Reefer Trailer Decals: Trailer IDs and Tractor Door Lettering

Reefer trailer decals do a different job from the lettering on the tractor. The federal marking rule puts the carrier's name and USDOT number on the power unit, so the tractor doors carry those. The reefer behind it carries IDs you choose: a trailer number, an optional weight line and, if someone asks for it, the VIN.

What goes on the tractor

The marking rule, 49 CFR 390.21, asks for the legal name or a single trade name of the carrier and its USDOT number on both sides of the self-propelled vehicle. The letters must contrast sharply with the background and be readable from 50 feet in daylight while the vehicle is stopped. A sample door, with made-up details:

• NORTHFORK COLD FREIGHT LLC
• BOISE, ID
• USDOT 3456789
• MC 765432

That is the Custom USDOT Logo at $32 per decal, so order two. The city and MC lines are optional: FMCSA says the rule does not require a city and state, and that no marking requirement exists for an MC number. Not sure your tractor is covered? Start with who needs a USDOT number.

What the trailer is for

FMCSA's 2000 final rule did not extend the marking duty to trailers, and our guide to DOT requirements for trailers shows where a trailer still counts. So the lettering on a reefer is yours to design, and the practical use is letting someone name one trailer from across a yard.

One wording trap: on a reefer, "unit" can mean the trailer or the refrigeration unit on its front. A decal reading UNIT 118 invites mix-ups with a mechanic talking about the reefer unit. Use TRAILER 118 or REEFER 118 and leave the word unit off.

The number belongs to the trailer, so it stays correct whichever tractor pulls it. A company name on the trailer can point at the wrong operator once another carrier's tractor is hitched up. A number cannot.

Weights and the VIN

A sample trailer set:

• REEFER 118
• GVW 44000
• TARE 15800

The GVW + TARE Weight Decal is two lines, $22.99. GVWR is the manufacturer's maximum loaded weight rating (49 CFR 390.5T), and tare is the empty weight. Both figures above are samples, so copy yours from the trailer's data plate or paperwork. Never cover the plate, and remember that a decal does not change the rating. State weight rules differ, so see GVW and weight stickers.

For a trailer number plus a GVWR line, the Trailer / Unit Number pair is $24.99. A VIN Decal is $18.99. Copy the VIN from the title one character at a time, because we print what you type.

Surface, spot and color

Reefer sides vary, from smooth panels to walls with seams, rivets or ribs, so check yours. Run a hand over the spot you plan to use and skip anything that is not flat. Keep decals clear of rear-door hinges, seals and locking bars, which move and catch edges.

Pick one spot and repeat it on every trailer, on both sides, measured from the same corner and the same lower rail, so a yard checker never has to hunt. If your trailer sides are white, a yellow sticker stands apart from the wall, while a white one blends into it. Black lettering on yellow, or white on black, gives a wide gap in lightness.

A large panel is easier with a helper. Wash and dry the wall, outline the spot with tape and squeegee from the middle out, as in how to install truck door decals. The door decal size guide shows how to test a width before you order.