ISO 11446

Updated: 08/12/2025
By: Lars Nuwenhof

ISO 11446 - The standard for the 13-PIN connector for trucks and semi-trailers

ISO 11446 is the international standard for the 13-PIN connector for 12V semi-trailers, caravans and semi-trailers. This modern standard is widely used in Europe for vehicles with extended electrical functions.

Structure of the standard

The original version ISO 11446:2004 has been replaced by a two-part structure:

ISO 11446-1:2012 - Functional requirements, dimensions and assignment
ISO 11446-2:2012 - For vehicles with increased sealing requirements

Applications of ISO 11446

The standard is suitable for vehicles with features such as:

Full lighting and signal transmission
Power supply of internal consumers such as refrigerator or battery
Semi-Trailer detection via CAN-bus

Also check out our semi-trailer lighting roadmap or learn more about semi-trailer lighting regulations.

Official pin assignment according to ISO 11446 - 13-PIN connector.

The overview below shows the standard PIN assignment according to ISO 11446, including colour coding.

PIN	Function	Type	Colour
1	Left-hand direction indicator	Signal	Yellow
2	Rear fog light	Lighting	Blue
3	Mass for PINs 1 to 8	Mass	White
4	Right direction indicator	Signal	Green
5	Right rear lights	Lighting	Brown
6	Brake lights	Lighting	Red
7	Rear lights left	Lighting	Black
8	Reversing lights	Lighting	Grey
9	Permanent power supply (+12V)	Power supply	Orange
10	Switched power supply	Power supply	Dark grey
11	Mass for PIN 10	Mass	White/Black
12	Semi-Trailer detection or charging logic (CAN-bus)	Signal	Not standardised
13	Mass for PIN 9	Mass	White/Red

Use of PIN 12 in modern vehicles

PIN 12 was originally reserved and left unused for a long time. Since around 2018, it has been increasingly used for smart semi-trailer functions, such as:

Detection of hitched semi-trailer (parking sensors, ESP adjustment)
Charging logic for caravan batteries (fridge logic)
Power supply dependent on driving status or engine activity

These applications are now widely implemented in almost all car brands, provided the towbar module supports CAN-bus.

Also check out these related articles:

Reliable connectors and complete cable sets from TRALERT®

For trouble-free and durable installation of your ISO 11446 connectors, quality cabling is crucial. Check out our complete range of high-quality cable sets, junction boxes and connectors that meet the most stringent requirements in the transport sector.

Share this article:

Author

Lars Nuwenhof

Lars is a lighting specialist at TRALERT® and responsible for the dealer portal. He writes about LED technology and helps customers with digital links and smart lighting solutions.

ABOUT
TRALERT®

TRALERT® is the leading manufacturer and partner in high-quality LED lighting solutions for commercial vehicles. By taking care of everything from drawing board to realisation, you and your customers can hit the road safely, carefree and professionally lightened.

VISIT
EXPERIENCE CENTRE

The TRALERT® Experience Centre is an interactive showroom with
training and test rooms. Experience TRALERT® LED vehicle lighting in practice. Experience lighting performance in different situations are.

Plan visit

PARTNER
TO BE

TRALERT® works closely with its B2B partners and does not supply end users directly. Are you a manufacturer, reseller or company active in initial mounting? Then register as a partner. Are you an end user? Then please refer to a TRALERT® partner.

Discover the possibilities

Author

Lars Nuwenhof

Lars is a lighting specialist at TRALERT® and responsible for the dealer portal. He writes about LED technology and helps customers with digital links and smart lighting solutions.

Featured lighting:

Onix Series

VC-2000 Series

MV-2400 Dark Series

Stay up to date
THE LATEST NEWS

Discover the world of LED vehicle lighting through our informative blogs, useful tips and valuable insights, written by TRALERT® specialists.