Vinyl Decals & Lettering

When decals win and when a wrap wins

Decals and full wraps both put your brand on a vehicle. They do it for very different budgets and very different reasons.

The honest call: decals are the right answer for trucks that need clear identification but aren't built as billboards. Plumber going to known customers' houses with referrals filling his schedule? Decals. HVAC company hunting for new customers across the Wasatch Front by being seen? Wrap. Beat-up work truck the team uses for site work and beats up daily? Decals — don't put a full wrap on a truck that gets pelted with gravel.

Both are real products. We sell whichever one solves your problem.

Decals as the entry point to fleet branding

This is the underrated thing about vinyl decals: they're the first small spend a business makes on its brand long before it's ready for a full wrap.

We install decals on first-truck operators all the time. A plumber with one van who's just getting his USDOT number sorted, a contractor with two pickups and a logo he drew himself, an HVAC tech going solo and wanting his phone number on the truck before his first job — decals are the entry point. They make a plain work truck look like an established business.

Most of our biggest fleet customers started with decals. Year one was vinyl lettering. Year three was a three-quarter wrap on the lead truck. Year five was a full fleet rebrand. We didn't get the full fleet job because we sold them the cheap option in year one — we got it because we treated the year-one decal job with the same standard as the year-five rebrand.

Types of decals + lettering we install

USDOT and DOT-required lettering (compliance)

Federal regulation requires commercial vehicles operating in interstate commerce to display USDOT number, legal business name, and (for some operators) MC number and weight class. The numbers and lettering have minimum size requirements that most quick-print shops get wrong.

We install DOT-compliant lettering to the actual regulation:

• USDOT number: minimum 2 inches tall, contrast color, both sides of the cab
• Business name: legal business name as registered with FMCSA, both sides
• MC number (if applicable): same sizing rules as USDOT
• Weight class lettering (if applicable): GVWR or GCWR rating in regulation-compliant size

Why this matters: a roadside inspection that flags non-compliant lettering can result in a citation and an out-of-service stop. Cheap lettering that peels in 8 months puts you back into non-compliance every winter.

A standard DOT lettering package covers both sides + rear.

Business name + phone + address

The core small-business decal package. Door logo + business name on the sides + phone number on the rear + (optional) address or service description. Single-color cut vinyl. Cost scales with logo complexity and vehicle size.

Door logos + branding

Branded door logos for fleets that have a wrap on the body but want clean logo identification on the door specifically. Common on box trucks where the body is wrapped but the cab doors need a separate logo.

Full-color printed decals

Sometimes the brand needs to be more than one color. We print full-color decals on cast vinyl, contour-cut to the design, and install with the same standards as a full wrap. The hybrid between decals and a partial wrap. Cost scales with size and complexity.

Reflective decals

For vehicles operating in low-light conditions — towing, roadside service, emergency response, late-shift fleet — we install reflective vinyl. Visible at night when standard vinyl isn't. Costs more, lasts about the same, regulation-required for some classes of commercial vehicle.

Cost: +30–50% premium over standard vinyl.

Magnetic alternatives — why we don't recommend them

We get asked about magnetic vehicle signs once or twice a month. We'll quote them if you insist. We don't recommend them.

Why magnetics fail as a wrap alternative:

• They trap moisture between the magnet and the paint, which damages the paint within months
• They blow off at highway speed in any meaningful wind
• They look like temporary signage because they are temporary signage
• They cost almost as much as a real vinyl decal install
• Reusable across vehicles is the only real upside, and most operators don't actually rotate them

If you're an owner-operator who actually needs the brand to come off the vehicle nightly (delivery driver using a personal car, real estate agent who doesn't want the sign at home), we'll do the math with you. For 95% of customers, real vinyl decals are the same money and ten times the result.

DOT compliance — the section we don't see other shops write

We install DOT-compliant lettering every week. Most quick-print shops install lettering that looks DOT-compliant. There's a difference.

The actual regulation (FMCSA Part 390.21) requires:

• Legal business name as registered with FMCSA, not a trade name or DBA unless registered
• USDOT number with the prefix "USDOT" (not just the number alone)
• Letters and numbers at least 2 inches tall
• Color that contrasts sharply with the vehicle background
• Both sides of the power unit (truck or tractor)
• Legible from 50 feet away during daylight while the vehicle is stationary

We size lettering by vehicle size — on a Class 7 box truck the 2-inch minimum looks tiny and most operators want 4-inch lettering for proportion. On a service van the 2-inch lettering is the right scale. Either way the regulation is the floor, not the ceiling.

