What Should Be Written on Your Service Truck?

By Chris Leo, Movou

Walk across the street and look at your truck. Can you read it? Not “can you tell it’s yours.” Can a stranger tell what you do, where you do it, and how to reach you in about three seconds? Here’s what to put on a service truck or van, and what to leave off.

What are the four things that belong on a service truck?

1. Your business name. Big, in one line, in a plain typeface.
2. What you do. Not a slogan. A noun a stranger understands.
3. Where you work. Your town or the area you serve.
4. One way to reach you. A phone number, large enough to read from across a parking lot.

That’s the whole job. A truck is a moving sign that people see for two or three seconds at a time. It isn’t a brochure.

Why does a specific word beat a general one?

“Plumbing” tells a stranger very little. “Water heaters” or “drain cleaning” tells them whether to remember you. When someone’s basement floods next month, the truck they remember is the one that said exactly what they need.

In our work with service businesses, the trucks that cause the most confusion are the ones that list five services in small type. Nobody reads five lines at highway speed. Pick the one or two services you most want calls for and lead with those.

How big should the lettering be, and what colors work?

Bigger than feels comfortable. Here’s a simple check you can run in the parking lot:

1. Park the truck and walk to the far side of the street.
2. Look at it for three seconds, then close your eyes.
3. Say out loud what the truck said.

If you can’t repeat the name, what you do, and the number, the lettering is too small, too busy, or too low-contrast. Dark text on a light body (or the reverse) reads best. Thin script fonts and pale colors disappear at a distance. So do phone numbers set in small type at the bottom corner.

What should you leave off your truck?

• A list of every service. It turns into gray noise.
• A website address nobody can type from a moving car. If you include one, keep it short and put it below the phone number.
• Clever slogans that need explaining.
• Claims you can’t back up, like “Best in town” or “#1 rated.”
• Five social media icons. Pick none or one.

Are there legal rules for lettering on a commercial vehicle?

Sometimes. Depending on your vehicle and what you haul, there can be federal or state marking requirements that apply to it. For general background, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publishes a summary of its commercial motor vehicle marking rule. Whether it applies to your truck depends on details we can’t see from here, so confirm with your state’s transportation agency or your insurance agent before you order lettering.

What about vans, trailers, and magnets?

The same four things apply, but the surface changes the rules. A van has a large flat side, so use it: name, service, town, number, nothing else. A trailer gets seen when it’s parked, so the lettering can be a bit larger on the back and sides. Magnets are fine for a short-term job or a personal vehicle you use for work, but keep them clean and flat. A curled, faded magnet makes the business look unfinished.

How often should you redo the lettering?

When something on it is no longer true. A new phone number, a new service area, a new name, or lettering that has cracked or faded. Check it once a year the way a customer would, from across the street. If it fails the three-second test, fix it. A truck in good shape tells people you take care of your work.

How does your truck connect to your website and Google listing?

Match them. The name on the truck should be the name on your Google Business Profile and your site. Same spelling, same phone number. When a stranger sees your truck and searches your name later, they should find the same business, not a slightly different one. That consistency is a small thing that makes you easier to find and easier to trust.

If you want to see how we think about making a service business easy to find, start with SEO for contractors, or book a discovery call and we’ll look at your listing together.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a service truck?

Your business name, what you do, your town or service area, and one phone number, all large enough to read from across the street.

Should I put my website on my truck?

Only if it’s short and easy to read. The phone number matters more, so give it the larger type.

Do I need permission or a permit to put lettering on a commercial vehicle?

It depends on your vehicle and your state. Some commercial vehicles have marking requirements, so check with your state transportation agency or insurance agent first.