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.

Misconceptions of Magnetic Signs Part 1

Our company car with magnets installed.

Let me begin by saying that I have been in the magnetic sign industry for many years. I would consider myself to be very knowledgeable as to what new technologies and trends that take place within the magnetic sign industry, as well as having a pulse to the changes that have occurred over the years. There are a few negative rumors circulating regarding our industry that I have found frustrating, to say the least. The countless hours I have spent, recently addressing unfounded concerns from my customers are becoming somewhat overwhelming. I would like to outline and discuss these rumors and common misconceptions circulating around about magnetic advertising signs in order to inform my customers, as well as other small business owners that have been swayed from considering vehicle magnets. I will be doing this in a series of posts, but to start off, I will go a little into how we got started and include a short story about a conversation I had with a past client.

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to one of my customers who purchased signs from us many years ago when we were just getting our magnetic sign business off the ground. I had left a prominent Art Director position in Indianapolis to start my own company selling magnetic signs out of the back bedroom of my small house in Bloomington, Indiana. At the time, I had a 2 hour a day commute, and could not stand to be away from wife and child. I was working long hours in an art room that was understaffed creating ads and for companies like Coca Cola, Victoria’s Secret, and Burger King. It made more sense to me to start a small business that could help other small businesses afford great signage at an affordable cost.

Re installing our magnetic signs after cleaning.

The previously mentioned customer had purchased magnets for their whole fleet of trucks about a week after I had left my position. This particular client was one of my first big orders, and I was so pleased to hear upon receipt of their order that they absolutely loved their magnetic car signs. All of a sudden I was hooked on getting this type of feedback. Around 5 years later, he decided that it was time to replace his signs, and as I had learned later, one of his associates had suggested a different company who was locally owned. He agreed to look into it, and ended up going with adhesive vinyl graphics that were installed at the local shop instead of the magnetic signs. He told me the shop owner convinced him to go with vinyl graphics over the removable magnetic signs for his fleet, and that was his first mistake. According to him, the artwork used on his vehicles "came out great", the trucks looked just the way he wanted. He said it ended up being more costly after installation, but all in all he was happy. It was 2 years later that he had decided to do some re-branding and realized why magnets were the better option for his business. He had a graphic artist come up with a new logo and tag line for his business. He also began offering new services, and did away with some of the outdated services he had performed in the past. He went back to the sign shop that had originally installed his vinyl graphics for an estimate for the new ones. After the removal of the existing graphics and installation of the new, his costs were much higher than the first time he had the vinyl installed of the old logo. The client also included a promotion on the new vinyl graphic installation that he thought he would run for a few years. Again, he was satisfied with the vinyl graphics the second time. It wasn’t until fuel prices went up considerably, that he had to do away with the promotion. He went back to have the promotional part of the vinyl removed. When removed, the paint below the adhesive lettering had stayed in perfection condition, the rest of the vehicle had begun to oxidize and where the letters used to be, stood out on the vehicle like a sore thumb. This left him in between a rock and a hard spot. It was nearing the time that he would purchase new vehicles, to trade them in or sell them outright, would be more difficult due to the burned ghost image the vinyl had created by using vinyl lettering on his trucks. He went ahead and purchased blank magnetic sheets from the same local shop to cover the ghosted image of his old promotion until he was ready to buy the new trucks. The blank magnets he purchased were different, not made in the USA and were obviously of less quality that the original magnets he bought from us, way back when I had just started Accent Signs & Graphics. He said the back was glossy, and the blank signs kept curling up or just flying off at normal town driving speeds. This leads us to the conversation I had with him last week. He had called me back after all that time to get a quote on magnetic signs for his new trucks. He explained to me his decisions, and what reason swayed him to go with the vinyl graphics in the first place. At the time, he did not foresee having to change his logo or services, or needing to stop his long running promotion for new clients. He came back to us for his magnets and his new signs are installed on his new trucks. He went with a die cut magnetic signs that practically replicates the look of the permanent vinyl graphics. He plans to order more magnets in the spring to advertise his seasonal promotions. He believes that this will give him greater flexibility with his marketing ideas by having the ability to use different signs illustrating specific services for each season. He does snow plowing in the winter, lawn care in the spring. This is a perfect example of why magnetic signs are a perfect alternative to adhesive vinyl graphics, especially for small business owners. Remove, reuse, re-brand… On the fly!

When purchasing magnetic signs, please make sure you are fully educated on the quality of the sheeting, the print production method, and the company you are purchasing them from.

