How long does vehicle lettering take?

Once the proof is approved, most lettering jobs are cut and installed in a single visit, often while you wait. Bring the vehicle clean.

How long does cut vinyl last?

We use premium cast vinyl rated for years of outdoor use. In the Florida sun it will outlast most paint jobs, and it can be removed cleanly when you sell the vehicle.

What has to be on a commercial truck in Florida?

Commercial motor vehicles generally need the business name and USDOT number on both sides, with letters readable from 50 feet; some also need an MC number or GVW. We are not a regulatory authority, but we letter these every week and can tell you what we usually see required. Confirm your specific requirement with FMCSA or FDOT.

Lettering is faster and less expensive and works on any vehicle, including leased ones that need to come back clean. A wrap covers more of the vehicle and makes a bigger impression. Many fleets do lettering on most vehicles and a full wrap on one or two.

Vehicle Lettering in Pensacola, FL

Cut vinyl vehicle lettering and decals in Pensacola, FL: business names, phone numbers, DOT and MC numbers, logos and fleet graphics installed by Gator Grafix.

Cut vinyl lettering for work vehicles

Vehicle lettering is the original mobile advertising: your business name, your phone number and your logo on the doors and tailgate of the truck you already drive. Gator Grafix has been cutting and installing vehicle lettering in Pensacola since 2005, for single pickups and for fleets of vans that all need to match. It is permanent, clean, and ready the same day.

What we letter

Doors and tailgates — name, phone, website and a line about what you do.
USDOT, MC and GVW numbers — the compliance lettering commercial trucks need, in the size regulators expect.
Logos and full-color graphics — printed and laminated decals for logos that have gradients or photos cut vinyl cannot reproduce.
Trailers and box trucks — large lettering on flat sides where it can be read from a block away.
Rear windows — perforated window film that reads from outside and still lets you see out.
Fleet programs — one approved layout, applied consistently to every vehicle as it comes in, with files kept on hand for the next one.

Materials that survive Florida

We cut lettering from premium cast vinyl, the same grade used for wraps, not the thin calendered vinyl sold for craft cutters. Cast vinyl conforms to door curves and rivets, resists shrinking and cracking in summer heat, and keeps its color under years of UV. Printed logos get a protective laminate so they do not fade next to the cut lettering.

Design that can be read at a stoplight

Lettering is seen in traffic, so the layout matters more than the amount of information. We size the name and phone number to be read from the next lane, keep the message to a line or two, and match your brand colors. You get a proof mocked up on a photo of your vehicle before we cut anything. If you do not have a logo yet, our designers can create one as part of the job.

Before you bring the vehicle in

Wash it the day before, not an hour before. Vinyl will not bond to a wet or waxed panel; it bonds to a clean, dry one.
Skip the tire shine and protectants near the doors for a few days. Silicone overspray is the number one reason lettering lifts at the edges.
Bring the numbers. USDOT, MC, GVW, license or permit numbers must be exactly right; we cut what you give us.
Tell us about old lettering. Removing previous vinyl and adhesive is a service we offer; it adds time, so mention it when you book.

Installation

Lettering is installed in our shop at 8447 Pensacola Blvd on a clean, dry vehicle. Most jobs take an hour or two. Our installers handle the alignment, the curves and the door handles so the result looks factory, and we will show you how to care for it (no pressure washing straight at the edges for the first few days).

Ready to letter your vehicle?

Call (850) 478-0486 or request a quote with your vehicle year, make and model and what you want on it. We also do boat lettering, magnetic signs for vehicles that cannot be lettered, and partial and full wraps when you are ready for more. Serving Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Pace, Milton, Navarre and the Florida Panhandle.