Utility Trailer Decals: Name, Unit Number, Length and GVW Labels

Utility trailer decals have to work with very little flat surface. An open landscape or utility trailer has rails, a short front panel, maybe a tool box and a ramp gate, so the usual answer is a narrow one- or two-line decal for the name, plus small labels for a unit number, length or weight. Ours are rectangular lettering panels up to 24 inches wide on removable car wrap vinyl.

Find the flat spot first

Walk around the trailer with a tape measure before choosing anything. The places that usually take vinyl:

• The front rail or a solid front panel, which faces the tow vehicle and anyone behind it.
• A tongue or tool box lid or side, which is flat and sheltered.
• The face of a ramp gate, if it is smooth, when the gate is up.
• A solid side panel, on trailers with one.

Skip mesh, open grating, diamond plate with a heavy pattern, rivet rows and bent edges. A decal needs a clean, smooth, dry surface, as our install page explains. If your trailer is mostly open, one narrow decal beats a big one that will not lie flat.

A narrow name decal for a rail

For a landscaper or contractor, the name is the point. The Company Name Decal, Single Line is one line of lettering, at 12, 18 or 24 inches wide, which suits a rail or a tool box. If you have room for a number as well, the Business Name + Phone Number decal takes two or three lines, so it needs a taller panel.

A sample for a landscape trailer is OAKRIDGE LAWN CARE on one line, with the number on a second decal near the tongue. For wording ideas on the truck that pulls it, read landscaping and contractor truck decals.

Trailer name decals and unit numbers

If you run more than one trailer, a number on each one saves guesswork. The Trailer / Unit Number decal is made for it, with an optional weight line. Some owners prefer a short name for the trailer, which you can type on any one-line decal. Keep a number or name in the same spot on every trailer so crews find it without looking.

Length and weight labels

Crews like to know a trailer's size at a glance. The Trailer Length decal prints the length you type, and the GVW / Weight Decal prints a weight rating you type. Copy the number from the manufacturer's label or paperwork and double-check it, because we print what you enter. These are convenience labels for people reading the outside of the trailer. They do not replace the manufacturer's plate, which should stay uncovered.

The VIN decal and a faded plate

Metal plates and stickers fade or get scratched on trailers that live outdoors. The VIN decal prints the vehicle identification number so it can be read from outside, in full or as the last 8 characters. It is a convenience label only. It does not replace the manufacturer's certification label, and what your state accepts for registration is its own rule, so check with your DMV before relying on it.

Trailers and the marking rule

The federal marking rule, 49 CFR 390.21, applies to the self-propelled vehicle, so it is the truck, not the trailer, that carries a USDOT marking when one applies. For the details, see DOT requirements for trailers. If you also tow an enclosed box, the enclosed trailer decals page covers larger walls. You can also try a layout in the builder.