[*Photos of Actual Fleet Wraps Installed]
Did you know a single wrapped truck or trailer gets millions upon millions of impressions each year? And that's inside your sales territory in many if not most cases. (Discover how many millions and other surprising statistics below!)
Every business faces big challenges, but smart advertising can minimize many of those problems in a heartbeat. Fleet wraps happen to be one of the smartest advertising decisions you can make. They plant your brand in front of an endless supply of new customers in your sales territory - every day.
They turn your commercial vehicles into continuous advertising machines that sell sell sell - even while sitting in traffic, or in a parking lot. Quality, well-designed graphics can give your fleet a uniform image and message. And getting that message out there will bring more customers to your business.
Let’s explore what these wraps are and how they can bring a massive ROI in the form of new, cash-heavy customers to your door!
What Are Fleet Wraps & How Do They Benefit Your Business?
Wraps use graphics, text, logos, and colors printed on adhesive vinyl. Your vehicles transform into a mobile advertising team filling your sales territory with you. Your brand. Your message. The design can incorporate part of a vehicle or wrap it completely so that no paint shows.
It also helps improve your business’s awareness, brand uniformity, and much more. Let’s take a look at how much more below.
Why Use Fleet Wraps For Your Business
The biggest benefit wraps gives your business is advertising! Your truck or van becomes mobile media overnight. Your image now reaches more people in more places.
Vehicle graphics and wraps are certainly highly effective, and more effective than billboards according to some. (Which tend to be more expensive than wraps by the way.)
According to Plumbing & Mechanical, 96% of RYP & Becker Group respondents said vehicle advertising “is the most impactful form of outdoor advertising.”
And these statistics from multiple studies and sources seem to back that up:
- One wrapped truck can get over 16-million impressions in a single year. And a typical vehicle wrap on a trailer gets around 10 million impressions every year. (American Trucking Association)
- The Traffic Audit Bureau (now Geopath) states that a vehicle’s ads have monthly impressions ranging between 1 and 4 million on local routes. (Geopath)
- The average work commute in the US (to and from) is approximately 55 minutes. (US Census Bureau)
- 97% of drivers remembered the vehicle wrap ads they saw. (Plumbing & Mechanical)
- 97% said vehicle wraps and graphics worked better than billboard ads. (Plumbing & Mechanical)
- 98% thought the ads “created a positive image of the advertiser”. (Plumbing & Mechanical)
Here are some more reasons.
A Uniform Fleet & Message
Successful wraps cover all vehicles in your business with the same messaging. The public doesn’t only see the sales rep's car, a service van, or a delivery truck. Now a consistent brand message is sent.
Show Off Custom Designs
Since wraps are created individually, everything about them can be customized. Your business colors and logo will be incorporated into the design theme. Your logo will be represented accurately and positioned for ideal viewing. Your fleet is now a moving business card and billboard circulating around your community daily.
Americans Are Spending Even More Time In Their Cars
An average commute these days has increased to an average of 26 minutes and it’s even worse in larger cities. That’s roughly 200 hours per year, or 9 days per year. That’s a lot of opportunities for your business to be seen.
While sitting in cars, most Americans spot the mobile or billboard advertising around them. That advertising may as well be your company.
Improve Your Business Image For Less
Commercial fleet wraps are an excellent way to give an aging fleet a facelift. In fact, most service vehicles rack up quite a bit of minor body damage. You can prevent that damage in the first place with good wraps. And you can make existing damage less noticeable, again, with quality vehicle wraps.
And if your logo or message needs updating, you can easily change your wrap. Painting your fleet can help improve your business image, but it may cost roughly twice as much. And for less, frankly. Plus, paint jobs need extra care, which further raises the cost over time. Wraps require very little maintenance.
Good Advertising Investment
A single wrapped vehicle averages between 30,000 - 70,000 views per day, depending on your area. The American Trucking Association (ATA) says that mobile fleet wraps are a proven and cost-effective way to advertise. They found that 97% of people surveyed viewed ads on fleet cars and trucks.
