4 Tips for Wrapping Your Work Pickup Truck or Cargo Van

Wrapping your work pickup truck or cargo van in a vinyl wrap is an easy and effective way to market your business to hundreds or even thousands of potential customers every day. It’s also a way to give your fleet a more professional appearance and help you stand out from your competitors with bold, memorable designs that advertise your product or service in an eye-catching fashion.

But like any other marketing technique, an effective vehicle wrap requires some initial planning and strategy. A wrap that’s hastily designed or installed may not give you the return you’re seeking. To get the most out of your truck wrap, follow these four tips for wrapping your work pickup truck.

1. Choose your vehicle wrap design carefully

Taking time to carefully plan your vehicle wrap design is one of the most important steps in the process. Keep these tips on how to design a truck wrap in mind so your design is sharp and memorable.

Limit your text – Remember that many of your viewers will be moving when they see your wrap. They won’t have time to stop and read a long paragraph about your services, so keep your marketing copy limited to only a handful of carefully chosen words.

Keep your design simple – Similar to text-heavy designs, overly artistic or “busy” designs can be confusing and ultimately just as difficult for the average person to digest in a split second. Keep things simple and clear so your viewers understand your intended message quickly.

Be mindful of your vehicle – Cargo vans, pickup trucks and box trucks have different body styles, so plan your wrap and design accordingly. For example, a pickup truck may not be best for a large image or logo. Instead, a simple decal or two might be a more effective use of your space.

It’s okay to stand out – Design traits like bold lettering, bright colors and limited text are great, but don’t be afraid of getting creative with your design. Try to assess what your competitors are doing (or not doing) and think of some alternative design strategies to give yourself an edge.

Don’t forget the essentials – It’s fun to focus on things like color scheme and decal placement. Just don’t forget about your essential information, including the name/logo of your company, your phone number and website. Make sure these are clear and visible from different distances.

2. Opt for professional design and installation

Customers care about appearances. An amateur design or poor installation could influence a customer’s decision to give your company a call. This is why it’s more beneficial to get the help of a professional, instead of designing your own wrap and installing it yourself using DIY truck wrap kits.

In addition to looking sharp and clean, professionally installed vinyl wraps tend to last longer and be more durable in rain and heavy sunshine. In fact, vinyl vehicle wraps can last up to five years if installed correctly and well maintained. That could potentially be well worth the cost of design and installation.

3. Be mindful of mobile advertising regulations

If you run a small business and you’re wrapping just one pickup truck, there may be some things you need to know before you move forward with choosing a design. For starters, local laws regarding mobile advertising vary by state. This doesn’t usually have an effect on vinyl vehicle wraps, but it pays to double check that your design/vehicle wont’ be breaking any laws.

Also keep in mind that if you’re wrapping your personal vehicle, you might need to re-register your car as a commercial vehicle depending on your local state laws. In addition, homeowners associations sometimes have restrictions on vehicles that are used for advertising being visible on the street or in a driveway. Make sure your vehicle isn’t violating any rules before you make the investment.

4. Remember to track your truck wrap’s success

You can pay for as many billboards or commercials as you want to advertise your business, but if you aren’t measuring your success, you could potentially be losing money or missing opportunities to make improvements. The same goes for truck wraps. How do you know it’s working for you?

One way to track the effectiveness of your wrap is to use a unique phone number for only your fleet wraps. Every call that comes from that number can be attributed to your wrap. If you’re not seeing the call volume you want, you can revisit your design and see if there is room for improvement.

Before you start designing and printing a bold, sleek vinyl wrap, you need the right commercial vehicle to serve as your “canvas.” U-Haul has a large selection of used pickup trucks, cargo vans and box trucks ready to be branded with your logo and relied on as a company vehicle for years to come. Visit U-Haul Truck Sales® to find a quality used commercial truck near you today.