Dump Truck Decals: USDOT, MC, GVW and Unit Numbers

Dump truck decals usually put your company name and USDOT number on each door, with an MC line if you hold operating authority. Work-site fleets often add a unit number and a GVW line. Whatever you choose, the lettering has to stay readable, and a dusty truck needs wiping more often than a highway tractor.

Dump truck decals for the door

The federal marking rule, 49 CFR 390.21, asks for the carrier's legal name or a single trade name and the USDOT number on both sides, in lettering that contrasts sharply and reads from 50 feet in daylight. Two sample layouts:

• One decal: SANDOVAL MATERIALS, DALLAS, TX, USDOT 1234567, MC 890123. That is the Custom USDOT Logo.
• Numbers only: USDOT 1234567, MC 890123, CA 0123456, GVW 52000. That is the four-line stack, which needs the company name lettered elsewhere on the truck.

The MC line is optional: FMCSA says no marking requirement exists for it. Whether you need operating authority depends on what you haul and for whom, and the FMCSA page explains the test. Order two of each decal, one per door.

Unit numbers on a work-site fleet

When five trucks pull into the same yard, a USDOT number does not help anyone tell them apart. A short number such as "T-14" does. Foremen, scale clerks and dispatchers can then call a truck by number across a radio or a gate.

Put the same number on both doors, in the same spot on every truck. The Trailer / Unit Number pair includes a GVWR line and is sized for trailers and box trucks, so it also suits dump trailers. For a number alone, the single number decal does the job. Nothing in the marking rule asks for unit numbers; they are there for your crew. The fleet unit number guide has more.

Weight lines: what the rule asks and what it does not

The federal marking rule asks for the name and USDOT number. It does not ask for a weight. Some states do have their own weight displays:

• New Jersey requires commercial vehicles of 26,001 pounds GVWR or more that are registered or principally garaged there to display the GVWR, and sets its own lettering size.
• California commercial vehicles registered under the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act must display the DMV's weight decals on the right and left sides.

The California decals come from the DMV. Our GVW / Weight Decal is lettering that prints the figure you type, so take that figure from your registration or what your state asks for. A wrongly typed number is not covered by our guarantee. See GVW stickers on trucks for more, and ask your state agency what applies to your truck.

Keeping decals legible on a dusty truck

The rule says the marking must be kept and maintained so it stays readable. On a work truck that means cleaning, not only sticking on a decal and forgetting it.

• Rinse loose grit off first, then wipe with water and a soft cloth. Wiping dry grit across the surface can scratch it.
• Avoid abrasive pads and scrapers. Our guarantee does not cover abrasive cleaning.
• Pick colors with a wide gap in lightness, such as black on white or yellow, or white on black. Dust and mud blur small differences first.
• Wipe both doors, not just the driver's side.

The USDOT number display rules page summarizes the legibility test. You can preview your own lines in the door builder.