The Basics of DOT Regulations
As previously mentioned, the Department of Transportation has developed strict guidelines for commercial vehicle lettering, but compliance is extremely important to avoid fines that can result from failure to comply with federal regulations. Violations can cost you plenty—there are DOT fines, and there are fines imposed by the local or state police for violations, often in addition to the DOT fines. After your company has applied for its DOT number, all commercial vehicles must comply with these regulations, which are not limited to large trucks and trailers. They also include any vehicle that weighs more than 10,000 pounds or more than 26,000 pounds combined gross. Fines can go as high as $25,000 for serious violations . Given that most companies just purchased or leased their vehicles and when you add the costs of registration, insurance, maintenance, and payroll, why risk being fined for something as simple as not having your proper lettering? In short, the Department of Transportation requires that we display certain information on our trucks, including the company name, city and state (to help identify the company, as well as its origin), the address, and the DOT number. All of this information is it subject to their standards for color and clarity. While we will not break down what is required (and what is not), it is important to note here that there are certain exceptions to the lettering requirement. All trucking companies are required to comply with them.
Mandatory Information to Include in Truck Letterings
Because commercial trucks are viewed as rolling billboards, they are required by both federal and state laws to display certain information. All Commercial motor vehicles, or CMVs, which include all vehicles used in interstate commerce, regardless of size, must display the USDOT number. 49 CFR 390.15 If the CMV is a larger vehicle (10,001 pounds or more), like a tractor trailer, the following information must be displayed on each side of the truck: Because many consumers live in states that are not adjacent to the state where the vehicle is registered, it’s prudent to also put the state of registration on the vehicle. If the truck is registered in New York, for example, put NY below or next to the USDOT number so that people in neighboring states see where the company is registered. Below is an example. 1103205 CONNELL CONSTRUCTION INC NY On intrastate trucks and buses, the registration number is not required on power units because intrastate trucks can run only on a fixed route within their given state. For example, if it’s a local limosine service, then their trucks may not be required to display the registration number. There is flexibility of the placement of the information on large CMVs. For example, the required information can be placed on the windows. Beyond the USDOT number, other information is required under federal law and sometimes state law. The name of the company must be displayed on the vehicle. Some states require the name and address and some states require a telephone number. Federal requirements only require the display of the name, and sometimes address. The rules are different for intrastate trucking. In Pennsylvania, for example, an intrastate truck must display the name, address and telephone number. See 67 Pa. Code § 185.512. As for the placement of the company name, the company name must appear on the first attachment surface. The first attachment surface on a truck is the straight vertical surface immediately behind the truck cab and above the IME or grill plate. If the truck has a sleeper, the name and address can appear on the rear of the sleeper. The size of the letters for the company name on a large truck must be at least 4 inches in height, except if the height of the vertical surface is less than 4 feet, and in that case, at least 1 inch. See 49 CFR 393.11 and (S) 393.201. With lettering for smaller commercial vehicles, such as service pickup trucks and delivery vans, the lettering must be at least three-eighths inch high, except if the width of the vehicle is less than six feet wide and in that case 1/4 inch high. See 49 CFR 392.210. What if the lettering is too small or in the wrong spot? If the lettering is too small, the USDOT number may be considered not visible and might be considered improperly displayed. Too small means letters, numbers or characters that are either smaller than 3 inches or 1/2 the height of the letters as required by the specific subsection of Part 390 the lettering is being measured for compliance with. Further, the USDOT number should be legible from 50 feet during daylight, to the side of the commercial motor vehicle. In addition to the federal regulations there may be state regulations for commercial vehicle lettering and registration, such as Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has regulations concerning the placement and size of the lettering, which can be found in 67 Pa. Code § 185.500-185.512. Pennsylvania allows for flexibility of the placement of the information on the truck. For example, the company name can be placed on the windows. Except with the exception of mobile heavy equipment, the height of the letters must be at least 3 inches in height, except if the height of the vertical surface is less than 4 feet and in that case, at least 1 inch. 67 Pa. code § 185.511(a)(2). Which might be in some of these elevated SUV type vehicles now. See Pennsylvania bulletin on the height of letters and numbers for commercial vehicles. Requirements for lettering and placarding commercial motor vehicles.
