Coordinating graphics on behalf of a client puts a fleet management company (FMC) in the middle of everything. You source the vehicles, manage the upfit timeline, and oversee the rollout, while your client owns the brand and the artwork. The nationwide fleet graphics provider you choose should fit into that process and keep your client’s units moving.
At Advertising Vehicles, we work with fleet management companies and upfitters on exactly this kind of program. When an FMC is looking into graphics providers for its clients, these are the four things we recommend checking, along with how we handle each one.
An Ordering Process That Understands FMCs’ Unique Needs
Many graphics providers have only worked directly with the company whose name goes on the vehicle. Your orders run differently. The vehicle may still be on its way, the graphics have to be ready when it arrives, and the installation must line up with the upfit so delivery is not held up.
Ask any provider you are considering:
- Have you worked with fleet management companies before, or only with their clients?
- How do you plan around vehicle arrival dates and upfit schedules?
- Who is our point of contact from order through installation?
We treat this as a true partnership. We become part of your upfitting process, keep track of where each unit stands, and take the hassle of fleet graphics off your plate. We map out the workflow with you during program setup, and because every client is different, we confirm the details for each program.
Artwork Approval That Fits Each Client
Every client approaches artwork differently. Some send final files and trust you to see them through production. Others want their own marketing team to approve every design proof. The right provider is comfortable with both.
Before the first job, settle three questions with your provider:
- Who reviews the design proofs?
- Who gives final brand approval?
- What happens when a layout has to be adapted for a body style the original artwork was not designed for?
After that, it comes down to constant communication and quick design turnarounds. That is how we keep this part of the process moving, so an upfitted vehicle is not left waiting on a proof.
Installation Where and When It Works for You
Where a vehicle gets wrapped depends on where it is in its life cycle.
- New vehicles come through you, so they are usually wrapped at your location or at the graphics provider’s own facility before delivery.
- Existing fleet vehicles are already in service with your client, so installation is planned around when each vehicle can be spared, to keep downtime to a minimum.
Look for a nationwide fleet wrap company that can work either way. We operate our own installation facility and also install at fleet management company locations. Every day a vehicle waits on graphics is another day it is not in service for your client, so we plan each installation around when the vehicle is available to keep downtime to a minimum.
Before you choose, ask how the provider keeps the finished work consistent: whether every vehicle is produced to one specification and installed through one process, wherever it is wrapped. That answer tells you how closely the last vehicle in a program will match the first.
Records That Keep Every Client Organized
Record keeping is easy to overlook when comparing providers, but it matters long after the rollout is finished. Sooner or later, a panel on one of the vehicles gets damaged, and someone has to know which artwork version, which vinyl, and which installation date belong to that unit.
For you, that question multiplies. You may be managing graphics for many clients, each with its own brand guidelines, artwork versions, and vehicle types, often over multi-year contracts. Look for a provider that keeps every program organized and accounted for, by client and by vehicle, so a replacement can be produced to the original specification. A national vehicle wrap company that can wrap a fleet but cannot reproduce a single panel later has not solved the long-term problem.
What Sets the Right Fleet Graphics Company Apart for FMCs
The right partner is defined by capacity and coordination. That means managing large, multi-state programs across many vehicle types, from artwork and production through installation and records, as one connected process.
Advertising Vehicles has been managing programs at that scale for more than two decades. Our operation is built around the coordination fleet management companies require of their graphics partner.
Bring Us Your Next Client Program
If you manage client fleets across multiple states, we would be glad to walk through how a nationwide fleet graphics program would run inside your existing process. Advertising Vehicles to start the conversation.
