Letter trucks??

[NateV]

Ok just like the title say should we letter our turcks up? Dad never did it before but i dont know why..Not sure if he thought people that saw the truck would just call and be "tire kickers" and not actually want anything done or not. But now that i think about it its problably because he usually gets a new pick-up every 3 yrs or so. Only thing to tell our truck is its Bright Red with a white stripe. I mean its the only Red F-800 around this area. Theres no name or number on it. Just dad has his same below the windows like the truckers do to claim there truck i guess lol.. But both our pickups are red so i was kinda thinking about getting mine done becasue im problably gonna keep it a while and by the time i can get another one it wont be worth trading in and will just keep it.

Im just not sure what to get done..Just name and number or small pic or what?

Whats the average cost to get something simple like name/number?

[Bigred350]

this is what all our truck look like. Cost less that $150.
Im my opinion its free advertising. And it looks more professional when you pull up to someones house and your name is on your truck.






http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/Bigred350/Work%20pics/IMG_1761.jpg

[Junior M]

I agree, you look alot more professional and it gives you a little advertisement to.. I am goin to put a little decal on the tailgate of the bronco when I get it all painted up...

[ksss]

I can give me thoughts on it.

The value of lettering your trucks goes beyond somebody seeing it and calling for work right away, although there's nothing wrong with that.

I believe that name recognition is very important in this business. It is really all that separates one company from the next when you think about. Every time your trucks move or are sitting on a job they are seen by the public. Everytime your logo is read, it sends a message. It says this company is busy, the more they see your trucks the more they associate your trucks with success and everyone wants to hire a successful company. I would ask yourself this, if one two companies are vying for the same job assuming same bid number and all other factors being equal. Who would be most likely to get the job. Company A who maybe just as busy in the area but no one knows that because they have not identified themselves, or Company B who the customer sees all over town on different jobs or has see their vehicles around town?

I hear this all the time "you must really be busy, I see your trucks all over the place" The reality is I don't have that many trucks and I am a small operation, but everything is signed and people read the signs, especially if your graphics are eye catching. Your in business to be successful so why not let everyone know who you are? I had my MACK on the road for a week and I had guys coming up to me and asking about it. They saw the truck, read the sign and mentioned it when the saw me next. That is name/brand recognition that you cant get out of any other type of advertising media.

That is why I sign all my iron as well. Its sitting on the job and I want everyone, customers and competitors alike to see who is doing the work.
Its also a reminder to myself and those that work for me that literally, your name is on every job. Its got to be good everytime.


All that said this might be over the top a little.

[Junior M]

Shane, if you dont mind, can I print that out and show Dad? And I like that lettering, I'd definetly remember it.. I'd say the only thing that could make it better would be if you were in the machine or it was your machine, assuming its not.. ;)

And I know what number I am prank callin here in a few.. :cool2: :laugh:

[stuvecorp]

You can spend alot if you go with reflective and some fancy stuff but you don't have to. I have the sign guy print them out and I put them on just because I like that kind of thing. I think reflective is worth it.

I haven't put any graphics/decals on the truck but it is a good idea to have it on and I think you have to now.

[ClearViewGroup]

i am all for lettering a truck...we have all of ours done...

[ksss]

Shane, if you dont mind, can I print that out and show Dad? And I like that lettering, I'd definetly remember it.. I'd say the only thing that could make it better would be if you were in the machine or it was your machine, assuming its not.. ;)

And I know what number I am prank callin here in a few.. :cool2: :laugh:


Knock yourself out.

Funny you mention the machine. I got the image out of a CASE propoganda book a long time ago (obviously by the older graphics design). I wish it was a 95XT or 465 but no its a 75XT, which is the weak sister in the lineup but few know that.

I would be careful on the prank calls. You might have forgotten but I do find myself spending time in the South (not by choice). Your not hard to find little brother.:waving:

[Junior M]

Knock yourself out.

Funny you mention the machine. I got the image out of a CASE propoganda book a long time ago (obviously by the older graphics design). I wish it was a 95XT or 465 but no its a 75XT, which is the weak sister in the lineup but few know that.

I would be careful on the prank calls. You might have forgotten but I do find myself spending time in the South (not by choice). Your not hard to find little brother.:waving:
Come on by! Ya gotta figure out where I live first.. Lugoff, Elgin and Camden cover a big area (small towns, huge rural areas)

And what would you be in this area of the country for?