Size and Placement Requirements
Most commercial trucks and vehicles on the road possess some level of lettering indicating the business’ name and contact information. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires interstate commercial vehicles to have its USDOT number clearly visible on their left side so that emergency services personnel can quickly identify the owner. Unfortunately, there are no clear provisions or clear enforcement of requirements related to more closely-held information such as the business’ name, address, and other contact information.
When it comes to identifying information on your commercial truck, size matters. The FMCSA requires lettering on both tractor trailers and box trucks that is "clearly legible during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet." While your first inclination may be to immediately call a sign company to obtain the biggest letters possible to ensure compliance, you should first consider the size of your truck and the amount of space available for lettering. Keep in mind that FMCSA regulations also require the area on your truck at least 50 percent wider than the letters so that nothing else will interfere with your company’s name and logo.
Generally, tractor trailers will have a minimum of 12-inch lettering where space allows, such as the side of the trailer, and 6-inch lettering on the doors. If you want to keep costs down and reduce the amount of paint used on your truck by limiting signage to the minimum requirements, the smaller lettering will suffice, generally. However, those same tractor trailers may require larger lettering to effectively identify business logos, which could result in increased costs to paint-over old lettering in the future.
Box trucks typically offer the best space for creative lettering because the sides, rear doors, and roof can all potentially be incorporated into the design of your company’s lettering. Because of the different methods in which a box truck’s exterior will be painted or lettered, be sure to discuss the requirements for specific areas with the sign company you hire. Also, consider offering adequate space for the business’ name, address, phone number, website URL, and email. With so many commercial trucks driving around city streets and on highways, it is even more important to ensure your company’s name is easily readable, but big enough so that everyone knows it is your business.
Many states have regulations that apply to commercial trucks and their registration or licensing that require additional identifying information. Some states may have specific requirements related to size in particular with regard to lettering, so check with your state’s DMV and the agencies regulating commercial trucking to ensure you comply with additional lettering requirements.
Design and Material Specifications
While the aforementioned considerations address the legal aspects of commercial truck lettering, the best results are achieved when both the design elements and the material are carefully considered. For instance, when a truck is in transit or parked on the street, the lettering will be most visible to motorists rather than pedestrians. So, the ideal font should be legible from at least a full city block away. The height of your lettering will also play a key role in determining your visibility. And that brings us to font size, which for advertising purposes should ideally be 36 inches or greater for a full rear door application and less than that for window applications. If you expect a significant portion of your advertising dollars to be spent while parked, consider adding a second, smaller door application to the side or rear doors and make the lettering even larger.
If you are not opting for a vinyl application, then color matters more than ever. Bear in mind: that in far more circumstances than not, you are not designing your lettering for full sunlight conditions (i.e. the sunset or sunrise). So ensure that your colors are complementary and strong enough to stand out in the dark. You want to use colors that will contrast against the vehicle color regardless of the time of day. In reviewing color options, consider going darker on the bottom portion of the truck, and lighter on the top to take full advantage of the lighting in off hours.
If the weather is tough on your vehicle, to say the least, when it comes to the material make certain that whatever you select can withstand the elements. Again, if you are opting for a vinyl application, pay attention to the calendaring and calendared process. When done correctly, a heat activated process is the best option because it ensures that the adhesive is as closed as possible when applying the graphic to the surface of the truck. But in terms of paint, take note that metallic paint is not always advisable due to the fact that it is more prone to chipping and will not "wrap" around corners, which means that you lose some of the protective benefits that a paint job without metallic pigments would provide.
