Mowing guys: Lettering or Magnets

[Jpocket]

I just orderd some magnets for one of my trucks, I've been wanting truck lettering for a while, but I won't do it until I repaint the older trucks white.

I've always thought that lettering was more professional, but lately I been seeing some pretty reputable companies with magnets on thier trucks. And the thing is it actually looks okay to me. I figured what the heck, so im gonna pick em up tomorrow. I do however have licesne plates on all the trucks and they look good, but I just wan to draw more attention when we are in the high end neighborhoods.

So what do you guys think, magnets are OKAY right? I've never had a lettered truck, so this is my chance to see how I like it.

[SprinklerGuy]

Magnets can be great...as long as they aren't the same old boring rectangular magnets that look like magnets. I have seen some very creative use of magnets in oval shapes and other shapes as well. If they blend in w/ the truck they can look impressive.

I prefer lettering....in fact, I have nothing anymore as I am incognito.

[Jpocket]

Magnets can be great...as long as they aren't the same old boring rectangular magnets that look like magnets. I have seen some very creative use of magnets in oval shapes and other shapes as well. If they blend in w/ the truck they can look impressive.

I prefer lettering....in fact, I have nothing anymore as I am incognito.

Thanks...I've been pretty incognito for a while, but im trying to really get a branding thing going so when we pull into a neighborhood, the customer says Oh...thats the company we got a doorhanger or postcard from, I didn't know they did alot of our nieghbors

[Freddy_Kruger]

Lettering is cheap, they can come already spaced out on a sheet you just have to make sure its level. I just got a price, a canadian price, for my phone number in 11" font spanning about 5 feet on each side of my box. 75 bucks canadian. One customer in one month will pay for that. Another 75 bucks for decals on the doors. Under 200 bucks I'm decaled out with my phone number almost a foot high and five feet long. :P

My point is, there is no excuse not to have decals. If I see people working in an undecaled truck I'm thinking they are under the table guys. You can't afford not to have them in my opinion.

Oh and magnets might be useful if you need a car to do estimates or something but frankley they look temporary and that makes your company look bad. IMO.

If you do get magnets make sure your phone number is on them because I here they can fall off while you're driving, lol.

[richallseasons]

i have mine lettered,i see a lot of guys with magnets and they chose shapes or patterns that are hard to read or they stuff so much on them you gotta be five feet away to even make out the phone,i got multple trucks done at the same time and got a good discount for that.

[LB1234]

We have a set of magnetics on one truck, and three on the other (one for the tailgate). They bring us absolutely nothing as far as extra calls. I was thinking about having one of the trucks painted and lettered up but I'm really wondering if it does anything at all...I don't as of now.

[Jpocket]

We have a set of magnetics on one truck, and three on the other (one for the tailgate). They bring us absolutely nothing as far as extra calls. I was thinking about having one of the trucks painted and lettered up but I'm really wondering if it does anything at all...I don't as of now.

Im not really expecting to get any calls, It's just for branding, and an added touch of professionalism. Thing is I realized that I can cut next door to someone for years, and when they get a post card and call they had know idea that we were mowing next to them, B/C none of the trucks are lettered.

[eruuska]

Im not really expecting to get any calls, It's just for branding, and an added touch of professionalism. Thing is I realized that I can cut next door to someone for years, and when they get a post card and call they had know idea that we were mowing next to them, B/C none of the trucks are lettered.

Jpocket,
I think that's the key. I had my truck lettered last spring, and I don't think I've had a single call that came solely from the truck, but I'm sure that it helps people remember who I am when they get a card or flyer, or look in the phone book.

And I like the sig line. I always heard it this way: "Good, Cheap, and Fast: You can have any two, but not all three".

[topsites]

If you know anything about magnetics, heat (high temps) kills magnetism. It is the reason electric motors die over time, as the heat from the motor slowly leeches the magnetic force out of the magnets. With 100+ degree summer temperatures, those 50-some dollar signs can become weak without notice, and fly off as you're going down the road. Speeds as low as 40mph can make them come off, and they can even come off brand-new if they're not on just right.

And, it would cost me close to a thousand dollars a year in extra insurance if I put letters of any kind on my truck. Most people who don't see this extra cost is because they're already paying it (letters or not, most insurance co's charge a high commercial premium).

[Landscape25]

I have found my signs, while in a neighborhood, to be quite advantageous lately. They see your truck and they have something they would like done and you may very well have yourself a job. And this is with magnetics I might add. I did recently get my web address lettered on my back window, but technically I am not allowed to advertise in my neighborhood due to zoning regulations. It is my personal truck too. I keep my signs on the fridge, the lady at the sign shop suggested that, not sure if it is the temp or just an easy place to keep them flat. I don't drive on the highway with them that much, usually one on the back, so they don't fall off. I'm not a mowing guy but that is probably irrelevant to the issue.

