Big Rig Owners are known for their pride in their trucks and require colorful, bright graphics.

As vehicle grapics become more important, especially in the longhaul industry, suppliers and appliers are adapting new technology to reduce costs, improve durability and ease application time and woes. It includes new paints and decal materials and new application processes for decals.

Another indication of the growing importance of eye-catching graphics is a recent aftermarket sales report shows that sales of “Touch-Up Paint” for refurbishing and repairs, have gone from 426 million dollars in 1998 to over 500 million in 2002. This shows that fleets and owner-operators realize the value of clean bright vehicles.

Standard Marking?

A brief trip out on the interstates proves there is no standard or conventional way, no one-size-fits-all, to display company and brand names, logos, slogans, vehicle informational markings. Some vehicles have names in big print, such as Pepsi or Budweiser across the length of a trailer, others use a small logo or slogan and some vehicle sides have no markings on them, for whatever reason. While most cabs have paint, for the markings on trailers/bodies most fleets use decals only, others paint, and others use a combination of the two.

As an aside, a recent survey by Big Rig Owner's publisher, AGG, showed that almost one third of big rig owners own trailers. And, 24% of those have two trailers and 25% have three or more.

Trends

Many owner-operators are finding vinyl graphics preferable to paint for several reasons: Speed of application, meaning less downtime; they usually last the life of the truck; appearance is more brilliant; more positionable, At night increases safety; and handling the “toughness” of the road.

Some owners will trade out advertising on the back of their trailers for truck show sponsorship.
At the same time, there are many changes occurring.

First, is the change in who is applying the graphics. Most are done by outsourced applicators; some fleets and owner-operators still do their own, but the number is dwindling because of stringent environmental regs on fumes and disposal enacted by federal, state and even local municipalities.

The second change is the technological advances in paints and decal materials.

One development for is the short term applications, easy-on and easy-off decals. This allows those truckers who have a “fit” to change brands and slogans according to the season, or marketing targets in a period. What makes these applications cost-effective is the newer products and application processes.

3M Commercial Graphics has an adhesive product specifically designed to be easy to install and remove. If a vehicle took 8 hours to be done with non-changeable graphics, it would take only 1 hour with changeable products. No more heat or chemicals are needed for their removal, simply peel them away.

Comply and Controltac technology of 3M's long term products are also used in the short term products. Controltac allows the graphics to be moved and positioned precisely on the surface. Comply eliminates the bubbles that usually form when vinyl is applied.

Some truckers claim that vehicles resale value is improved if it used removable graphics that won't damage paint finishes.
In addition, Driving Impressions, Inc. Seattle, Wash. offers changeable fleet graphics systems. It uses the Flexi-Frame system that it says avoids costly existing graphics removal and preparation for adhesive vinyl graphics by eliminating the need to repaint areas prior to installing graphics.

Mike Shelton, director of sales and marketing, says it permits on-site installation in most weather conditions, and quick and easy display changes; and Flexi-Frames carry a limited lifetime warranty, with the displays guaranteed for up to five years.

3M is also the designer of the newest application system that makes decal applications faster and easier. Called the Scotchprint Graphics Applicator system, the machine automates the process, applying 60-in. wide rolls of grapics, placed in two horizontal panels along the trailer's, or truck's, side. The seam is virtually invisible.

Manual installation of full-side trailer graphics currently costs $1.30 a square foot and takes 18 man hours and 20 to 30 vertical panels to wrap a riveted-panel transport trailer; ribbed panels or exterior post trailers take much longer. The new 3M applicator can do the same job in approximately 4 man hours. That's a big reduction in vehicle downtime, the company points out.

Since fleets usually want the graphics job done fast and inexpensive, vinyl graphics have become preferrable to paint. They last the life of the vehicle and require less downtime for application.

There is another new concept from the company. Instead of placing decals of company grapics directly over a painted truck, which when removed after several years leave a faded image, several fleets completely cover the truck with vinyl with their logos printed on it.

Digital Technology

Avery Dennison says that the new digital technology used by graphics installers make short-run grapics applications easier and more economical, and the company offers a range of digital products, the MPI Series (multi-purpose inkjet print media.

The company also is jumping on the trend for individualized graphics, with several products designed for speedy application and removal. These include EZ 1000 Fleet Marking Film and Avery MPI 1005 EZ vinyl.

Paints

Big rig owners and fleets are also demanding longer lasting paints that will not require repaints as often, preferrably covered by warranties.

And, the new regulations covering the environmental aspects of coatings has had a big impact of the type of products offered by paint suppliers.

For example, PPG's newest line, DELEFLEET is a low volatile organic compound (VOC) and is available in both 2.8 and 3.5 versions to meet national environmental standards. Low hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) and no HAPS versions are offered as well.

And, PPG has a DELTA system that is a high-solids polyurethane finishing system. It is formulated to meet specific fleet requirements and offers a variety of topcoat choices. This includes single stage, high and medium solids and basecoat/clearcoat options. A full compact line of catalysts, accelerators, solvents and cleaners enable fleet refinishing operations to build a complete system.

Then, there are “chameleon” paints; the colors shift and change with the viewing angle. Developed by Flex Products, the paints are very expensive, costing about $6-700 a quart over-the-counter. Sixteen paint companies have them: Among them are ChromaLusion by DuPont; Multi-Tones by Sherwin-Williams; PPG's Harlequin,; BASF'S RM Extreme Colors and Vespar's House of Kolors' Kameleon.

Because they are pricey, many big rig owners limit the use of these paints to small area accents, such as the steps, or striping or on fenders.

An ecomomical alternative to the chameleons is color-shifting cut vinyl, that's vinyl already coated with the expensive pigments; it costs just four times the cost of of regular vinyl. Avery Dennison offers some of these, in stripes also, called the Shade-Shifter.