The first thing to look for is magnetic sheeting with a 030 mil thickness. Thicker, is not better with magnetic sheeting. The thicker magnet does not have as many magnetic poles per square inch as the 030 mil, yet it has to hold more weight to the vehicle. The chances of losing a sign are greater with the thicker sheeting. In addition, the thicker sheeting has more wind resistance than the thinner sheeting. You will also want to steer clear of anything less than 030 sheeting, as it does not have enough of a pull rating to keep the signs from flying away. Magnetic signs can be printed in a number of ways. Most companies will use a digital printer, screen printer, or die cut adhesive vinyl to create your signs from. If ordering digitally printed signs, be sure to ask if the company uses UV inks, and a UV laminate. Screen printed signs are great for short term use, as they tend to fade quickly. Adhesive vinyl signs are made from die cut outdoor vinyl that is applied to the magnetic sheeting. There are many types of vinyl that shops can choose from. You will want to make sure that the vinyl is high quality enough to last 5-7 years outdoors. Always check into your sign company prior to making a purchase. Ask for references from previous clients, look them up online at www.bbb.org. Look up their years in business and when possible speak to their clients about their experiences. (review sites are easily manipulated, we suggest contact one of their customers directly) The only reason your magnetic signs would not last 3-5 years outdoors would be do to failure to follow the care and cleaning instructions that should be included in every magnetic signs order you place regardless of vendor. You should never put your signs on and forget about them. The do require some care, but it’s easy and we have discussed this in an earlier blog post under Care and Cleaning. 

Student Driver Signs

Even after your child attends driving school, most states still have a number of hours of practice driving with an adult of legal driving age. This responsibility usually falls on good ol’ Mom & Dad.

That being said, all parents of driving age teens should consider a small investment for peace of mind during lessons. Not only will the student driver magnetic sign allow your child to relax, you as their parent, will also feel more at ease in an already stressful situation.

With the signs on the vehicle, you will alert other motorists that you have a student behind the wheel. When most drivers see a student is nearby or in front of them, they will not drive aggressively, stay back a little farther from your tailgate, and know that sudden, responsive maneuvers may be necessary. To sum it up, the student driver car magnets help other motorists drive more defensively while near your vehicle.

Being in the magnetic sign industry, we are often asked a lot of questions regarding student driver signs. The most popular one is whether or not they are exclusively for Driver Education Instructors, or if it is legal for parents to use them while their child is logging hours behind the wheel. Although each state has different driving laws, none have a law against a sign on your vehicle that reads student driver. As a licensed parent driver try and reflect on the time when you first got behind the wheel with mom or dad and the nervousness set in. I can remember when I started driving, Dad got mad, I drove worse, lesson over.

Student driver signs for new drivers and teen drivers are a must have for all driving instructors and for parents that are continuing with driving lessons after driver education class is over.

Also available with many online retailers are rookie driver and new driver magnets that are a perfect compromise for the teen that has been driving for longer, but has recently acquired their license.  

The most economical place to purchase student driver sign products would be from an online retailer. The local sign shop will be more costly.

Please take a look at one of the sites below for great deals on student driver, new driver, or rookie driver stickers and magnetic signs:


www.studentdrivercarmagnets.com
www.wholesalemagneticsigns.com

Are you a parent who are using or have used a student driver or new driver sign while teaching your child to drive? Please post your comments on how they worked for you!

Another great resource with a wealth of information for student drivers, driving instructors, and parents can be found at: www.drivered.com

Benefits of Magnetic Signs on Business Vehicles

Today we will highlight some of the benefits of purchasing car magnets for your business vehicle(s).

• Small and large business alike can profit from advertising affordably using magnetic vehicle signs.
• They are an great alternative to vinyl graphics and wraps that are more permanent, and often more expensive after installation charges.  
• Car magnets are an ideal option for businesses who use multiple fleet vehicles or personal vehicles while on the job.
• They can be removed and applied to a different vehicle in an instant. 
• Get exposure for your brand, service, or concept while parked and while driving. It's a moving billboard every where you go.
• A parked car with visible magnetic signs can be exposed to up to 1200 potential customers an hour during high traffic times.
• By advertising with magnetic signs, you can change your message more often and highlight important new services, sales and promotions, or even that your business is hiring.
• Vehicle magnets are perfect for the service industries, especially when you are parked on the job. Word of mouth is the best free advertising. Why not advertise to your clients neighbors while parked on the job. By seeing your car magnets, everyone in the neighborhood who sees your magnets will know where to go when they need a reference for services you offer.