[eruuska]

And, it would cost me close to a thousand dollars a year in extra insurance if I put letters of any kind on my truck. Most people who don't see this extra cost is because they're already paying it (letters or not, most insurance co's charge a high commercial premium).

So you're not telling your insurance company that your truck is used for commercial purposes? Isn't that sort of, well, you know, fraudulent? :nono: This "extra cost" is just the cost of being a professional.

[HOOLIE]

those 50-some dollar signs can become weak without notice, and fly off as you're going down the road.

Geez I got enought to worry about already...now add flying magnets to the list :rolleyes:

[6'7 330]

And, it would cost me close to a thousand dollars a year in extra insurance if I put letters of any kind on my truck. Most people who don't see this extra cost is because they're already paying it (letters or not, most insurance co's charge a high commercial premium).


It really would be doing this forum a favor--if you started your career change, testing guillotines.

Jpocket

Magnetics of high quality design that blend in with your truck, can be very attractive.Back in the day, we started out using magnetics .Wax and clean the signs and the metal they stick to once a month or so,the signs will keep sticking like glue for a good while.

[Splicer]

I use magnets for my CATV contracting. They don't fly off (buy the heavier weight magnet base and don't roll them, and be careful removing them you don't F-up th ecorners) and look good. Much more professional than the guy with a rider in the trunk of a towne car...

[Jpocket]

I know plenty of people with magnets and have never heard of one in good shape just flying off. I've got a buddy with Mack Tri-axles that fly down the highway at 70-80mph in the summer, and all of his magnets are still on.

I can see maybe when they get old like after 5 or 6 seasons.

[DynaMow]

they do not fly off if in good shape and clean surface. have used them in the courier business for over 20 years (not the same sign for all years)

[proenterprises]

I had a nice set made up last year. 2 on the doors and 1 on the tailgate. I lost the ones on the doors in a few days as they flew off on the highway, doing on 50mph. The one on the tailgate never moves. As a matter of fact, I like it on the tailgate better.

[Frontier-Lawn]

heres another idea i was going to do later on. Do a full are wrap on the truck. sorta like this web site has http://www.ad-wraps.com it would get a lot more attention i think

[Landscape25]

It depends on your signs for attention, I would say. My signs have a lot of color (4 colors plus two shades of green) my truck is charcoal, I think they stand out pretty well. My logo and letters seem to be almost incorporated into the magnet as opposed to being applied to the magnet. I suppose the wraps are attention getting, but I would not want to drive around in that myself.

[eshreve1234]

I have vinyl on my doors, you said you were going to paint your trucks, so it would be dumb to letter them first. Use the magnets, when your done painting switch to vinyl.

[Schwazz]

Becarefull with magnets, make sure you remove them once and awhile to clean under them or the leave rust on your paint job. I had this problem under mine when I've had them. Lettering I think looks more professional, remember that tv commerical where the guy says, today we do windows, and slaps a magnet on the truck. Thats always the feeling I had with perseption toward magnets.

[Luvs2Play]

We started with magnets, never lost one going down the highway. It seems they attract people in parking lots though. We would come out of the store to find them rearranged or gone. Went with vinyl, cost about the same, problem solved.

[lakesregionscapes]

We lost one magnetic sign the first week we had them - ANY bondo under that paint, and it won't stick (ended up with the signs on the bed instead of the doors on one truck). We got magnetics, bacause the trucks were going to be repainted, then lettered, later. Burned that one truck up entirely in an engine fire instead - lost the signs too...
The remaining signs will go on the skidsteer, vinyl lettering on the new truck.

[Ollie3]

I think lettering looks more professional than the magnets. Just my 2-cents.

Ollie

[twj721]

Here in my county the tax appraisal district are really scum suckers if they catch you with signs on your truck then they will want to put your truck on the taxable personal property list so I plan on just putting signs on my trailer if I ever do I am looking fully loaded with what I have already got now to do for the season unless I expand to a second crew which I am thinking about doing as I have all the local school dist this year i love it you do not have to drive much do 1 campus a day then the next day do the next one and so on . If this gas keeps going up I may drop all my residential and just do the school .
more profit as I do not have to drive to all different places :confused:

[PSO058]

Lettering definately looks better, But in my area alot of communities have ordinances against parking commercial vehicles in driveways (personal drives). So magnets are a good way to go so they can be removed at night when you get home.

[hosejockey2002]

ANY bondo under that paint, and it won't stick

Yeah, they don't stick real well to fiberglass or aluminum either...:laugh: