DOT compliant graphics are important for commercial fleets. Iconography Studios is proud to have designed, produced and installed these graphics for the fleet of vehicles for MySafeLA: LA, a community-based program that provides fire and life safety education throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Its easy to turn your plain white cargo van, Sprinter van or other vehicle into an advertising work of art when you work with the vehicle wrap experts at Iconography. Our award-winning design team is ready to help you with whatever level of design assistance you require, from full concepts to simple renderings of your in-house graphics into something that will fit your vehicle.
Once your design is complete and you’ve signed off on your proofs, the art files are moved over to our production team, where your graphics are precisely printed on only the highest quality materials and then prepared for installation on your vehicle. We are a 3M endorsed vehicle wrap installation company, and we use 3M’s wrap materials for most of our vehicle wraps.
This vehicle wrap for MySafe:LA on this Ford Transit is a combination of printed graphics on 3M’s IJ180 material that is laminated with 3M’s 8518 laminate. The reflective material on the back of the van is a 3M cut vinyl that is CA DOT compliant.
Commercial Vehicles in California Must Have DOT Compliant Graphics
Commercial vehicle graphics in California must comply with both federal and state regulations, primarily requiring the display of specific identifying information on both sides of the vehicle. This applies to trucks, combinations of vehicles, and other commercial vehicles used for hire or with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) over 10,000 pounds.
What Are The CA DOT Requirements for Commercial Vehicle Graphics?
- Company name/trademark: The name or trademark of the motor carrier must be displayed on both sides of the vehicle. This must be the name of the person or company under whose authority the vehicle is being operated.
- USDOT number: The motor carrier’s identification number, issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), must be displayed on both sides of the vehicle. The number must be preceded by the letters “USDOT”.
- CA number: A California (CA) number, issued by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), is also required for commercial vehicles operating within the state.
- Lettering specifics:
- Placement: The required information should be placed on the lower or mid-door area of the truck’s cab.
- Clarity: Lettering must be in sharp contrast to the background and clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet during daylight hours. This means using a light color on a dark vehicle and a dark color on a light vehicle.
- Size: The CA number must be at least 2 inches tall.
- Permanence: Markings must be applied permanently to the vehicle.
- Placement: All required identification information must appear on both sides of the commercial vehicle.
Special considerations:
- Leased vehicles: For vehicles leased for over 30 days, the lessee’s (renter’s) information must be displayed. If a vehicle has multiple company names, the vehicle’s markings must indicate the operating company with the words “operated by”.
- Advertising: Graphics, logos, and other advertising messages are permitted as long as they do not obscure the required information and are not inconsistent with the regulations.
- Contractors: The California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) has additional rules for licensed contractors, requiring their business name and license number to be displayed on commercially registered vehicles. The font size must be at least 72-point, or three-quarters of an inch in height and width.
- Oversize loads: Vehicles carrying oversize loads need additional graphics, such as “OVERSIZE LOAD” signs. The lettering and background have specific requirements for visibility.
Once the graphics are ready, they are installed by our in-house 3M-endorsed installation team. If your vehicles are located in many locations, not to worry. Our network of 3M installation teams can wrap any vehicle in any location throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Interested in a wrap for your fleet? Give the vehicle wrap experts at Iconography a call today at 562-424-4353 to get started!
