Your Ute is a Rolling Billboard—Stop Wasting the Space
I was sitting at the lights on Gympie Road in Chermside the other day, right behind a white HiLux. The back window was covered in a massive, complicated sticker with about six different fonts, a list of twenty services, and a logo that looked like it was designed in 1994.
I stared at it for three minutes while the traffic crawled. By the time the light went green, I still couldn't tell you the name of the business or what they actually did best.
If I—someone who literally looks at branding for a living—couldn't figure out how to hire this bloke, what chance does a busy homeowner have?
Most Brisbane tradies treat their ute signage like a business card they’ve accidentally enlarged. They try to cram everything in. But here’s the reality: your ute isn't a brochure. It’s a 60-km/h advertisement. If people can’t read it, understand it, and remember it in three seconds, you’ve wasted your money.
In this guide, I’m going to show you why your current signage is likely failing you and how to turn your vehicle into a machine that actually brings in phone calls while you're driving between jobs in Indooroopilly or North Lakes.
The "Kitchen Sink" Mistake
The biggest mistake I see from sparkies, chippies, and plumbers across South East Queensland is trying to list every single thing they’ve ever done.
Your side panel says: General Plumbing Gas Fitting Hot Water Systems Leaking Taps Blocked Drains Roofing & Gutters Renovations Maintenance
By the time a potential customer reads the third bullet point, you’ve already driven past them.
The Fix: Pick the one or two things that make you the most money. If you want to get more AC installs, put "Air Conditioning Specialist" in massive letters. Don't bury it under a list of minor repairs. People hire specialists. When someone's lounge room is 38 degrees in mid-January, they aren't looking for a "General Electrician"; they want the AC guy.
Can They Read Your Number? (Probably Not)
I’ve seen some beautiful wraps on the M1 that are completely useless because the phone number is in a fancy, thin, cursive font. Or worse, it’s printed in yellow text on a light grey background.
If a mum is walking her dog in Paddington and sees your ute parked across the street, she shouldn't have to squint or walk up to your door to see how to call you.
High Contrast is King: Black on white, white on navy, yellow on black. Avoid subtle colours. The 5-Metre Rule: If you can't read your phone number clearly from 5 metres away while the car is moving, it’s too small. Forget the Landline: Unless you have a dedicated receptionist, just put your mobile. It’s what people expect these days anyway.
The Secret Weapon: Your Suburb
Brisbane people love hiring locals. If I live in Morningside and I see a van that says "Your Local Morningside Plumber," I am significantly more likely to call them than a generic "Brisbane Plumbing Services" mob.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: "But I work all over Brisbane! I don't want to limit myself."
Trust me, you aren't limiting yourself. You’re building trust. If you live in the Redlands, put "Proudly Serving the Redlands" on the tailgate. It creates an instant connection. People assume you’ll be on time because you’re "just around the corner," and they assume you won't rip them off because you've got a local reputation to protect.
Why Your Website Address Matters More Than You Think
Most people won't call you the second they see your ute. They’ll remember the name, or they’ll snap a quick photo of your tailgate at the lights. Later that night, when they’re sitting on the couch, they’ll Google you.
This is where the wheels fall off for most tradies. They have great signage, but when the customer looks them up, the website is a mess or doesn't exist. If your website isn't ringing, it doesn't matter how many people saw your ute on the Gateway Motorway.
Your signage and your website need to work as a team. The ute grabs their attention; the website closes the deal.
The "Logo Ego" Trap
I’m going to be blunt: nobody cares about your logo as much as you do.
I’ve seen tradies spend $3,000 on a full vehicle wrap where the business logo takes up 80% of the space, but the logo is just a bunch of abstract shapes that don't tell me what they do.
If your business is called "J.S. & Sons Enterprises," your logo tells me nothing. If you are a painter, the word PAINTER should be the biggest thing on the truck.
