Trucker News

Not all lettering is created equal. We often see commercial businesses displaying their truck lettering with cheap hardware store stickers that fall off within months, or worse, displaying their important information on pieces of paper or cardboard.

If you have a transportation business, you want to be professional. You want leave a positive impression with the public and with business partners, that’s why we always recommend professional vinyl lettering.

In the example below, both of the letterings are US DOT compliant, but one looks a lot more professional and leaves a brand impression.

The basic lettering on the left displays all of the information required to do trucking business. It’s discreet, it visible and looks professional.

The fancy lettering on the right leaves a long-lasting positive impression and it’s also DOT compliant. The USDOT & MC lettering is nicely integrated with the truck door logo.  

As we stated earlier, both are DOT compliant but one leaves an impression and combines compliance with aesthetics.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Displaying all of your essential USDOT information outside of your motor unit is one of the most important things to have on your truck. A lot of new truckers overlook this and face consequences later on.

We always recommend displaying all of your lettering using a strong bold font that is at least 2 inches in height (this is the minimum requirement set by the FMCSA). Your font must be visible from at least 50 feet and it must contrast with the color of your vehicle.

Legally, you are required to display your USDOT number, Company or Business Name and the location of which you are doing business out of. You must display the location since there might be a lot of businesses with your business name. This helps identify your business a lot easier.

We recommend displaying your company name then underneath the location which you are doing business out of. Under that you can display your USDOT number. If you are a super trucker and doing business across country, we recommend displaying your lettering like this.

Company Name, Location, USDOT, MC, CA, KYU, TXDOT, GVW & VIN. Again, this is our recommendation to make sure you cover all of your basics.

Why do you need to display all of this information? It makes it easier for authorities to pull up and input all of your information and helps identify you whenever you pass weight scales. The most important thing for displaying all of your information correctly is for when commercial vehicles are in crash or accidents. Authorities will be able to pull up the safety record of business and take action.

In the example below, a drunk driver driving a tow truck crashed into multiple vehicles. The first thing authorities did was capture the USDOT & CA number on the side of the truck to identify the business & driver. This is the importance of displaying all of your information correctly.

We are often asked “how big does my US DOT lettering have to be?”

Your USDOT lettering & other commercial lettering such as MC, CA, KYU, VIN, GVW must be at least 2 inches in height and must be visible from a distance of at least 50 feet. It must be attached to your commercial vehicle in a way that it won’t fall off such as a semi-permanent decal. Your USDOT lettering must contrast with the color of your vehicle. Avoid darker colors on a dark vehicle and vice versa.  

We recommend displaying your lettering in a color that contrasts and is clearly visible. Placing it on the door is common but it can be placed anywhere that is visible. It must be displayed on both sides of the power unit.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our customer service reps are read to answer any questions. We look forward to having your business.



Your CA or CHP regulation number needs to be a minimum of at least 2 inches and must be visible from at least 50 feet away. It is very important for your CA number to be displayed on both sides of your power unit (commercial vehicle).

It is also required to display any other regulation numbers that are applicable to your business such as a USDOT, MC or GVW number.

In the State of California, mandated by the California Highway Patrol you are required to display your business name, the city where your business is registered and your CA number (also any other regulation numbers you need). Displaying all of your information properly on both sides of your commercial vehicle shows that you are abiding CHP laws.

This also makes it easier for CHP officers, CHP Weight Station Workers and if you are in an accidently to properly locate the Motor Carrier. Meaning, it makes you and the authority’s life a lot easier.

If you have any question regarding CHP laws and regulations, we would be happy to assist you!