Why Your Ute Signage is Costing You Customers (and How to Fix It)
You see them every morning at the Bunnings in Cannon Hill or parked up in the Valley. Dozens of white utes, all with signs on the side, all trying to grab attention.
But here’s the cold, hard truth: Most of that signage is a total waste of money.
I’ve spoken to hundreds of Brisbane tradies—sparkies, chippies, plumbers, and landscapers—who spent three grand on a full wrap, only to tell me, "I haven’t had a single phone call from it in six months."
If you’re driving around Brisbane with your business name on your doors and the phone isn't ringing, something is wrong. Your ute shouldn't just be a way to get your tools from A to B; it should be your hardest-working salesperson.
In this guide, I’m going to show you exactly why most signage fails and how to turn your vehicle into a lead-generating machine that actually pays for itself.
The "Morningside Plumber" Mistake: A Real-World Case Study
Let me tell you about a mate of mine, Dave. Dave runs a plumbing business out of Morningside. When he started, he did what everyone does. He went to a sign writer and said, "I want my logo, my name, my phone number, and a list of everything I do on the side of my HiLux."
He ended up with a ute that looked like a grocery receipt. It had: Dave’s Plumbing & Gas 04XX XXX XXX Blocked Drains Hot Water Systems Leaking Taps Gas Fitting Renovations Maintenance Emergency Service Licensed & Insured Established 2012
He spent $2,500 on the wrap. Three months later, he’d had zero calls. Why? Because when Dave is doing 70km/h down Wynnum Road, nobody can read all that. By the time a potential customer sees the name, the list of services has blurred into a mess of blue and white vinyl.
We sat down and stripped it back. We focused on one big thing: What is the one problem people need solved right now?
We changed it to: "BLOCKED DRAIN? CALL DAVE." followed by a massive phone number.
Within a week, he got two calls while parked at the lights in Coorparoo. That’s the difference between "decoration" and "marketing."
1. The 3-Second Rule: You Aren't a Billboard
When you’re driving, people have about three seconds to look at your ute. If they have to squint to find your phone number or figure out what you actually do, you’ve lost them.
Most business owners make the mistake of trying to fit their whole life story on the door. They want to tell people they’ve been in business since 1994 and that they offer 15 different types of services.
The Fix: Pick one main service and make it huge. If you’re an electrician, don’t list "Data, Power, Lighting, Solar, Testing & Tagging." Just put "ELECTRICIAN" in letters big enough to see from across the street.
2. Your Logo is Too Big (And Nobody Cares)
This is a tough pill to swallow, but unless you’re Jim’s Mowing or Reece Plumbing, nobody knows your logo. If you spend half your budget making a fancy abstract symbol take up the whole side of the van, you’re wasting space.
Your logo is for your business cards and your shirts. On your ute, your service and your phone number are the stars of the show. People aren't looking for "Smith & Co Enterprises"; they’re looking for a guy who can fix their air con before they melt in the February heat.
3. Stop Chasing the Wrong Attention
I see a lot of tradies trying to be "clever" with their signs. They use puns or weird fonts that are hard to read. Or worse, they buy cheap magnetic signs that fly off on the Gateway Motorway.
When you stop chasing cheap leads and start focusing on quality, your whole approach changes. You want the person who sees your ute and thinks, "That looks like a professional who will show up on time," not "That looks like the cheapest guy in the area."
High-quality signage tells the customer you take your business seriously. If your ute is dirty, the signs are peeling, and the phone number is missing a digit, why would they trust you with their house?
4. The "Phone Number" Problem
Is your phone number easy to remember? If it’s a random string of digits, people won't remember it by the time the light turns green.
If you can’t get a "fancy" number, make sure the one you have is massive. I’m talking 20cm high. And for heaven’s sake, make sure it’s in a high-contrast colour. White text on a yellow ute? Forget it. Black on white or white on dark blue – that’s what works.
5. Where You Park is Just as Important as What You Write
I have a client who does high-end landscaping in Ascot and Hamilton. He doesn't just park his truck anywhere. He makes sure that whenever his team is on a job, the truck is parked out front, angled so the neighbours can see the "Garden Transformations" sign clearly.