An OAAA (Outdoor Advertising Association of America) survey found that fleet wraps have the lowest CPM of any form of advertising. Some businesses report between $0.77-$0.48 CPM!
Unusual surface shapes may provide a challenge for installers. Regardless, an experienced professional can smooth your truck wrap over just about any curve.
Want to transform your fleet? Hire a 3M Certified UASG Installer today.
Types Of Wraps To Install On Your Fleet
Custom fleet wraps are tailor-made for each client. They’ll feature whatever you want them to - whether that’s your company’s logo, colors, or other messaging. They’ll blend your vision into a positive, eye-catching vehicle wrap for your fleet. In fact, some graphic installation services companies even have a designer on site, if you’re in need of design services.
Once you’re settled on the style and design scheme, your vehicle wrap is installed using one of these 4 styles:
Spot Graphics
This option may be an ideal way to advertise when less coverage is desired. Your business information and logo can be put on sales vehicles, to look the same as your service vans. This is a great option to test your marketing before committing to a total vehicle wrap. It is also an attractive option if your advertising budget hasn’t bloomed yet.
Partial Vehicle Wrap
This is a middle ground wrap option between spot graphics and a total wrap. Parts of the vehicle are left visible. You may only want to wrap the doors and rear, or the front and sides. It’s your choice!
Total Vehicle Wrap
This wrap is exactly as the name suggests: TOTAL COVERAGE. Most fleet graphics with the budget use this option, as it has the most advertising coverage. Every place on your vehicle that has paint transforms into your company’s messaging. The hood, roof, sides, pillars, tailgates, trunks, and even windows become a beautiful mobile billboard.
Window Wrap
These are wraps that cover the windows of a vehicle with a perforated vinyl material. They allow for complete visibility inside the vehicle. From the outside, the advertising looks like one seamless canvas covering the window(s). This option can be included with the full vehicle wrap.
What’s The Installation Process Like?
Your wraps will represent your business to your community. Choosing the correct colors, logos and design is the first step. Next comes the commercial fleet wrap installation services by experienced professionals. The process:
- Graphics are large-format printed in panel pieces on specially formatted adhesive vinyl. This takes place after the design approval.
- Each panel piece is treated with long-lasting UV lamination. This protects the vinyl from fading as well as debris and dirt. The panel printing and the lamination process can take around 3 or 4 days, or more depending on a number of details. It varies with the detail of the design, the size of the vehicle, and the number of colors and inks used.
- The vehicle is prepped with a thorough cleaning. The surface is washed and treated with a chemical-based rinse. This will dissolve any leftover wax left on the vehicle’s surface. This ensures proper bonding with the vinyl.
- The pre-marked and numbered panels are attached to your vehicle, like puzzle pieces.
- After a quality inspection, your vehicles hit the road. Now they’re advertising your business full time, with your new fleet wraps!
In many cases a vehicle can be wrapped in a day, once the materials are ready and the surface is prepared. If an entire fleet is to be covered, that may take the professionals a few business days. If your fleet consists of semi-trucks and trailers, installation time will likely take longer
Can I Wrap My Fleet Myself?
Wrapping your own fleet is kind of like representing yourself in a lawsuit. Or replacing all of the plumbing in your house yourself. If you have the expertise, and your time isn’t worth more spent elsewhere, why not? It can work in some cases. But in most cases, it’s probably a bad idea.
Here are some problems with a DIY fleet wrap installation:
- Installers have specialty tools for each step of the installation process. Kinks and surprises have been worked out with years of training.
- The film needs to be installed without bubbles for appearance and quality
- One single vehicle can easily take a professional a full day to install. How long do you think it would take someone who has never done one?
- A team of installers usually handles a fleet wrap, instead of just one person.
Are Fleet Wraps Safe For Vehicle Paint?
As long as no issues are present on your paint job before the wrap, your factory paint should be fine.
But you may have issues if you had airbrushing or paint touch-ups under the wrap installation. This can cause the paint to peel when the wrap is removed in about 3-5 years. This is about the average lifespan of a vehicle wrap. If bodywork issues were not caught during the initial inspection, problems may arise. The wrap may not stick correctly or may peel after the installation.
When installed correctly, a wrap can actually protect your paint surface.
Can I Remove Or Re-Use My Fleet's Wraps?
Absolutely! Businesses change out their fleet's wraps for many reasons. Maybe your logo changed or you want to add a brief “summer special” or some other short feature. Options may include swapping out panels or applying a spot graphic over the wrap. And, the customizable features apply to minor fender-benders too!
Removing a wrap is usually covered in the warranty. Most shops recommend a removal or renewal every 3 years. This will prevent damage to the factory paint underneath.
Caring For Your Fleet Wrap
Caring for your vehicle wrap is like normal exterior car care. Handwashing is recommended to remove road grime and dirt. Powerful washing equipment, cleaning chemicals, or corrosives should be avoided. Never use power washers.
Handwashing Is The Safest Option
Mild soap and water will do the trick. If hand-washing isn’t an option, always choose the mildest wash setting. Your manufacturer will provide a list of recommendations for maintenance. Many will also suggest an approved bug and tar remover that’s safe for the vinyl graphics.
Clean Quickly After An Accident
Installers agree that gunk and grime need to be removed as soon as possible to prevent issues. The longer debris stays on the graphic, the harder it will be to remove. You don’t want to let a tarball or paint spill detract from your advertising. You also don’t want to have to pay for a panel replacement before you need to.
And fuel spills while filling up need to be cleaned immediately. This will lead to quick and serious vinyl degrading.
Sidenote: It’s recommended to wait 1-2 weeks after your fleet wrap installation before washing.
Wraps Transform Your Fleet Into Mobile Advertising Machines
Changing your vehicles from a one-color paint job to mobile billboards makes sense. The cost proves beneficial, as you’ll reach thousands of eyes daily - people you didn’t impact before.
Your design and graphics will reflect the tone and messaging of your business brand. This increases recognition with potential customers. Even if a person doesn’t call today, chances are your fleet wraps will leave an impression. When they need your services down the road, you’re more likely to get the call!
With proper care, your fleet wrap should last around three to five years. That doesn’t prevent you from doing panel changes or using a spot graphic to update your message when you need to.
Your business fleet needs to benefit your advertising reach. It needs to be done impactfully and professionally. That’s why the UASG has a national network of graphic installation companies. Our members commit to installing your jobs better, on time, within budget, and as expected.
They’ve spent a long time meeting the requirements to become a UASG member and to become 3M certified. We’re talking years of trustworthy business practices, and many hours of testing and training.
They’ve been able to hold themselves to the highest standards in the industry. So we’re confident they’ll treat you well, providing nothing but the highest quality fleet wraps and overall service.
Click here to find a 3M Certified UASG Installer in your area today!
What is The
United Application
Standards Group?
The UASG is a national network of graphic installation companies. Our members are committed to installing your jobs better, on-time, within budget, as expected, and representing your company professionally.
Our Mission
To establish the standards for the graphics installation trade by cultivating quality, integrity, professionalism, reliability, and comradery among members.
Our Promise
To organize and promote the professionalism of graphics installation companies.
Professional Recognition
& Certification
Our standards are the highest in the industry. We're the benchmark for graphic installation excellence in fleet, full & partial wraps, interior & exterior environmental graphics (including floor & rough textured walls) and virtually every other branding application.
A Nationwide Network
of Professionals
UASG member companies are industry professionals with ten, twenty, thirty years’ experience that can provide experienced application services for vehicle wraps, window decals, wall graphics, boat wraps and just about anything graphic film will adhere to.
Providing The Best
In The Industry
The UASG has personally visited every member's business to view their operations and installation practices as part of the membership process. The UASG members have gone to 3M headquarters in St. Paul, MN and passed both a hands on and written test.
