Sometimes a coat of paint just isn’t enough. Some fleets want to take advantage of the considerable space on the trailer to showcase their unique branding, whether it’s a logo or a specific color scheme. This can be an effective way to increase brand awareness. For these needs, there are several companies that provide specialized printed trailer graphics.

Epic Worldwide offers the Kwik Zip Graphic System, which uses print technology to print graphics for trucks and trailers.

“Traditional truck graphics are old-school, with peel and stick pieces of plastic that normally stay on the vehicles from cradle to grave,” says Ed Potkay, Epic’s national vice president of sales. “They are very expensive and time-consuming to remove and reapply. With the Kwik Zip, there is no expensive decal removal, nor any need to repair dings and dents before new graphics can be installed, instantly giving vehicles an extreme makeover.

“Unlike traditional truck wraps,” he continues, “Kwik Zip is a frame system with truck graphics printed on one continuous, seamless, smooth 32 oz. vinyl sheet that fits tighter than a drum. High print resolution ensures crisp and vivid truck ads and unforgettable advertisements. The truck graphics have a UV protective coating with a durable and scuff-resistant shield, which stays clean longer and holds up against graffiti.

“Installation of the Kwik Zip system can be completed in less than one hour,” Potkay adds. “Vehicle downtime is at a minimum. The system can be installed in any weather condition and change-outs are now a very affordable reality. Also, we can train your staff to self-install the truck graphics for even more savings.”

The frame materials, he explains, are aircraft grade aluminum (light), strengthened to T6 (strong) and anodized to protect them from the weather and road chemicals. The vinyl is specifically designed for the rigors of the tough trucking environment, and the graphics are printed in ultra-high resolution with rich and deeply saturated colors, he added. Lastly, they’re finished with Epic’s Armor Shield Anti-Graffiti top coating for added UV and anti-scuff protection, while adding a high-gloss finish.

21C Graphics offers the Vehicle Art Robo (VAR), a self-contained, semi-portable vehicle graphics printer that applies full-color, high-resolution graphics to any large horizontal surface. According to the company, the machine was developed and optimized for commercial vehicles from transit vans to 53-ft. trailers. The VAR is new to the U.S., but has been produced and used in Japan for 20 years.

“[The VAR] uses technology similar to that of an inkjet printer to spray the inks directly to the surface of the vehicle,” explains Wade Schell, president of 21C Graphics. “The machine is computer controlled and uses .tiff files [from Photoshop, Illustrator, or a similar program] to produce the images. The proprietary inks are quick-drying, resistant to fade in UV, resistant to road salts and grime, and can be washed using normal commercial methods, including touchless automatic brush type machines.

“Fleet managers need only set aside one bay in the maintenance shop to house the machine,” he continues. “Once set up, the machine operator simply pulls the vehicle up to the machine, programs the body measurements into the machine, and then printing can start. The rear of the trailer is printed by either backing the vehicle up to the machine, or if space does not permit, the machine can be easily rolled to the back of the vehicle.”

According to Schell, fleets will see their return on investment within one and a half to three years.