Truck Wraps- Good Use of your Marketing Dollar?

When I had my roofing company we received more calls from the truck wraps than anything else. Our website/SEO came in a close second, local magazines and direct mail were a distance third- wasted money on radio and television... poor ROI. Removing "Word of mouth" from the cost of customer acquisition, where do you have the most success?

This was my rolling billboard (and coating rig) when not in use we would park it in front...

Just completed a $30,000.00 roofing job, was at the chiropractors office getting tuned up and his buddy was there who needed a roof on his home saw my truck and started enquiring into it and my chiropractor hooked me up!

The truck wrap advertising is impressive, a definite attention getter. There are a couple around my area that I don't see too often. I considered it when I bought a van last year but it's just not my style. I am a fairly small company and only have two vehicles in the business. My repair man's van and my '84 Silverado. Crew drives their own trucks and I pay gas for anything work related. Magnet signs on my two vehicles. I took my signs off at the end of the year and won't put them on again until March. I guess I stay as busy as I need to or want to be. I will be getting a different truck next year but it'll just be another used vehicle. I'll be looking for a 2010 or better truck in a color I can live with. Other than that I don't give a toot. I'm just not that into what I drive, must be the hillbilly in me.

I am currently looking into getting a few of the work cars done. Maybe not a full wrap but a half might look good and will cost less. I agree that it depends where you live, in a small town it’s probably not worth the cost but the sales rep told me that one vehicle wrap can generate above 20 000 views per day.

Always tried to use that, when the deductions were needed. Going back to when Bush offered it.

But '09-'11 I bought nothing. Just tried to keep the doors open. Usually buy 2 or 3 vehicles per year, so I had some catching up to do. '12 &'13 been good years for us, so putting it back into the fleet.

Just wondering if any of your decisions to buy new truck/equipment was influenced by the accelerated depreciation allowances in the Internal Revenue Code. I think it was section 179 and a $25K allowance per vehicle?

I gotta admit those Roof Medic trucks look pretty darn nice. Right down to the tapered ladder racks with the cab extensions. Been doing that for a little extra class for many years. Our crew trucks are pretty well labeled, logo'd etc, but not on mine.

I've always been real funny about flash. I like nice stuff, and lefty was in my old truck. Wasn't nothing wrong with it at all. I keep them nice. I'd still get "OH, NEW TRUCK..." comments when it was 5-6 years old.

This year I bought a new 20' dump with custom aluminum bed, 2 new crew trucks, 2 new F-150 xlt's for management..... but I had this truck for over 2 weeks before I drove it in to the office. I was that bashful about it. The only thing it doesn't have is the KR saddle leather. I still lock it when it's in the lot so no one can actually open the door and inspect. Weird, I know, it's just daddy raised me, I suppose. I don't often need a ladder with the type of work we do, but I still haven't put a rack on it, just so I have to take an older truck if the customer is going to be going up and down my ladder.

I need to work on my Leftytude.

Lefty that's a good point. I think business owners can see the difference between successful and flashy.

They want to see their realtor in a mercedes, but their roofer in a nice clean but reserved pickup, imo.

I did have a customer walk into an alley in Haskell, Tx once as we were doing his neighbor's business. He looked at the 3 new pickups we'd just bought, our dumptruck, Vecloader 522 and 6,000 gallon semi tanker and said "Well, you guys are either doing really well, or about to go broke." :-)

I was subbing off a contractor. We were going to look at a job and he told me never get a new truck. He said I would loose work because of it. I looked at his new truck and made a decision right there to get a new truck.

It took another 3 years and I had my first new truck. For the next 10 years I bought a new truck every year. Only traded 1 of them in. Had 1 special ordered.

My business has grown a lot since I bought a new truck.

When I made that decision, I thought that anyone that did not want a successful contractor doing their work, I did not want to do theirs. I made a good decision.

Mike H Said:

Roofguy Said: Nice truck, Mike. And it has a subtle look of distinction and modest professionalism. I like it.

Thank you. Thats just what I was looking for. Been buying new vehicles for everyone but me over the years. In the 29 years since buying my first truck at age 19, thats the first new truck Ive ever personally driven. I didnt want the outside to be an indicator of the luxuries within. ie: no King Ranch labels or paint schemes... From the outside it just looks like a regular ol F-250 with some chrome highlights. But on the inside.... ;)

Wish I coulda found everything I was looking for without the FX4 package. On the road, I feel ALL the bumps in this one, but it is amazing how smooth it is when you get it off the pavement.

It replaced a 2003 F-250 with a beat up tail gate, 2 fist sized rust holes behind the doors and rust starting in all 4 fenders, that was the last of the 7.3s. My plan is to PIMP it and turn it into a parade truck.

Oh, how I loved that 7.3 engine. ... Until I drove this one. Id never dreamed diesels had come so far.

That's funny as heck.

Back in about 1989 I bought. New Ford Ranger extended cab. It was the Lariet with aluminum wheels. I thought the factory aluminum wheels were too flashy so I found a guy with a Ranger with plain steel wheels and hub caps, and told him I'd pay the tire shop to trade straight across...my pickup didn't even have 30 miles on it.

The guy thought I was up to something and rejected my offer.

I then talked to my biggest customer about it, a multi-millionaire. He laughed and toldme not to worry about my flashy wheels.

I was very protective of my image. Had a chance years ago to have a Rolex watch but decided my customers would not like their roofer having flashy bling.

Roofguy Said: Nice truck, Mike. And it has a subtle look of distinction and modest professionalism. I like it.

Thank you. That's just what I was looking for. Been buying new vehicles for everyone but me over the years. In the 29 years since buying my first truck at age 19, that's the first new truck I've ever personally driven. I didn't want the outside to be an indicator of the luxuries within. ie: no "King Ranch" labels or paint schemes... From the outside it just looks like a regular ol' F-250 with some chrome highlights. But on the inside.... ;)

Wish I coulda found everything I was looking for without the FX4 package. On the road, I feel ALL the bumps in this one, but it is amazing how smooth it is when you get it off the pavement.

It replaced a 2003 F-250 with a beat up tail gate, 2 fist sized rust holes behind the doors and rust starting in all 4 fenders, that was the last of the 7.3's. My plan is to PIMP it and turn it into a parade truck.

Oh, how I loved that 7.3 engine. ... Until I drove this one. I'd never dreamed diesels had come so far.

We just bought the 2014 Chevy dually in front and decided to just go with magnetic signs as we're being asked more and more to sub chop and foam jobs for other contractors.

Behind it is our new foam rig. Behind that is my pickup pulling our Kold King Bulk Rig.

My adjusting and inspection truck, first one ever to be plain and simple, no advertising... but it did attract a little friend.

Unmarked trucks here are illegal. You could lose your business lic. Here's mine in front of the competition.

To be honest, person that hires me generally says he's glad to see I'm a roofer, not a salesman. :)

If they're going to be impressed by a truck and that's all they're interested in, I may not be that interested in impressing them with my roofing skills. :)

Kind of looks like mine... but a lot newer and prettier. Hey I quit trying to impress people a long time ago, and I am succeeding beyond my wildest expectations.