Painting an Ice Cream Truck: The Do’s and Don’ts

Q: Why is owning an ice cream truck sales company like owning a modeling agency?

A: Because appearance counts A LOT.

There is nothing that will lose you more customers in less time than a truck that has a paint job that makes it look sketchy, tacky, or just plain boring. So I’ve created a list of 5 Do’s and 5 Don’ts to keep in mind when making the crucial decision about how to paint your truck:

BACK:

1. DO use bright colors that make your truck stand out; after all, he wants to be noticed!
2. DO Use your writing and text that will advertise you by being attention-grabbing and appealing to kids and adults alike.
3. DO Keep your design simple: Don’t bombard your customers with distracting colors and images.
4. DO go for a retro design. For many people, ice cream trucks evoke cherished memories from their youth, so you’ll never be too old-fashioned!
5. DO you know your customer! Certain designs will work better in different places and with people of different backgrounds and income levels. An ice cream truck selling in Venice Beach will have a very different look and feel than a truck selling in downtown Manhattan!

WHOSE:

1. WHOSE use brown, gray, or other colors that make it look like it blends into the background, or worse, looks boring.
2. WHOSE go overboard with stickers and decorations. Doing too much visually can be almost as bad as doing too little.
3. WHOSE use color schemes that may be associated with drugs or other illegal activities. Some ice cream vendors have given the industry a bad name by selling more than just ice cream out of their trucks!
4. WHOSE place stickers and other signs too high or too low. Make sure that both children and adults can see all of the writing.
5. WHOSE spoil your awesome design by forgetting that you might have to put a window in the middle. Be sure to take into account the practical aspects of your vehicle and make a sketch prior to you start painting

At the end of the day, the design of your ice cream truck will be a major component in how people view your business. When in doubt keep it simple, it’s better to have a simple design well executed than to try to go fancy and have an amateurish paint job. The easiest things to do are also the most effective, add some color to your bumpers, wheels, mirrors, and your in-ceiling speaker. Customers will notice the little things like uneven paint, off-center decals and lettering or crooked lines, so make sure everything is done right, especially on the side of your truck with the service window.

And remember, just because you’ve painted your truck doesn’t mean you can neglect it; Be sure to spray it down with water every few days and every time it rains, because dirt that collects on your roof will spill down the sides of your truck.