Close your eyes. Picture yourself in your car, heading down the highway. You could be starting your commute to work, a long trip, or just running an errand.
As a trucking executive, you’re already inclined to recognize the tractor brands that pass by: Volvo, Mack, Peterbilt, Freightliner, etc. Beyond that, I bet the view out your windshield is pretty cookie cutter.
How many tractors and trailers are in their stock colors? Probably most. How many have memorable messaging or design? Probably few.
Truth is, some fleet owners are taking advantage of their “moving billboards” but many are missing the chance to share powerful brand, recruiting, or customer messaging and more. What will you do?
The blank slate is your opportunity.
An eye-catching design or message can turn heads, build brand recognition, and stick in the minds of potential drivers and customers. Empty space on your vehicle is a lost opportunity if it’s not wrapped in high-impact graphics.
Take a scroll through Fleet Owner’s Vehicle Graphics Award winners and you’ll see why “the value of having your brand or message in front of millions of people each week is obvious.” And, “whether a fleet runs a van, a straight truck, or a tractor trailer, companies of every type can benefit from the visibility their vehicles offer.”
Here are two real-life companies that are doing things differently.
Company Values and Culture
Nussbaum Transportation is a dedicated trucking company based in Hudson, Illinois that doesn’t shy away from its faith-based values. In fact, for the company’s 70th anniversary they launched their “Faith and Family” campaign which included a series of trailer wrap designs “celebrating authentic love and tenderness” – a side you don’t often see from a trucking company.
At the launch of their campaign, owner and CEO Brent Nussbaum said, “Throughout the 70-year history of Nussbaum Transportation, our family has worked hard to build a business where faith and family are honored [… ] I’m truly excited about this trailer campaign. It beautifully portrays what we stand for here.”
Designed in partnership with Allegory and award-winning photographer Sean F. Boggs, the images were shot in Colorado and feature real families spending time together.
The “Faith and Family” fleet features:
- Full 50ft. photo-quality truck graphics
- Five scenes that celebrate faith and family, reinforcing the company’s culture and brand messages
- A father sharing a sweet moment with his young daughter as he teaches her how to ride a bike
- A husband and wife on an afternoon walk, enjoying a rare child-free and quiet moment together
- A father and his sons enjoying one of their favorite activities: fishing
- A family singing songs and telling stories around the campfire
Read more about Nussbaum in the Allegory portfolio.
Brand Messaging and Cross Selling
The “cookie-cutter” problem doesn’t apply to just tractor-trailers, it’s happening across the many shapes and sizes of truck fleets. In fact, smaller vehicles can capitalize on the market void as well.
Performance Industrial is a commercial and industrial painting, cleaning, and flooring company in Upstate New York. For years, they have customized and outfitted Sprinter vans for their unique needs. But, on the outside, they frequently followed the standard template – a logo on the door, phone number on the back, maybe a brand line here or there.
As part of a comprehensive rebrand process, company leaders heard they were leaving money on the table because customers didn’t know about all of their services. The Allegory brand and design teams stepped in to help Performance Industrial transform their “moving billboards” into cross-selling, brand building opportunities.
The fleet now features:
- A clean, sleek design that aligns with the company’s new brand standards
- Key messaging, such as “Dirty. Difficult. Done.” that portrays their values
- Photography and a custom icon system to reinforce multiple lines of service
Our trucks shine! We’ve received so much positive feedback about them. My crew is proud to drive them and regular customers love seeing them out and about. They’ve become an important part of our marketing, sales, and cultural strategy. – Mark Miller, president, Performance Industrial
Read more about Performance Industrial’s brand initiatives in the Allegory portfolio.
Create a fleet drivers are proud to drive
I bet your company isn’t one that likes to blend in or follow the crowd. Your equipment design should reflect that. In a world where competition for customers is hot and driver recruiting even hotter, you deserve to stand out from the sea of tractors and trailers on the highway.
