MONTREAL, Que. – A new medium of advertising is catching on as fleets look for unconventional ways to boost revenues.

Truck-Side advertising says it is the solution to the selling industry’s problems. Wasted time is something every truck owner can do without.

There are many different companies getting involved in dressing tractors trailers with large digital images to advertise a wide variety of products and most importantly the process does not need to take weeks to complete.

Toronto Digital Imaging (TDI) is one of the companies assuring it can bring out quality with its technology in very little time. TDI has been situated in Montreal for the past year-and-a-half and offers four bays – each with the ability to accommodate a 53-foot trailer.

In TDI’s operation, there are two sets of images. One for indoor use and the other accommodates outdoor applications.

“We have to teach people the difference between indoor and outdoor digital imaging,” explains Robert Malo, TDI director of operations.

The cost to decal one 53-foot trailer is in the range of $5,000; a fleet could expect $2,600 for a 24-foot unit. He adds the time it takes to recoup this expense is next to nothing thanks to emerging advertising trends.

“Why spend $30,000 on a billboard when you can spend $5,000 on a truck, which is constantly moving?” says Malo.

Each installation on a 53-foot truck takes approximately 10 hours with temporary vinyl costing about $4 per-square-foot and 5-year vinyl costing $7 per-square-foot.

“Trucks are not held as long, and this means less money lost,” says Malo.

Cutting back the application time is a big priority on 3M Canada’s agenda. The company credited with making vinyl products for everything from aeronautics to floor graphics, realized the application of decals to trailers and other trucking equipment, represents 10 to 20 per cent of the price.

It recently released its new Controltac Comply product featuring ‘micro-tunnels’ in the adhesive to allow for smooth application. Bubbles no longer have to be removed with a pin and squeegee.

“It took 35 to 40 per cent less time to dress a complete trailer with Comply,” says Lawrence Aird, who works in the 3M commercial graphics division.

He stresses this sort of marketing is the way of the future.

“If a fleet can use the sides of their truck as advertising panels, they can gain a huge benefit,” says Aird. He’s not alone in his thinking, either.

“It is a good way to get the message out and an innovative way to advertise your product at a lower cost compared to other traditional media,” adds Debbie Kezber, CG and TCM regional sales manager for 3M. “It is a good way to generate revenue for a fleet.”

Car Wraps Outdoor Advertising, a Canadian-based company saw the potential of allowing automotive fleet operators to cash in.

They maintain a nationwide database of fleet operators willing to rent space on the side of their vehicles to potential advertisers.

Fleet operators can register with CarWraps outdoor advertising online. More information on the services provided by all three companies can be viewed at www.tdi-imaging.com, www.CarWraps.ca, in addition to www.3m.com.