Your client's ad
on semi trucks
Think of them as billboards sailing down the highway
By Diego Vasquez
Nov 21, 2011
Anyone who has ever ventured onto a highway has seen a semi truck hauling a long trailer. Those semi trailers often double as out-of-home advertising vehicles.
Ads on the sides of the trucks reach a huge number of people, including anyone driving by on the highway or at a rest stop.
The medium has a couple of advantages over traditional static billboards by the highway. First, it's very inexpensive, with CPMs typically $2 or less. Plus, trailer ads are visible for a longer time than billboards, which drivers whiz past at 65 miles per hour.
To find out how to get your client on semi trailers, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Advertising on the trailers pulled by semi trucks.
Who
Many markets have companies that can handle semi trailer advertising in their city, and there are also just under a dozen that run national networks.
How it works
The sides of semi trailers offer advertisers a large canvas to work with.
The typical trailer is 53 feet long and 13.5 feet high. Advertisers can also use the space on the backs of the trailers, which measures 8.5 feet wide and 13.5 feet high.
For years advertisers could only use an adhesive material to place their messages. While that method is still used, it's now more common to use vinyl inserts that are held in place by a framing system on the trailer itself.
This method is popular because the vinyl inserts are reusable, allowing advertisers to place them on different trucks without additional production costs. They can even use them as signage for a separate out-of-home campaign.
Truck advertising still allows marketers some room for creativity. For example, a sneaker company could make a trailer look like a giant shoebox, or a candy company could make it look like a giant candy bar.
Markets
Semi truck-side advertising is available in all markets.
Numbers
Ninety-one percent of people notice words and pictures on truck fleet vehicles, according to a survey by the American Trucking Association. Ninety-six percent said truck-side ads have more impact than those on a static billboard.
According to a study by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, 56 percent say when they see an ad on the side of a truck, they perceive the company to be a successful one.
How it is measured
Most trucks are equipped with GPS devices that provide data on where the truck is and when it is there. That data is combined with road traffic data from the Traffic Audit Bureau to estimate impressions.
What product categories work well
Recent or current semi trailer advertisers include consumer packaged goods, auto, beverages, travel, fast food, auto parts and liquor.
Demographics
Like billboards, ads on semi trailers reach mass audiences, so the demographics are in line with those of each individual market.
Making the buy
Lead time is typically three to four weeks, although in a pinch campaigns can be set up in 15 days.
CPMs range from $1.75 to $2.
Who’s already been on semis
Recent brands that have advertised on semi trailers include Sargento, Disney, Coca-Cola, Bridgestone, Chevy, BMW and GMC.
What they’re saying
"You can get in front of people without them selectively avoiding the message. You could be next to a trailer for a minute, or it could be hours. So you get a lengthy impression, which can be important to an advertiser. Also, it could be the last message people see before going into a store." – Andrew Garber, president at Worth Outdoor
Web site info
Worth Outdoor
http://www.worthoutdoor.com
Truck Ads
www.truckads.com
Interstate Fleet Media
www.interstatefleetmedia.com
Truckin's Ads
http://www.truckinads.com
Advertising Trucks
http://advertisingtrucks.com
Bus Ads
http://www.busads.com
Ads On Wheels
www.adsonwheels.com
Nixmark
http://www.fleetadvertisingmedia.com
Epic Media Group
www.epicmediagroup.com
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