Large Magnetic Signs for Cars, Trucks and Vans: Bigger is BETTER!

Large Magnetic Signs for Cars, Trucks and Vans: Bigger is BETTER!

*actual customer of WholesaleMagneticSigns.com

If you are reading this from your vehicle, chances are you can look up from this page and see no less than 10 forms of signage, all within your current view, from your current location. Let's try an experiment, the next time you park your vehicle, take a good look around your at the amount of signage that is within your viewing area. After you do that, perform a little self analysis at which signs you give priority to. You most likely will view everything from the extremely detailed yet attractive, full color signs to simple signs with a simple message. The sizes vary from a small one foot magnetic sign to a 16 foot banner. The way most of our brains are wired, larger and easier to read signs will get priority over a more detailed message. It is not that you do not find a less detailed sign more appealing, the reason for this is the reward your brain gives you for properly interpreting the information as it is presented to you. Larger signs are easier to interpret and your attention will be focused on giving the signs with a larger message a higher priority.

This leads me to the topic at hand: EXPOSURE through SIZE.

Many times an advertiser tries to stuff the available ad space with too many products and services for someone to interpret. Although I can't blame the advertiser for the effort, these types of signs normally do not get read. A simple sign, with a simple message, presented in an attractive way, will get the best results. This is especially true when using magnetic signs on a vehicle for advertising. When magnetic signs are used on a moving vehicle, it is very important to keep your message simple, while making it as large as your vehicle will accommodate. The window of time you have to expose your product, business or message is a much smaller than if you were advertising from a stationary position. You will get the most return from your investment in magnetic vehicle signs if you simplify the message and purchase the largest magnet that your vehicle can accommodate. As they say, "Go big or go home."

Wholesalemagneticsigns.com is a supplier and producer of large magnetic signs that can be custom ordered based on the measurements of the size you would like to fill. They can also be die cut to span doors, hatches and windows. If you are looking for a large magnetic sign for your truck, car or delivery van, please visit www.wholesalemagneticsigns.com for additional information. 

Vehicle Advertising 101. With magnetic signs, stick to the current message.

When using magnetic signs to advertise your business, swap out your message seasonally.

Magnetic signs are a great way to advertise your product, service or message to the general public for businesses small and large. This is especially true if your pricing or message changes either seasonally or needs to be adjusted based on market fluctuations. One example would be for an owner of a HVAC business. In the winter, 99% of your business comes from installation or repair of heating systems. In the summer however, the majority of your business comes from repair and installation of air conditioning units and heat pumps. Instead of advertising both services on one magnetic truck sign, wouldn't it be better to have an advertisement that can be switched out based on the service or product you are focusing on selling at that time of year? By doing this, you can focus on making your seasonal message larger which in turn will help you gain more exposure and sales. Another good example would be for a lawn care/ landscaping business. Lawn care and landscaping businesses typically work on yard projects over the summer and supplement the slow winter season by taking on snow removal projects. Time and time again we have noticed customers attempting to advertise both the lawn care service and the snow removal on one sign. As magnetic signs pay for themselves with one decent lead, they are inexpensive enough to afford a different sign for each season. By advertising for both businesses on one sign, business owners often lose out on potential clients by trying to put too much information on their magnetic signs. Even on the larger magnetic signs for trucks, you limited your advertising exposure by making the text on the signs harder to read. Take your message, brand or service to the next level by making your magnetic sign advertising as large as possible. By focusing on one product or service, you will net more conversions and make your message simple and easy to read from a great distance. 

In conclusion, if you are a professional with more than one service that is based on a seasonal rotation, magnetic car signs should be customized for the service you are most likely to offer at that time. No one is interested in Ice cream in the winter or hot coffee in the summer.

This blog has been brought to you by WholesaleMagneticSigns.com

Misconceptions of Magnetic Signs Part 2: Things to watch for when purchasing magnetic signs for vehicles.

Misconception 1.
Thick magnets are higher quality and much stronger.

Thicker is not always better! The thicker the material, the more weight that needs to be held to the vehicle, and the more wind resistance at the edge of the magnetic sheeting. Have to follow a slight curve or indentation? You can forget about that too. With magnetic signs that are over 30 mil, the thicker material is often too rigid to conform to any curves in your vehicle door. We suggest a 30 mil magnetic sheeting for all outdoor vehicle signage applications. 

Misconception 2.
There is no difference in magnetic sheeting that is sourced outside of the US.

This is one area you do not want to save money. With any material quality, you get what you pay for. In this case, we have found that rubberized magnetic sheeting that is sourced outside the US (mainly Thailand and China) is of a low quality and is subject to deterioration faster than the sheeting that is made in the US. We have also found that in many cases, this inferior sheeting is back-coated with a laminate in attempt to incapsulate this inferior material. The logic behind this step is that if it is not subject to the elements, then it is less likely to be affected by them when exposed. Although this does a great deal to protect the sheeting from degradation, it also places a layer of laminate in-between the magnet and the steel surface of the vehicle or car door. When this occurs, the magnet has less pull on the steel, making them weak and more prone to fly-offs. Think of the sheeting in the terms of a refrigerator magnet. The more pieces of paper you put between the magnet and the refrigerator, the more strength you lose to hold the magnet to the refrigerator. This leads me to my next point. 

