter, giving it a more aesthetically appealing look.
The SB-02 Premium Fiber Optic Truck Cap is built and ready to be shipped to your location, anywhere across North America!

*Please note that if you have a short box truck, we have an SB-03 model which is almost identical to the SB-02 unit, but everything is slightly shortened to allow for the difference in box length of the truck.

Did you notice that throughout us talking through our different Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Capsule options we referred to them as different names? This was done to show you that no matter what you call our unit, Sterling has the splicing unit for your business.

Why Choose Sterling’s Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Cap?

The Sterling Difference

Here we are going to go into more detail about what separates our Splicing Truck Capsule from our competitors.

1. One Piece Fiberglass Unibody

In Sterling’s Truck Capsule the entire upper body is made from a one-piece mold; this ensures extreme durability and that there can be no entry for water or dust. You can be confident of taking this unit to every jobsite without having to ever worry about the structural integrity of a Sterling truck cap. Other capsules have a seam (shown below with the silver line) that can weaken and become compromised over time.

Sterling                                                                                                                         Other Product

The Differences – In the competitor’s image, the silver trim line indicates where the two parts of the other products capsule are joined together. This join in the structure can deteriorate over time with use in harsh conditions and rough terrain.

2. Reinforced internal strength

The Sterling Capsule has an extensive internal structure throughout the interior of the capsule, including corner braces which allow for it to hold more weight on the roof. It is the only capsule we know of that can be lifted from the inside roof with 1500lbs of weight inside the cap, this allows for easy transferability, and having additional components mounted like our AC unit for temperature control.

Sterling                                                                                                                         Other Product

The Differences – In Sterling’s Fiber Optic Splicing Cap the ribs extend all the way across the roof, and the 4 side gussets to increase the strength and durability. The structural ribs in other products extend only part way; this is the reason why Sterling can lift the canopy by the roof when installing.

3. Nose cone weight Capacity

Sterling’s nose cone has a weight capacity of 500lbs compared to 250lbs of our competitors. This comes in handy when you need to transport additional equipment to the job site.

4. Equipment Mounting

Sterling uses the internal structure to securely bolt all equipment safely and firmly to the capsule. As you can see, by doing this we are ensuring that there is no possibility of equipment coming loose and injuring your technicians, or damaging your expensive equipment.

Sterling                                                                                                                         Other Product

The Differences – Sterling bolting through the ribs ensures maximum strength of equipment installed inside the cap. This is not the case with all cap providers. Many fasten their equipment in with screws only, as you can see here, which is not secure and reliable, as the screws can come loose or even pop out given enough force.

5. FOSC door

Sterling’s two caps have slightly different cable access door configurations, but they function the same way. By offering a small opening for the cable to run through, technicians are able to splice fiber in a dry and dust free environment. Other providers offer a very large opening which can lead to foreign materials inside of the capsule, potentially hindering the splicing operation, and creating discomfort in the workspace.

Sterling’s SB-01                                                             Sterling’s SB-02                                                             Other Product

The Differences – A you can see Sterling’s access doors allow for the FOSC to be placed into the capsule and leave a small space for just the cable to run through. Other splicing capsules come with a one-piece door only which has one large opening which can lead to excessive dust, water and cold or hot air entering the cap.

6. The Workbench

Sterling Black Steel Top workbench allows technicians to easily identify the fibers when splicing, as well as helping to secure their tools & parts by using magnetic parts trays. As you can see others provide a standard wooden benchtop or other less effective option.

Sterling                                                                                                                         Other Product

The Differences – Sterling Black Metal Top workbench allows technicians to easily identify the fibers when splicing, as well as helps to secure their tools & parts by using magnetic parts trays. As you can see the competitor uses a standard wooden benchtop.

Sterling’s Fiber Optic Splicing Truck Cap leads the telecom industry as it allows technicians to go further, have a more comfortable work environment, increase productivity, satisfy more customers and increase your billable hours. Feel free to call it a splicing cap, splicing truck, splicing lab, mobile splice unit or whatever you like, but remember the experts in truck upfitting for the telecommunications industry.

For a more in-depth review of our Fiber Splicing Truck Caps, check out our case study on Foothills Communication by clicking here.

Let’s Save You Money!

Over a 10 year timeline you could own one of Sterling’s Splicing Truck Caps. This allows you to save money by transferring the cap to a new truck instead of having to get a whole new setup. Sterling’s cap is the difference maker. It has a universal fit with all of the big name pickup trucks, it is 100% sealed resulting in dry equipment and 0 downtime, and they allow you to get on the road sooner with a smaller leadtime.

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