He’s not just working; he’s advertising to the exact people who can afford his services. If you’re a tradie, your ute is a mobile billboard. If you park it in your garage every night, it’s doing nothing. If you park it on a busy main road near your target suburb, it’s working for you 24/7.
What Should Good Signage Cost?
You get what you pay for. Here is the rough breakdown of what I see in the Brisbane market:
The "Budget" Option ($300 - $600): Basic door magnets or simple vinyl cut-outs on the front doors. This is fine if you're just starting, but it rarely brings in big jobs. It looks a bit "weekend warrior." The "Professional" Setup ($1,200 - $2,500): This covers high-quality vinyl on the doors, the tailgate, and maybe the rear window. This is the sweet spot for most small businesses. It looks clean, professional, and lasts 5+ years. The "Full Wrap" ($4,000 - $7,000): This is where they wrap the whole vehicle in a custom design. It looks incredible, but only if the design is simple. If it's too busy, it's a very expensive mistake.
My Advice: Spend the money on a professional setup ($1,500 range) but spend more time on the design. A $5,000 wrap with a bad design will perform worse than a $500 set of stickers that actually tells people what to do.
How Long Until You See Results?
Signage isn't like a Google Ad where you turn it on and get calls that afternoon. It’s about "brand awareness." It’s about the lady in Carindale seeing your van three times in a week while she’s dropping the kids at school. When her tap starts leaking on Friday, yours is the name she remembers.
Usually, it takes about 3 to 6 months of consistent driving and parking in your target areas before you can say, "Yeah, the ute is definitely paying for itself."
The Checklist for a Ute That Makes Money
Before you call a sign writer, ask yourself these five questions:
1. Can I read the main service from 20 metres away? (Testing this is easy—print your design on an A4 sheet, put it on a wall, and stand back 5 metres. If you have to squint, it's too small.) 2. Is my phone number the second most obvious thing? 3. Does my website address look professional? (Pro tip: Put your website on the tailgate. People stuck behind you in traffic have time to look at it.) 4. Does it say where I work? (Adding "Serving Brisbane’s Northside" can be a huge win for local trust.) 5. Is there a clear "Call to Action"? Instead of just a number, try "Call for a Free Quote" or "Emergency 24/7 Service."
What is a Total Waste of Money?
Social Media Icons: Putting a tiny Facebook or Instagram logo on your ute is pointless. Nobody is going to search for you on Insta while they're driving over the Story Bridge. QR Codes: I see these everywhere now. Think about it—who is going to get out of their car, walk up to your moving ute, and scan a code? It’s dangerous and useless. Save the QR codes for your invoices or flyers.
- Lists of 20 Services: If you do everything, you’re an expert at nothing in the eyes of the customer. Pick your top 3 earners and stick to those.
Why Your Website Matters Too
Let’s say your ute signage is perfect. Someone sees it, remembers your business name, and looks you up on their phone later that night. If they land on a website that doesn't work or looks like it was built in 2005, you’ve just wasted all that effort on the signage.
Your ute gets them interested; your website closes the deal. You need to make sure that once they find you, measuring ROI becomes easy because they actually fill out your enquiry form.
Real Results: The "Morningside Plumber" Revisited
Back to Dave. After we fixed his ute, he started getting about 3-4 calls a month specifically from people saying, "I saw your van at the shops."
Average job value? $450. Total extra revenue per month? $1,350 - $1,800. Cost of the new signage? $1,200.
He made his money back in the first month. That is how marketing is supposed to work. It’s not an expense; it’s an investment that brings more cash into your bank account.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re looking at your ute right now and realising it’s a bit of a mess, don't panic. You don't have to strip the whole thing today.
1. Clean it. A dirty ute makes your business look messy. 2. Check the back. The tailgate is your most valuable real estate because people sit behind you in traffic. If it’s blank, get your service and number on there ASAP. 3. Simplify. If you have a list of 10 services, pick the 7 you hate doing or that don't make money, and get a razor blade to them.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses get more out of every part of their marketing—from the signs on their trucks to the way they show up on Google. We don't care about fancy awards; we care about your phone ringing.
If you want a hand making sure your marketing is actually working as hard as you do, let’s have a chat. We know the Brisbane market, we know what tradies need, and we know how to get results without the fluff.
Ready to get more calls? Contact us here and let's get your business moving.