Misconception 3.

It's ok to use the very thin refrigerator magnetic sheeting as a substitute for 30 mil vehicle magnets. 

No, it is not, but that isn't going to stop someone from making a quick buck at your expense. There is a very popular internet-based printing service that offers small "magnetic car signs" that are around the size of a sheet of paper for around $4. 
*The funny thing is, this company also boasts that this is a "large magnetic sign. Try this, grab a  sheet of paper, write your name on it as large as you can, tape it to your car door and you tell me if you can read it from 20 feet away.
We have sampled these signs and have found that in order to cut costs, they are using the extremely thin magnetic sheets that are used to produce the flimsy, throw-away business card magnets. Although the price is attractive, the material is not meant for this purpose. They quickly deteriorate within weeks of putting them on your vehicle, this causes you to lose sales while you are waiting on replacement magnetic signs. Your vehicle is void of identification or advertising and this can affect your bottom line. A high quality magnetic sign should last 3-5 years if cared for properly and the company you purchase them from should always provide you with instructions on how to care for your vehicle magnets.

Misconception 4. 

Magnetic signs are not a legal way to display government issued numbers such as US DOT numbers, MC and ICC numbers.

According to publication 508c in the section regarding the displaying of official numbers, magnetic signs are a perfectly legal way to display your official vehicle numbers. Please visit http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/rules-regulations.htm for more information.

*This blog post written by John Lindsey, president of WholesaleMagneticSigns.com. 

John has produced over 500,000 magnetic signs in the last 15 years.

Magnetic Signs for US DOT Numbers. Legal or not?

I originally wrote this This is a question that we field quite a bit so today I am going to address the legality of using magnetic signs to display your US DOT cab door numbers over opting to use a permanent solution such as vinyl graphics.

Let's say you are leasing a semi, delivery van or courier vehicle for your logistics business. Since the truck is not something you personally own (or will ever own for that matter), you would like to limit the amount of alterations you make to the vehicle to insure a smooth transition when the terms of the lease expire. You may also have to identify your vehicle with the proper GVW, MC, ICC or US DOT Numbers in order to be compliant with the DOT. This can be a dilemma. Should you install permanent vinyl graphics only to pay the price to have them professionally removed and or painted when the lease expires? We say no. This can be very costly (up to $250.00 per damaged surface) and will add to the cost to lease the vehicle. I am sure you are asking yourself if there is another solution that is less permanent that won't damage the paint of your vehicle. There is. We suggest using magnetic vehicle signage for this purpose. Magnetic signs are a removable alternative to permanent vinyl decals or stickers and do not damage the paint of your vehicle. They can be removed easily for cleaning and the cost is minimal when compared to restoring the paint of your semi or courier vehicle.

But are they legal??

According to the US DOT publication ETA 501c section 390.21 referencing vehicle identification the rule is this:

"Every commercial motor vehicle operated by a motor carrier in interstate commerce must be marked,

on BOTH sides of vehicle, with the following:
➤ The motor carrier’s name or trade name ➤ The motor carrier’s identification
number, preceded by “US DOT”
➤ The size, shape and color markings must be in letters that contrast sharply in color with the background on which the letters are placed
➤ The lettering must be readily legible during daylight hours, from a distance of 50 feet."

(MINIMUM SIZE TO BE COMPLIANT)

As you can see, the requirement is that the numbers be placed on both sides of the truck, legible from 50 feet (2" lettering will accomplish this) and be place on a contrasting background. Although the rule does not specifically mention the legality of using magnetic signs, it does clearly state that they need to be on both sides of the vehicle on a contrasting background. It mentions nothing about using a magnetic sign to accomplish this. 

What is the difference? 
The publication states the vehicle must be marked but does not mention the how. Basically it boils down to how the numbers are attached. When vinyl graphics are used, the numbers are attached via a permanent and strong adhesive. When magnetic signs are used, the adhesive is the magnetic pull that the sheeting has when applied to steel. The publication does not reference adhesive types. After a consult with our attorney, we have come to the conclusion that as the language in the compliance publication does not mention application techniques or ways to adhere the US DOT numbers, removable magnetic signs are a completely legal way to display your US DOT Numbers, GVW Numbers. MC Numbers or ICC Numbers. 

Blog post written by John Lindsey of WholesaleMagneticSigns.com
Additional information on how to obtain US DOT Number magnetic signs or vinyl graphics can be found at: http://www.wholesalemagneticsigns.com/dot_signs.html

Magnetic Signs for vehicles are the best entry level advertising for small businesses.

 
As you know, many businesses start out as concepts in a garage, den or basement. I personally, am especially familiar with this process. When I formed Accent Signs and Graphics, I started my business in the spare bedroom of my house. I worked 12-16 hours every day to increase my customer base and improve the quality and service of my business. As my reputation grew, I found that word of mouth was by far the best venue for referrals and new customers. Out in the field, I would often be approached by the neighboring businesses of my customers for repairs or new installs of signs they had in mind. More often than not a direct conversion occurred when a combination of call to actions were executed. They would see my truck and my branding, remember my company from a previous conversation with my existing customer and would approach me as I performed other work and sometimes would stop by to speak to me while I was on another job. This led me to one conclusion that is always important to consider, the importance of branding.

The value of a good reputation is priceless, however, without having a call to action presented to a customer via a recognized brand, you lose the advantage of presenting your goods or services to a potential customer. This is where magnetic signs come in. For one, they are extremely effective and inexpensive. Secondly, they do not damage your vehicle or affect the resale value of the vehicle like wraps and permanent vinyl graphics do. Lastly (and most importantly), the level of exposure a potential client gets to your business, goods or service is unlimited. Suppose you have a side business and a day job. Let's say your vehicle is parked on a street and gets passed by 200 cars an hour. While you were working, 1600 potential clients took a look at your brand or service. That is 8000 drivers a week, not to mention passengers. Any marketing professional will tell you that if you can get your brand, product or service in front of a half a million people within one year for $30.00 that choosing magnetic signs for an fledgling business is a "no brainer".

If you have any questions regarding custom magnetic signs, please feel free to visit our website located at https://www.wholesalemagneticsigns.com or contact our customer service department at 866-769-SIGN.

USDOT Truck Number Compliance | Frequently Asked Questions

USDOT Compliance

In order to give a head start on making sense of the regulations, and to help make sure all of our customers are USDOT compliant we decided to list these here today.

Below is a list of common US DOT questions we receive, as well as the answers and links to where we dug them up. (see below for helpful links)

What size should my USDOT truck lettering be?

Through my research and in speaking with the USDOT, they require that lettering be able to be seen from a distance of 50 feet away while the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is stationary. This can be somewhat subjective, so to clear things up, in order to be seen from 50’ away, the lettering must be at least 2” tall. Often our customers opt for the 3.5” tall USDOT numbers in order to go beyond the requirement and insure compliance without a doubt. 

Are magnets legal to use for my USDOT numbers?

Yes, per USDOT regulation, markings can be painted on, or may consist of a removable device.

Where do I place my numbers?

The placement of the USDOT number must appear on both sides of the vehicle. There is no clear direction as to where on the vehicle they must be. The exact wording from the USDOT is “Appear on both sides of the self-propelled CMV.

What color should my USDOT numbers be?

The US Department of Transportation requires the lettering to contrast sharply with the background of the vehicle. They do not have a specific color combination that they require, as long as the colors contrast sharply.

  

Do I need my business name on my vehicle?

The USDOT states that the legal name or single trade name of the motor carrier operating the vehicle must be listed on the motor carrier identification report.

I rent a Commercial Motor Vehicle, do any special rules apply to me?
Yes, there are some additional details that you will need to review.  If the vehicle is rented for less than 30 days, you will need to comply with the following:

The lessor Id number preceded by USDOT must be displayed. The name and address of the principle place of business renting the vehicle must be displayed, as well as the ID number of the renting motor carrier, if they have been issued a number.

If you are ready to look into purchasing your sticker or magnets, please visit WholesaleMagneticSigns.com https://wholesalemagneticsigns.com/collections/us-dot-magnets for many options, including reflective lettering for nighttime visibility

To get further into detail on compliance regulations, please contact your local USDOT field office. You can find the phone list for the Department of Transportation field offices at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/contact/offices/displayfieldroster.aspx#IN

The answers to the above questions were taken from the USDOT website and can also be found at the following link:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol5/pdf/CFR-2011-title49-vol5-sec390-21.pdf

If you are looking for information on how to apply for a USDOT number, please visit: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

Vehicle Signs & Homeowner Associations

Homeowner Associations & Your Small Business Advertising

I have fielded a lot of questions in the past year about homeowner association rules regarding vehicle signs. Many neighborhood associations will not allow vehicles with signage to park overnight in the homeowners driveway or allotted parking spot. This puts small business owners who want to advertise on their vehicle in a  difficult situation, especially when they have vinyl graphics installed already on their company car. 
There are two very easy solutions to this. You can purchase custom magnetic signs that are easily applied and removed, or install more permanent vinyl graphics and purchase blank magnets to cover the installed graphics. It's always best to check with your association first, before making a decision on vehicle advertising for your small business. If it's to late and your graphics are installed, blank magnets are the perfect solution to keeping everyone in the neighborhood happy.