Company banner on a DD?

[Greenbuggy]

Just curious, I'm sure some people here have had to answer this in their own lines of work.

I'm very hopeful that a longtime dream of mine may be coming true around Easter. I'm going to go look at and make an offer on a '62 Mercedes S404 Unimog up near my parents place in Minnesota.

Eventually, I want this truck to be the awesomest company truck ever conceived, but until then it will be replacing my pickup, and not fully my DD but probably close to it (especially during the winter, if the pocketbook will allow I will probably be getting another motorcycle this spring).

I am trying to get my side-business more legitimate, so that one day I can stop treating the side-job as something I do for extra cash when I'm not working the regular job. Until then, money is fairly tight, so that I have some savings for when I make that transition.

Which brings up the question for which I started this thread: I want to put a Vinyl banner on the side of the 'mog with my phone number and a brief explanation of the work I can do for potential customers. As of right now my welding/repair business is NOT mobile nor do I plan to have any tools (beyond the normal ones stashed in a normal car/truck for roadside emergencies) stored in or on the truck.

But I can see where having a banner on the truck would make some people think it is a "company" vehicle even if the title is in my name, I don't want to get in trouble with the D.O.T. or my insurance company for that. I have USAA insuring my current pickup and my wife's car.

I'm told that a lot of people around here have been getting busted for having "company vehicles" without proper DOT required fire extinguisher, safety kit, reflectors, etc, is it as simple as having those items or is there more to the story that i'm not being told? I have no problem with keeping those items in the truck but I don't want to spend the money on those items, and get fined anyways....

[Norm W]

If it is a company vehicle, it is supposed to have a DOT number on it. That opens you up to the extra equipment that they require. I would have the sign and numbers removable. If you are using it as a DD then you could be fined for having beer with your groceries in the truck. A friend of mine was going to a car show in PA. He sells SS fasteners. He had his truck (3/4 ton) and trailer with all the correct signage and equipment. DOT inspected his truck and found his food and BEER in the trailer. Big fine!!!! So it can happen. This fellow is about as an "Upright Citizen" as you can get. It didn't matter. If you are grocery shopping ............pull the signs.

[MetalMangler]

While I don't know about DOT regs, I have worked with insurance companies while investigating accidents. And one incident stuck in my head... I'm at a wrecking yard measuring the damage and the insurance agent sees the magnetic sign on the side of the truck. He immediately is on the phone with the office asking if they have a personal policy or a commercial policy on the truck. Make sure that whatever you do with the truck doesn't give the ins. co. an excuse to invalidate your policy after you're at the point you've paid them and you now need them.

MM

[Shade Tree Welder]

Every state and ins company has different rules.

I never put my company name on my trucks never registered the truck as a
company vehicle always left as a personal vehicle, simpler and safer. BTW,
signage on your truck as well as ads in flyers and the yellow pages only get
you the busines you don't want.

[Greenbuggy]

Originally Posted by Shade Tree Welder

BTW,
signage on your truck as well as ads in flyers and the yellow pages only get
you the busines you don't want.

Here and I thought that was craigslist ?
What do you recommend? Right now I'm pretty well booked with word-of-mouth advertising (which is great) but its coming after a long slow spell where I was looking for more customers. Obviously every business wants to smooth out the rises and lulls, and I suspect that most of my work is coming now from people who have had a need for a while, and just got a tax return.

[midmosandblasting]

Ron other than word of mouth the only ad that paid off in sales was the phone book. When we had the shop in Sedalia.