This issue, we wanted to pay tribute to our plumbing and HVAC service providers across the U.S. by showcasing their trucks and stories behind them. What better way to do this than ask the folks behind the wheel? In the age of digital advertising, this is a causal reminder that service vehicles that get drivers to take an extra glance out their windows are still good for business. 

G.I. Plumbing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

G.I. Plumbing offers residential and commercial plumbing services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas. The “camo van” is by far our number one marketing piece. We get more phone calls a day than we can count from people who have seen one of our vans on the road. 

Many people have even stopped and took time from their day to shake the hand of the original “man in the camo van,” our owner and United States Marine Corps veteran, Matthew Garfold (pictured here with his sidekick and loyal best friend, Camo.) Matthew takes pride in all he does, and our vans are a testament to that. He worked tirelessly with a design team until he got it just right. His vision for a company that is veteran-owned and operated was realized the day this van hit the road. The camo van is a symbol of the values we hold true. 

Cliff’s Classic Care Plumbing LLC,
Sierra Vista, Arizona

We drive a 1957 Studebaker Transtar one-ton work truck for our plumbing business located in southeastern Arizona. Cliff Lao is behind the wheel five to six days a week. This truck came from the factory with a V8 motor, power steering and a five-speed overdrive transmission. She is painted in our company colors of 1950s teal and cream and has a custom-built bed with 8-ft long by 2-ft deep by 18-inch high removable toolboxes on each side, which houses the tools and parts Lao needs to complete his plumbing jobs. The reason we went with a classic truck is because it advertises for us and is always a conversation starter. It is not unusual for Lao to be pulled over several times a day by potential customers who absolutely love the truck and want a better look at it.

Photo credit: Mark Henle Photograph

Moyer’s Heating and Cooling Inc.,
Prescott Valley, Arizona

The bright yellow body of the truck just cannot be missed, and the red and blue accents represent fire (heating) and ice (cooling). Moyer’s slogan “Honesty Before Profit” is displayed prominently on the front. Our trucks are perfect for the more rural areas that we service, featuring a four-foot brake and a Pittsburgh Machine, so that our technicians can make fittings on site! This particular truck is driven by Moyer’s Lead Install Technician, Gerald Vasi. He and all our technicians proudly display our company values as seen in the company logo on the back and sides of the truck: “quality, innovation, honesty and integrity.”

J. Blanton Plumbing, Chicago Illinois 

As 2017 comes to a close, we have seen our fleet transform from a cluster of white service trucks with red and black decals to an envoy of professional-looking and fully wrapped billboards. Thanks to a complete overhaul of our logo and branding material from a local artist, we used the color scheme and logo to wrap the trucks with in a way that has caused us to be seen and noticed much more. As we are a third generation owned and operated plumbing company serving Chicago, we used the signature of our president, Jack Blanton, in a digitized format. We also pay homage to our city in our logo with a makeshift silhouette of the skyline and list our phone number and email address. Finally, we added the icons for our social media pages to promote the different ways we interact and connect with our customers.

Photo credit: Matt Marzahl 

 

Air Comfort Heating & Cooling,
Columbus, Nebraska

Our Air Comfort “super trucks” help us provide the best service, of every service we offer – every time. Our Comfort Advisor provides expert advice for people needing a new furnace, heat pump or air-conditioner and a 14-ft super Installer with a complete sheet metal shop inside. Since we cover a large rural area our super service trucks provide a virtual warehouse on wheels. Our ProTechs really enjoy all the attention they get; we’ve had people contact us for service simply from seeing the super truck in their neighborhood. We actually had one system get sold after a client saw the HHR driving down the highway. Kids love the ProTech superhero character and always point him out to Mom and Dad as we pull up next to them in traffic. Our motto is “Let’s Roll!” with an obvious tribute to those on United Flight 93 on 9/11. We also want to convey our rapid service response times. 

