Pressure Washing Truck Decals: Logo and Lettering for Wet-Work Rigs

Pressure washing truck decals face a problem few trades share: the rig is sprayed down all the time, and the owner holds the high-pressure wand. The owner of a washing truck needs to know how to wash around a decal without blasting an edge. The lettering itself can stay simple, a name, a phone number and the words pressure washing, with a spray-themed mark if you want one.

Can you pressure wash a truck with decals on it?

The careful answer is yes, with some habits. Keep a pressure washer's spray from hitting a decal edge head-on, since a strong jet can lift a corner. Hold the wand at an angle that sweeps across the decal rather than into its edge, and stay back from the surface. Wash gently, and skip abrasive cleaners, which our refunds and returns page lists as outside the guarantee. If your instruction sheet gives a waiting period before the first wash, follow it. Our 3-year guarantee covers a decal that peels or comes off.

For the steps of applying a decal in the first place, the install page has the video and checklist.

One logo, built around a spray

The Spray Fan Block Logo has bold blue capitals under a light blue fan of water spray. The sample reads CLEAN SWEEP on two big lines, with a small "Pressure Washing" line under them. Here is what that layout means on a truck:

• The stacked name is large, so it reads from a distance.
• The trade is spelled out, so a stranger knows what you do.
• The pale blue fan is a light accent, and it is less visible than the dark blue lettering, so do not rely on it to carry information.

Your own name is fitted into the design and you see a proof before printing. A short two-word name fits the layout most easily. A longer name shrinks the type, so check the proof and ask for a different line break if needed.

Where lettering goes on a wash rig

Pressure washing rigs vary. Some are pickups with a skid unit and a hose reel in the bed, some are trailers with tanks, and some are vans. The door is usually a good surface, since it is high enough to dodge most of the spray and flat enough to hold a decal. Lower body panels near the wheels can catch overspray and road splash, so keep lettering above the middle of the door.

A trailer needs its own plan. Check for a smooth, flat panel, since ribbed or riveted sides may keep a decal from lying flat. For USDOT questions, whether a truck or a truck-and-trailer combination needs a number depends on weight and use, covered in who needs a USDOT number. Check with your state licensing board if your state asks pressure washers to show a license number.

Sample door text

Made-up names and (555) numbers:

• TIDEWELL PRESSURE WASHING, (555) 555-0171
• BRIGHTSIDE SOFT WASH, Houses, Decks, Driveways, (555) 555-0133
• ANCHOR POWER WASH CO., Residential and Commercial, (555) 555-0186

If the logo is more than you need, the Business Name + Phone Number decal is the simple choice for a second vehicle or a trailer. The Make-Your-Own 5-Line decal works for a custom mix of lines. Check widths against your door with the door size guide.

Blue on a white truck, and what changes on dark

Dark blue lettering on a white or light gray truck reads cleanly. Light blue fades quickly on a white door, particularly when the surface is wet. On a dark truck, use white or pale lettering and let the blue fan be the accent. Favor a strong color difference between text and background over a subtle one.

Contour cut for the spray fan

A contour cut is optional and adds $10 per door on logo designs. It cuts the decal along the outline of the artwork, so the fan of spray lines and the lettering stand alone on the paint without a rectangle behind them. A fan of thin rays is delicate, so look at the proof to see how the outline will come out.

Related pages

Painters who prep surfaces beside you can see painting truck decals, and for yard and lawn jobs, lawn care truck decals. When a decal has to come off later, how to remove truck decals explains the process. We make adhesive decals, not magnets, but magnetic USDOT signs describes that route.