If you don't know whether you need a USDOT number, here's the short test: if you're operating commercially across state lines, or if your vehicle has GVWR over 10,000 lbs, you likely need it. We can't give you legal advice — we install the lettering to the spec you give us, and we tell you when what you're asking for doesn't match the actual regulation.

Materials we install on

All cast vinyl. Same material class we install on full wraps. We don't install calendered vinyl on commercial decals because the lifespan gap (18 months vs 5+ years) is the wrong tradeoff on a vehicle the customer is keeping.

• Premium Avery Dennison cast cut vinyl — our primary film for single-color lettering and color-matched brand work, backed by an up-to-6-year vinyl warranty.
• 3M cast cut vinyl when a job calls for it — color match or specialty stock.
• Reflective vinyl — for night-visible applications.
• Full-color printed and contour-cut decals — premium cast film, printed in-house.

Pricing

Decals are the lowest-cost way to brand a vehicle — a single-color DOT-and-lettering package is the entry point, a full decal package (logo, name, phone, DOT, tagline) sits higher, and box-truck or trailer lettering scales with surface. What moves the number: vehicle size, number of installed pieces, single-color vs full-color, reflective material, and whether you're providing a vector logo or we need to build one. See full starting prices by vehicle →

Process — what a decal job looks like

We keep your project moving and keep you posted at every stage.

The kinds of decal jobs we install

• First work van. USDOT lettering, business name, phone, and a small door logo — takes a plain panel van to a professional-looking service vehicle.
• Year-1 fleet branding. Business name, phone, and door logos across a small fleet of service vans. A common starting point — these customers often come back later for a wrap rebrand, and we already have the brand files.
• Box-truck DOT package. Full DOT lettering plus reflective lettering and business name on both sides of a 24' box — regulation-compliant and visible at night.

See full portfolio →

Frequently asked questions

Q. What size do USDOT numbers need to be?

A. Minimum 2 inches tall, in a color that contrasts sharply with the vehicle background, legible from 50 feet during daylight, on both sides of the power unit. The 2-inch minimum is the federal floor — most operators on larger trucks size 3–4 inches for proportion and visibility.

Q. Do I need an MC number on my truck?

A. Only if you're operating as a for-hire motor carrier authorized by the FMCSA. Private carriers (you only haul your own goods) need USDOT but not MC. We install whichever you tell us applies — we don't give legal advice on which authority you operate under.

Q. How long do vinyl decals last?

A. 5 to 7 years for cast vinyl on a daily-driven commercial vehicle. Decals on garage-kept vehicles can run 8+ years. The film fails faster on roof and hood than on doors, so most decals (which live on doors and sides) get the long lifespan.

Q. Can you install decals over an existing wrap or paint?

A. Yes. Cast vinyl decals install over factory paint, painted aftermarket finishes, and existing wraps. We just need the surface clean. Installing over a wrap is common when adding new DOT numbers or contact info after a fleet rebrand.

Q. Will decals damage my paint?

A. No, when installed on factory paint in good condition. Cast vinyl removes cleanly within its warranty window (5–7 years). It can pull aftermarket repaints — we'll inspect before install.

Q. Can I remove decals myself when I sell the truck?

A. Yes — for small decals (DOT lettering, single logos), a heat gun and a plastic scraper does it in 20 minutes. For full decal packages or older installs, we'll remove at the shop for a small fee depending on coverage.

Q. Why not magnetic signs instead of vinyl?

A. Magnetics trap moisture against the paint and damage finishes within months. They blow off at highway speeds. They cost almost as much as real decals and last roughly 1/10 as long. For 95% of operators, real vinyl is the same money and ten times the result. (We'll install magnetics if you insist — we just don't recommend them.)

Q. Can you match my brand colors exactly?

A. Yes — we color-match from your existing brand book, vehicle paint, signage, or printed materials. If you have a Pantone (PMS) number, we install to spec. If you have a website hex code, we convert to the closest cast vinyl match (occasionally there's a 1–2% drift between RGB and cast film color; we'll show you a swatch before printing).

Get a quote on your decals

Three ways:

1. Send it through our [contact form](/contact) with your logo file, business name, DOT info (if applicable), phone, and vehicle type. Same-day quote range.
2. Call (801) 648-9727. Most decal quotes can be priced over the phone in 2 minutes.
3. Walk in. Shop at 2181 W California Ave, Suite 100.