 

R.I.C. Plumbing Inc., Lockport, New York

Our trucks represent what we do and how we stand out from the rest. We make it a priority to complete a job leaving the site as if we were never there, no matter how large or small the job task may be. Our trucks are no exception. You can't miss them, whether you are speeding down the highway, just going with the flow of traffic or passing us on a jobsite, R.I.C. Plumbing Inc. trucks stand out in bright red with bold white lettering. It seems simple, but that is what gets attention. Most of our work is gained by word-of-mouth, and our trucks have been known to get the attention of those in plumbing need.

Bob Hill Plumbing, Naples, Florida

We have been a family plumbing business since 1952. This Isuzu truck that was put together with a Hackney box and outfitted for plumbing parts and fixtures is a warehouse on wheels. The tech no longer needs to leave the service call and go hunting for parts or new fixtures since we have the space for what is needed. The logo and design has been an eye-catcher since it was first conceived. Almost every day we have a customer tell us that they remember our trucks because of the “man reading the paper. 

All Pro Plumbing, Heating & Air, Ontario, California

We like to be refreshing in every way, from customer service to as soon as the truck pulls into their home or business. Our truck's best feature is a nice, clean, slick look. From top to bottom, you will recognize our logo anywhere, which includes our name, a pipe, faucet, breast cancer awareness ribbon and ichthys. 

Our truck highlights a white background like our technicians’ uniforms, with the red bottom highlights of the services we provide. The bottom of our truck reflects our branding that directly connects to our website, business cards and marketing pieces. We love to be easily recognized by anyone and want to make sure people know when they call All Pro, they will get their problems solved.

Ayotte Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts

With our design, we wanted to keep it as simple as possible. We like the “less is more” approach. The oversized logo can be seen from a great distance. The bright colors attract a lot of attention, and, with very little clutter, other drivers can quickly read the company name and the prominently displayed website and phone number. The trucks are easily identifiable and everyday someone says, “I see your trucks everywhere.” The logo is a great conversation piece.  It subtly shows a blue water droplet, a red flame and a green leaf. These represent all the phases of our business (plumbing, heating, cooling, energy conservation and indoor air quality).

Each truck is stocked according to the skills of the primary driver/plumber/technician.  We work hard to hire the right people and give them the process, vehicles, tools, and materials that will allow them to be successful.  We are proud that we have employees that have been with us for over 20 years.  They started as coop students and are now real leaders for our teams.

A/C Lady Inc., Euless, Texas 

For more than 25 years, I've been behind the wheel, and now a few other of my loyal employees have too. When they were young, my two sons brainstormed the name “AC Lady,” and it has been my trademark all these years. My truck represents my company because it is simple and to the point, much the way I am. My father, who I lost this summer, gave his daughter the greatest gift in the world — knowledge. Some girls learn how to knit, sew, do makeup and hair; I chose to follow my dad around. At 16 years old, I did not necessarily want to know how to gas my car, change a flat or an alternator, fix a washing machine or dryer, run electrical or plumbing or repair an air-conditioner or heater, but now I’m forever grateful to my dad. 

Stright Sewage Disposal Company Inc., Stamford, Connecticut 

We provide the design, installation, maintenance and repair of septic tanks and systems. This photograph shows us pumping three septic tanks on an island off the Norwalk, Connecticut coast in Long Island Sound. Our truck boarded this boat and “sailed” on over to the island to do our work. At the Stright Company, we don’t mind going the extra mile for our customers.

 

Ray The Plumber, East Islip, New York

The reason our truck works so well does not have to do with how it’s organized or the fact that its box can hold 99 percent of the stock we need to do our daily work, but rather because of the message it sends to our customers. When customers call in to our office for service, we aren’t surprised to hear that the most common way they heard about Ray The Plumber is from seeing our trucks on the road. Having our 60-mph branded billboard is marketing that is hard to match dollar for dollar, which is why when Ray decided to rebrand the entire fleet after such a long period of success with the original wrap, it probably shocked the employees more than the customers. 

 The new branding was designed by Kickchage Creative (formerly Graphic D-Sign) and displayed beautifully on our high-definition G-Dezine Wraps. