Your truck is on the road every day, in front of the exact people who might hire you. Commercial vehicle decals turn that driving time into advertising, and they do it for far less than most other ways of reaching customers. This article explains what commercial decals and fleet branding involve, what kinds of jobs we do, and how a small job can grow into a full fleet look.
What commercial decals are
Commercial decals are vinyl graphics applied to a business vehicle. The most common starting point is door decals, with the company name, logo, phone number and services on the two front doors. That is the minimum that makes a work truck look like a business, and it is also the part of the truck people see most often, in traffic, in a driveway, and at a job site.
We do decals for all kinds of trades and fleets in Surrey and the Lower Mainland. Landscapers, plumbers, electricians, dump truck operators, delivery vans, moving trucks, painting companies, and disposal trucks all use the same idea, a vehicle that tells people who you are and how to reach you, every time it is on the road.
Door decals: the starting point
Door decals are the best first step for most businesses, because they are quick, affordable, and they change the look of the truck immediately. A clean door decal with the company name, a logo, and a phone number makes a work truck look professional, and it makes the business easy to remember.
The key is getting the layout right. The name has to be large enough to read from a distance, the phone number has to be clear, and the logo has to sit properly on the door. We proof the wording and the artwork before anything is cut, and we check that the layout fits your specific vehicle, because a door on a pickup is not the same shape as a door on a cargo van. If you already have a logo, send us the artwork file. If you do not have one, we can work with your company name and phone number alone.
Trailer graphics and storefront glass
Decals are not only for trucks. Trailers are some of the best advertising space a business owns, because a trailer sits at a job site for hours or days, in front of neighbours who might need the same work. Trailer graphics can carry the company name, logo, phone number and services on both sides and on the rear, so the trailer works even when the truck is somewhere else.
Storefront glass is another surface we work with. Window graphics on a shopfront can carry the business name, hours, services and contact details, and perforated window vinyl lets you advertise on the glass while still seeing out from inside.
Partial wrap: the upsell that makes sense
Once the doors and the trailer are done, the next step for many businesses is a partial wrap. A partial wrap covers a larger area of the vehicle, such as the sides of a cargo van or the box of a truck, with printed graphics. It gives more room for a logo, a photo, or a full list of services, and it makes the vehicle stand out in traffic in a way that door decals alone cannot.
A partial wrap is also a practical choice, because it protects the paint underneath and it can be removed or replaced if the business changes its branding. It sits between door decals and a full wrap in both cost and impact, and for many trades it is the sweet spot.
One truck to a full fleet
Some of our jobs are a single truck. A landscaper with one pickup, a plumber with one van, or a contractor who just bought a new truck and wants it lettered before the first job. Those jobs matter, and they get the same care as a large order, because a single truck is often the whole business.
Other jobs are full fleets. A company with five, ten or twenty vehicles needs every truck to look the same, so customers recognise the business no matter which truck arrives. Fleet work means keeping the layout, the colours and the lettering consistent across every vehicle, and keeping spares and replacements ready when a truck is damaged or a new one joins the fleet.
Whether it is one truck or a full fleet, the process is the same. Send us photos of the vehicle, the wording you want, and your artwork or logo. We plan the layout, proof it against your details, and install it by appointment at our shop in Surrey. For fleets, we can also schedule vehicles in stages, so the business keeps working while the branding is done.
Apna Customs, 9182 120 St, Surrey, call (778) 700-0193 or visit apnacustoms.com, by appointment only, Mon 10 to 6, Tue closed, Wed to Sun 10 to 6.