Cost and Budget Guidelines
For all the attention commercial truck lettering and graphics get as a tool for marketing, the cost is not the budget-breaker you might think. The return on investment in customer acquisition for a business is well documented and this is one of the most cost-effective ways to bring attention to your business. There are different levels of service and materials that will increase or decrease the cost of applying the lettering to a commercial truck, such as vinyl material, digital printing, and vinyl wrap. Whether adhering to the strictest of DOT regulations, or simply applying your company name and number, the cost is reasonable and a good value for any size business. The cost of having lettering applied by an experienced professional will also increase or decrease based on the materials used. Most quality commercial sign makers carry one year warranties on their products, which allows you to kick the cost of repairs and replacement down the road if needed. With digital printing, "the sticker" gets printed with your design and the vinyl letter characteristics of letters you outlined at the beginning are applied to that. In this case the result can be a "sticker" or a somewhat textured letter with various characteristics depending on the print method and inks used. If "wrap" is chosen as the method to apply the lettering , then the result is a fully covered vehicle, which is considered a billboard on wheels posing a number of challenges to apply the logo and lettering. So, how can a company save money on commercial truck lettering? Keep it simple. Use the "tip of the iceberg" amount of lettered surface on your vehicle. What’s the tip of the iceberg? It is the letters that spell out the name of the business, and its contact information. Putting these on as the painting is done to the cab will save labor costs and results in a different look to the branding of the truck. You can budget for commercial lettering on the trucks and trailers your company owns or leases after the vehicles are in service. This way, the advertising is working and revenue from new sales is paying for the lettering operation. You could even offset these costs by grading the cost into the contract per mile to your customers. This gives you the ability to have properly lettered vehicles and not pay for it out of your pocket.
Typical Legal Challenges and Avoiding Them
The first pitfall businesses run into is avoiding legal requirements altogether. It’s easy to minimize the importance of rules and regulations when they appear in print and hard to get a hold of. Automating the truck lettering ordering process as part of a larger corporate look is generally a good idea, but it can have ugly ramifications. Companies are often unaware that legal openings come with extremely strict guidelines that are constantly in flux. Before deciding to let an automation program handle your truck lettering arrangements, be sure that your vendor is clear about the latest developments in your area, and leaves room to adjust in case you’re suddenly out-of-compliance.
Next and the one that most often catches people off-guard is the mistake of not registering and tagging new vehicles. Your fleet is essentially a part of your branding and every manufacturer and state want their piece of the action. Whether you’re getting a used model or a newer corporate design, don’t forget to update the vehicle’s registration and get the receive the proper tags. This is mostly limited to the fleet side rather than a business that uses few trucks.
The last mistake is a pretty common one for a business that’s unaware of the complexities of state and national regulations. There are occasions when a local law seems trivial. However that might not be true. The local law could be true for building codes, for example. Thus, if the lettering you’ve chosen is only 2" high, it could be considered illegal if local codes require them to be larger than that.
The simple solution is always to stay current. However that means constantly checking up. The simplest way to stay on top of all of this is to work with a skilled and well-connected team of graphic designers and sign makers. Talking to your vendor is always a good idea, even once a year. Ascertain if you need to make changes because of changes in the law, changes in your own company policies, or simply to reflect new designs. If the company you are going with has a good record and a strong reputation, simply explain what you need and they will do the rest.
The Advantages of Professional Lettering Services
The importance of having commercial vehicle lettering done professionally cannot be overstated. Contracting out this work guarantees that you will have an expert helping you. They have the eye to give you the best possible design, not just throwing something together because it is easy for them. This attention to detail will pay off in the long run; if your lettering looks professional, people will see you as a more professional business.
Having professionals install your commercial vehicle lettering also relieves you of worrying about any potential mistakes. If you have ever tried using a kit to put one on your own vehicle , you likely ended up with air bubbles and parts that were not perfectly lined up. This is news you would obviously like to avoid being a subject of, while going about your day. At the end of the day, a company providing these services is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality work and will correct any mistakes that do occur. This is after all, their career. When done properly, commercial vehicle lettering will last for several years.