[ksss]

Come on by! Ya gotta figure out where I live first.. Lugoff, Elgin and Camden cover a big area (small towns, huge rural areas)

And what would you be in this area of the country for?


Thats a secret and I am usually a little south of you, but worry not Jr. on a calm night I will just listen for the banjo's strummin, and follow the music. Once I start seeing the "caution slow children" signs and "the short bus stops here" signs, I'll know I am close.:laugh:

[Junior M]

Thats a secret and I am usually a little south of you, but worry not Jr. on a calm night I will just listen for the banjo's strummin, and follow the music. Once I start seeing the "caution slow children" signs and "the short bus stops here" signs, I'll know I am close.:laugh:
Hmm, south of me, I am guessin, Beaufort, Hilton Head for vacation? Or maybe Florida?

and if you start hearing that you'll be way away from me, you'll be in Camden.. :laugh: (our schools rival is Camden)

[addictedtolandscaping]

As for the lettering, I am all for it. As was said, free advertising. If you are going to pay commercial insurance, why not have the benefit of a traveling billboard. Name recognition is key. I just had my logo redesigned, copyrited now. The colors the graphic artist used burn into your mind almost instantly. It cost me a fortune as I just had my new truck done and will be getting the rest and the enclosed trailer done once we get going this year. Think about it, you come up with or some one else comes up with a sharp logo that gets attention, you plaster it on your trucks and trailers, people see you on job sites and then again around town, hell that is almost as good as if not just as good as word of mouth. Instant marketing all for just running errands or what ever you have to drive to do. I will get some pics posted later in the week of the truck and lettering. Although it is totally different than anything I have ever done, even the business cards are going with an exact match, recognition is key. This year even the big companies are going to go after the smaller work. I truly believe to succeed in this economy, if you aren't big you have to look as though you are. Any how, IMHO it is well worth the cost.

[Dirt Digger2]

all our trucks are lettered up...along with matching paint schemes...numbers are on the trucks, but they don't put the phone numbers on our t-shirts...i don't know why

phone numbers on the truck are usually good...except when you run a yellow light in a fully loaded 10wheeler and the pissed off soccer mom behind you runs the red light because she was following you too close...so she calls the number on the truck bitching about you and then 2 seconds later you get a call on the radio asking why i am running red lights...i digress....

[bobcat_ron]

I never bother to, only the important stuff like the O/O and weights, the rest is just bumper stickers that give the occasional tail gater the impression to piss off and leave me alone.

[minimax]

The bad thing about names on rigs is when a rock falls off the trailer they are calling you right away:dizzy::dizzy:.

minimax

[Junior M]

The bad thing about names on rigs is when a rock falls off the trailer they are calling you right away:dizzy::dizzy:.

minimax
Thats why we keep the trailer swept off... :cool2: Dad always used to have a list of posted rules on the shop wall.. it was like this..

1. the boss is always right
2. if a rock comes off the trailer you're pulling, your paying for it.. (never had an issue)
3. dont steal my s#it...

[ksss]

The bad thing about names on rigs is when a rock falls off the trailer they are calling you right away:dizzy::dizzy:.

minimax


Yea, that and running lights or whatever makes you almost too easy to find.:cry:


I have not signed my little half ton. Not sure if I will, kinda nice being incognito every once in a while. However all my major pieces are signed.

[ford550]

Most of our business comes from our lettered up trucks. It's professional and it a moving billboard for advertising (the best kind). Don't hesitate to do it.

[NateV]

Thanks for all the advice. What do you guys think about just the magnetic stick ons?? I know they dont look as good but it has to be better then nothing.

We only have the dump, and both of our pick ups and im not sure that i want mine lettered up every where i go.


And i was thinking about the phone number thing. Im not sure if id want that on there just for the reason of people calling and complaing about something like your driving. Maybe just the name and logo. if they want to call they can look the number up

[Junior M]

Magnets scratch the he!! out of the truck, so if you take any care of the body of the truck, you'll hate it..

[NateV]

This is my truck that id be getting done..

Name and pic of backhoe on doors?
Something some like just the name on the tailgate?

I dont want to go too crazy plus i think with the truck being two-tone it cuts the room to work with down so it doesnt blend all together.

What color letters. Silver to match?

[Dirt Digger2]

if you don't want anything too excessive why don't you get a little decal for the extended cab window...that wouldn't look too bad

[bobcatexc]

I agree with what everybody is saying about lettering trucks, definately a free and easy adverstising.

