Commercial Vehicle Wrapping: Questions To Ask Any Specialist

Whether you’re looking for large-scale commercial vehicle wrapping services for fleet branding or wish to wrap a company van or car, there are a few questions we’d always recommend you ask to ensure your wrapping specialist will produce a professional result.

Vehicle wraps can make your whole vehicle stand out, provide amazing brand exposure as a marketing tool, and be a cost effective way to market your company to an exponential audience – but quality, precision and design are all-important.

Every business has a budget to stick to, so it’s worth evaluating wrap quotes and comparing the experience of your local commercial vehicle wrap providers, so you feel 100% confident you’ve got all the information you need!

1. Is Vinyl Wrap the Right Option for Commercial Vehicle Wrapping?

While vinyl wrap is often the fastest, most efficient, and most affordable way to transform the appearance of any vehicle, it’s also a great idea to check in with your installer and see if they’re happy to provide independent advice.

There are some scenarios where we might suggest an alternative, such as:

• • Where the vehicle has a large amount of rust that will stop the vinyl from adhering correctly.
  • Where your vehicle wrap has a small design area – we might recommend a partial wrap just for that part of the bodywork to avoid spending more than necessary.

You’ll also find a broad range of vinyl brands suited for commercial vehicle wraps, so if the design is brand promotional and intended for short-term use, we can offer lower-cost vinyl brands ideal for temporary applications.

2. Can You Help With the Vehicle Wrap Design?

For most businesses (aside from those in the graphic design sector), the brand design process is the trickiest element because there are countless textures, colours, finishes and layouts to choose between.

An in-house vehicle wrap custom design team is the best possible option because you have the opportunity to chat about your ideas and branding and explain the impact you want to achieve through your vehicle livery.

Vehicle wrapping templates can be convenient if your vehicle or fleet is of a standard size. Still, a tailored design service may be preferable if you need a more custom wrap. Looking through previous examples can help narrow your specification and give a designer input to create something special for maximum impact.

There are some golden rules to vehicle wrapping design, which a capable designer will explain, such as using fonts above a particular size and steering clear of elaborate text or certain colour combinations that are very hard to read in a moving vehicle.

In some wrapping projects, a client simply changes their mind or sees something compelling they want to replicate. If you have a design team to hand, they can incorporate those adjustments quickly without the added time and cost of outsourcing to a third party.

3. Can You Show Me Past Vehicle Wrap Projects and Customers Feedback?

We briefly mentioned past wrapping projects – and this is one of the most valuable questions, enquiring whether a wrap specialist has the expertise to provide you with an outstanding finished appearance.

Any reputable wrapping team will be proud to showcase their design graphics and application skills or provide a gallery of wraps on vehicles of a similar size to give you an idea about what is possible and how different branding designs work.

It’s also important to check customer reviews and testimonials to ensure you’re getting the full picture. You could have a look at the following:

• • Published testimonials – although these tend to exclude anything negative!
  • Google reviews
  • Social media ratings
  • Feedback on independent forums, such as Trustpilot

Impartial reviews can provide insights into how previous customers have felt about their experience. They’ll also let you know whether clients have found their wrap starts to bubble or fade very quickly, which could indicate a substandard installation process.

4. Do Your Vehicle Wrapping Services Come With a Warranty?

Most vinyl wraps come with a warranty, with manufacturers of the top brands providing guarantees about how long commercial vehicle wrapping should last.

However, this may not be sufficient if the vinyl itself is excellent but has been incorrectly fitted. Installer warranties can be a safeguard if something goes wrong and gives you the peace of mind that you can have any vehicle wrapping issues fixed promptly without additional cost.

Professional fleet wrappers can also suggest finishes such as a ceramic coating to protect your wrap, highly effective for vehicles that cover a lot of mileage and need extra protection from grit, sand, and oil from the road.

5. What Is the Best Way to Look After My Vehicle Wraps?

A little general maintenance will keep your vehicle wrap fresh, bright, and bold. Any installer should offer advice on how to clean the wrap and avoid damage.

As a quick guide, here are some of the tips your installer should cover:

• • Use a good quality vehicle shampoo, but pick a brand with a low ph.
  • Be careful about powerful jet washing, as very high-intensity jets can cause peeling.
  • Try not to use automatic car washes, as the bristles might be abrasive.
  • Don’t use wax polishes – they won’t make the wrap shine brighter and can cause fading.
  • Clean any fuel or oil away from the wrap quickly to avoid corrosion or damage to the colour.

Your vehicle wrapping expert might offer a regular cleaning service, but for most vehicles, a simple clean now and then is more than sufficient to stop oil and grime from building up.

A good wraps installer will want to pre-empt the likelihood of any damage but can always remove and replace it with a fresh layer if you end up with a deep dent in the bodywork.

6. How Much Will the Work Cost, and How Long Will it Take?

Commercial vehicle owners often choose vinyl wrap as it takes a fraction of the time and cost of a respray – but make sure you have a written quotation and a clear indication of the time frames before you drop your vehicle off.

Working through these questions with a reputable commercial vehicle wrapping specialist will give you a solid idea about the service you can expect and ensure you choose a high-quality vehicle wrapping company that will offer the benefit of their expertise in picking a wrap, selecting a design, and taking care of your fleet for the long term.