Truck Decals Ideas: Lettering Layouts for Trucks and Vans

Good truck decals ideas start with a reading order. Someone passing your van gives it about a second, so the biggest line should be your business name, the second should say what you do, and the third should be the way to reach you. Everything else is small or left off. This guide shows layouts built on that order, with where each piece goes and the color pairs we offer.

The reading order that works

1. Name. The largest line, in plain heavy capitals.
2. What you do. A short trade line such as "Drains and Water Heaters" or "Repairs and New Roofs". Plenty of trucks skip this, and people then have to guess.
3. One way to reach you. A phone number or a website, not both unless the space is generous.
4. A license or USDOT line, if one applies, smaller and plain.
5. A tagline. Last, or never.

If a line does not help a stranger decide to call, it is a candidate to cut.

Layouts by line count

Names and numbers here are made up.

Three lines, roofing van

• SUMMIT ROOFING
• Repairs and New Roofs
• 555-0142

Four lines, plumbing truck

• EASTGATE PLUMBING
• Drains and Water Heaters
• 555-0187
• LIC 123456

Five lines, landscaper with a website

• ROWAN LAWN CARE
• Mowing, Mulch, Cleanups
• 555-0163
• rowanlawn.example
• Serving Springfield

The Business Name + Phone Number decal is built for a three-line layout like the first. The Make-Your-Own 5-Line takes any text on up to five lines, so it handles the second and third. We print exactly what you type, so check spelling and digits in the preview.

Where each piece goes

Pickup. The doors carry the name stack. A phone number alone, in large digits, can go on a bed side if you want following traffic to see it. Our Phone Number Decal prints the number big, with an optional line above it for a business name or a word like CALL.

Van. Side panels are usually flatter and larger than the front doors, so they hold more text. The rear doors are what traffic behind you reads for the longest, so a big name and phone number there earn their space. Keep lettering off seams, handles and ribs, where a rectangle will not lie flat. See our pages on van lettering and work van decals for more.

Both sides. Match the two doors. If the truck is covered by the federal marking rule, each side needs the carrier's name and USDOT number (49 CFR 390.21), so one door with your name stack and the other with something different is a risk. Our display rules summary explains the basics.

Color pairs that read well

Our decals have a sticker background (White, Black, Yellow, Silver, Red or Blue) with lettering in Black, White, Red or Blue. Some pairs worth trying:

• Black on yellow: loud and easy to spot, a good fit for service and utility trucks.
• White on blue: calm and clear, and it looks natural on a white or silver truck.
• Black on white: a clean choice that goes with almost any paint. On a white truck it can look painted on.
• White on black: strong on dark trucks, and the sticker blends in while the lettering stands out.
• Red on white: good for a brand color, if you keep the text short.

We do not offer green, orange or other lettering colors, so a green brand has to pick the closest contrasting pair from the list above. Try each pair in the door builder, which warns you when two colors are too close. Our fonts and colors guide lists the pairings to avoid. In the builder, red or blue lettering adds $2 per decal.

Pair a text decal with a logo

A logo and a text decal work well together on the same door, with the logo above and the text below. Keep the text decal plain and the logo as the only picture. Our ready-made logo designs are $120 per door, and our guide to trucking company logo ideas covers what reads well on a door.

Ideas that backfire

• Too many services. Seven bullet points on a van side are read as none.
• Phone, website and email together. Choose one.
• Script for the phone number. Digits must be unmistakable.
• Lettering crowded against the door edge. Leave a margin so the decal looks planned.
• Low-contrast pairs. If two colors look close on screen, they will look closer on a dusty door.
• Tiny city or license lines. Small text is the first thing to disappear at a distance.

Sizes and layout together

Our decals come in 12, 18 or 24 inch widths, which describes the decal, not a legal size. Measure your flat panel, pick the widest width that fits with a margin, and read the preview from a few steps back. A bigger width helps with a longer stack of lines. Our door decal size guide shows how to measure.