Fleet graphics are a great way to advertise your company message and promote your Brand. Large companies as well as small are jumping on this hot method for making the phone ring and driving home sales, while the company fleet of commercial vehicles are driven from one place to another.

If you have one commercial vehicle then getting a car wrap, truck wrap, or van wrap should be a top priority for branding and growing your business, so its important to avoid some problems that could shorten the life of your decals. However, if you need graphics on a whole fleet of vehicles it is important to avoid certain blunders since your potential loss is multiplied. Make sure you avoid these mistakes:

Fleet graphics applied to any area where rust is present will not adhere properly and will begin to peel or crack prematurely. For this reason is is very important to go over the vehicle with a fine-tooth comb and make sure all surfaces are smooth and rust-free.

If installation occurs in a hot facility or a freezing cold workspace then there is the possibility of moisture affecting the wrap. Moisture could create bubbles or shrinkage of the applied graphic later down the road. For this reason it is important to make sure the company you choose to apply the graphics understands this and has a temperature-controlled install location.

If your install professional does not have the proper training you will likely not be happy with the final results. Even if you are, those results may not last nearly as long as they would have from a well-trained professional that is preferably 3M Certified, which is an industry training standard. Advanced training beyond that is even better!

A good graphics company that is using high-quality materials will offer some sort of warranty on the graphic from fading, peeling, cracking or wearing out quicker than expected, or at least a few years. Top industry leaders that do a lot of vehicle wraps often offer a five year warranty for your peace of mind.

Consider asking for some references before you fork over your advertising dollars. Even though it's hard to beat the amount of impressions you get from a vehicle wrap when compared to other ways to advertise your business, it must be considered a wise "investment" in your business plan and you want to make sure you get the best quality wrap. Good testimonials from happy clients usually indicate a graphic installation business that wants happy customers and are willing to make sure they do the job right.

To reiterate, the top mistakes to avoid are:

• Applying a graphic decal over any amount of rust.
• Installing in an environment that is not somewhat temperature controlled.
• Not getting a highly-trained and/or 3M Certified installer to do the job.
• Not making sure you ask about (and expect to get) a warranty on your custom vehicle wrap before you sign anything.
• Forgetting to ask for references, testimonials or some kind of evidence of happy customers.

Even though advertising on your vehicle only ads up to less than a cup of coffee per day at one of those, (ahem!) fancy "star-buckaroo coffee shops", you still want to get as much mileage as possible out of your custom wrap. Getting an installation that lasts means that more people will see your message over a longer period of time.