Now my advice or petpeeves with lettering trucks:

1. Make it "BIG" so everybody can identify the company name.
2. Make it "Simple" it's a advertising board going 50mph down the highway, don't need to list every service offered.
3. Make lettering stand out from truck color use the right colors I know you want company colors.
4. Keep DOT and Contractor license small as possible and down low. Customers don't care about that and it cluders up everything else and hard to read.

Take for example KSSS truck vs. Murphy Brothers truck

If you never had seen this two trucks before and seen them running down the road you'd easlily beable to reads Kaiser Skidsteer Service, he's got the blue (very clear and bold) standing out on his name and number, then other nonimportant stuff is grey. Murphy nice lettering but kind of hard to even read on this picture.

Also magnets scratch and paint will fade around them if you leave on majority of the time.

I don't know if that makes since or helps but just my 2 cents.

[Junior M]

If I were you I'd just do the company logo with a phone number on either the back door or side glass in the back doors and then on the tail gate..

[KTM]

I don't know about the rest of the states, but in Wisconsin I believe that it is the law that the company's name has to be in sight on any commercial vehicle over a certain GVWR. One of My in-laws just got pulled over by a state trooper in town in A old grain truck, the excuse that the trooper used to pull him over was that there was no company name on truck, then of course he inspected it and found way more wrong than that.

[ksss]

I don't know about the rest of the states, but in Wisconsin I believe that it is the law that the company's name has to be in sight on any commercial vehicle over a certain GVWR. One of My in-laws just got pulled over by a state trooper in town in A old grain truck, the excuse that the trooper used to pull him over was that there was no company name on truck, then of course he inspected it and found way more wrong than that.


Your right KTM. DOT passed law several years ago that the vehicle had to have the city and state of origin on the truck, among other things like name, DOT # etc. The letters have to be visible from 50' away (2" letters). If it were not for that I would not have put it the 5500 at all. Idaho does't push this too hard but if you don't have it they can certainly use as Probable Cause to pull you over. I would question the grain truck stop. I would assume its not used for commerical purposes. If its not, the basis for the stop would come into question. You might want to mention that to your friend if has not already paid the fines.

[02DURAMAX]

if you don't want anything too excessive why don't you get a little decal for the extended cab window...that wouldn't look too bad

This is what I did to my truck.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd252/002DURAMAX/CIMG3992-1.jpg

[ford550]

What do you guys think about just the magnetic stick ons??

Years ago we did magnetics. They suck. They blow off, they don't look professional and people steal them. Yeah, I don't know what they want them for, but at least 2 a year.

im not sure that i want mine lettered up every where i go

I felt the same way at first. But to be honest, you don't really notice, you get used to it and everywhere you drive you are advertising. Maybe you don't need the extra work :rolleyes: I know I do ;)

[NateV]

We dont have DOT #'s. PA doesnt require them for instate use.

I do like the window idea..but my back door windows are only 12'' across at the top and 14'' at the bottom. 20'' tall. That might be kinda tight to squeeze something in there. It looks like 02duramax has bigger back windows.

[J. Peterson Grading]

I decided to change my logos up. I still use my old logo on all my little dump trucks. But on my pick ups, I am using a new style logo. Its a bit different.

I think your trucks get noticed the most. Its nice getting calls because of them. I had a guy call last season because my Isuzu's were "Cute"

lol

[Dirt Digger2]

nice F150....that things badass

and the decals kinda look like the FX4 decals...very nice

[Junior M]

J. Peterson: I love the new logo, looks futuristic and looks like it fits the truck.. btw, I love that 150! And I still like the old logo, thats the same style I wanna put on our truck...

[bobcat_ron]

JPG, I love the logo style!

[J. Peterson Grading]

Thanks guys. I have never had a truck that was Bad Ass. Lol.

I coppied the FX4 logo, and tweaked it. I like it because its not ovewhelming like some other logos can be. I also like being able to go places in my truck and not look like I am going to work. Another thing thats nice about the new logo is, it makes people look a bit more. They see a factory looking logo, Looking like its supposed to be there, and they take notice.

The new logo is also a bit of a tribute to a former employee (Went to grad school, Great help) that always said JPG break when ever we went out in the mornings. It used to drive me nuts, but secretly I liked it. lol

Heres a pic of my other new truck. Its my fleet supervisor/second in commands new truck. I updated this winter a bit. Last year truck repairs just about killed me.

J

[J. Peterson Grading]

Side pic of my new truck

[stuvecorp]

J, I like your new logo. The nice thing is it is easy to put on anything. Good 'branding'.