The Hierarchy of Signage: 1. What you do: (e.g., EMERGENCY PLUMBING) 2. How to contact you: (Phone number or easy website) 3. Who you are: (Your business name/logo)
Flip that order, and you’re just paying for a vanity project that won't put food on the table.
Real Example: The Morningside Electrician
We worked with a sparkie who had a plain white van with just his name and a small mobile number on the door. He was getting zero calls from it. He thought signage was a waste of money because "everyone finds me on Facebook anyway."
We convinced him to spend a bit of cash on a high-impact tailgate wrap. We put "AIR CON & SOLAR" in huge, bold letters, a big "Local Morningside Resident" badge, and his website URL.
Within the first month, he booked three full solar installs just from people seeing him parked at the local Woolies or driving through the suburb. That signage paid for itself five times over in 30 days.
He didn't need a fancy "algorithm" or a complex marketing funnel. He just needed to tell people what he did and where he lived.
Don't Forget the Social Proof
In 2024, people are skeptical. They’ve all been burnt by a dodgy contractor before. You can use your ute to bridge that trust gap.
A simple line like "Over 100 5-Star Google Reviews" or a small Google logo next to your Five Stars can be the difference between a call and a skip. It tells the person behind you at the lights that you aren't a cowboy.
If you're worried because you don't have those reviews yet, don't sweat it. You can get more Google reviews fairly quickly if you have a system in place. Once you have them, brag about them on your truck!
What’s a Waste of Money?
QR Codes: Stop putting QR codes on moving vehicles. Nobody is going to whip out their phone, open the camera, and scan a code at 70km/h on the Story Bridge. It’s dangerous and it doesn't work. Use a simple, memorable website address instead. Full Wraps for the Sake of it: You don't always need a $5,000 full matte-black wrap. Often, high-quality cut vinyl lettering on the doors and a solid tailgate graphic are more effective and cost a fraction of the price. Social Media Icons: Putting a tiny Facebook or Instagram logo with your handle is usually a waste of space. Most people won't go searching for you there. They’ll go to Google. Focus your limited space on your phone number or website.
How Much Should You Spend?
For a standard ute or van, you should be looking at:
1. Basic (Doors & Tailgate): $600 - $1,200. This is usually enough for most local tradies to see a massive jump in enquiries. 2. Partial Wrap: $1,500 - $3,000. Good for branding and making the vehicle look professional. 3. Full Wrap: $4,000+. Only do this if you have a very strong brand and a clear message.
If you spend $1,000 and it gets you one decent job, it’s paid for itself. Compare that to the thousands some blokes throw at yellow pages or generic lead-gen sites that just send them rubbish enquiries.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re looking at your ute right now and realising it’s a bit of a mess, here is your Friday afternoon checklist:
1. The Squint Test: Stand 10 metres away and squint. Can you still tell what the business does? If not, your main service needs to be bigger. 2. Check Your Number: Is it blocked by a ladder rack? Is the tailgate down half the time? Make sure your contact info is visible in the positions the truck is usually in. 3. Clean it: I know you're busy, but a filthy ute with peeling stickers says "I don't care about the details." If you don't care about your truck, why should a homeowner trust you with their multi-million dollar house? 4. Update the URL: Make sure your website actually works on phones. Most people will look you up on their mobile while standing in their driveway.
The Bottom Line
Your ute is the cheapest advertising you will ever buy. You’ve already paid for the vehicle, the rego, and the fuel. The "rent" for the advertising space is free.
If you aren't getting at least 2-3 solid leads a month from your signage, something is wrong. Usually, it’s because you’re trying to say too much to people who are moving too fast.
Keep it simple. Make it big. Tell them you’re local.
If you want a hand figuring out how to coordinate your signage with a website that actually converts those lookers into callers, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We help Brisbane tradies stop wasting money on marketing that doesn't work and start getting more of the jobs they actually want.
Ready to get that phone ringing? Contact Local Marketing Group today.