Underlining the regulations pertaining to USDOT number and truck lettering on commercial vehicles

At the time of writing this article, 37 US states mandate that commercial vehicles must display their DOT numbers. However, it’s a daunting task to discern the art of properly displaying these numbers on your truck. You can count on professional sign makers to work your DOT number.

• You must place DOT numbers on the cab door or to the door’s right. You need to display the number on both the passenger and driver sides.
• The colors must showcase a sharp contrast with background shades. They must be large enough so that you can see them from a minimum 50 feet distance during the day. Your truck is stationary during this hour.
• The companies provide a letter visibility chart, which shows that you can easily see two inches truck lettering from the concerned distance.
• Most firms use block letters along with a fancier and more stylish font with legible font.
• The vast majority of firms use durable vinyl lettering for truck lettering. It’s typically in black nor white, but it can actually be any shade as long as there’s the requisite contrast with the vehicle color.
• If you use plenty of chromes, it can be a chrome lettering with proper contrasts.

Markings on commercial motor vehicles

Regardless of the size of your vehicle, large or small carriers, or mixed fleets, you cannot miss the marking specifications. 

• It’s an imperative to display the marking requirements for CMVs on both sides of the truck.
• The single trade name or legal name of the firm operation the vehicle is a must. Your lettering must display the motor carrier identification number, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA issues. You know it as USDOT.
• The letters must be in sharp contrast to the letter’s background. They must be immediately legible.
• FMCSA doesn’t regulate the branding of your vehicle. What they do diligently is quickly identity which carrier or company is currently using the vehicle.
• If your vehicle features multiple names, it could be a confounding task leading to ambiguity.
• That’s why, if your vehicle has more than one name, the truck marking must include the term “operated by”. The trade name of the firm will follow the words.

The size requirement and location

The Transportation Department in the US requires commercial vehicles moving in interstate trade and commerce to show their USDOT number and name on both the sides of the vehicle or cab door, or the power unit. You need to adhere to this rule before putting your vehicle on the road. 

• The truck lettering must be bold with the requisite color contrast on the surface you’re applying it to.
• The minimum height of the lettering for USDOT compliance is two inches.
• Experts recommend vehicle owners to go as massive as possible, but remain aesthetically pleasant and appealing. It helps in avoiding potential issues.

To ensure strict USDOT compliance, you need to display the concerns on each side of the power unit. You’ll find that the vehicle door is the most viable and commonplace to put your magnetic signs or vinyl graphics.

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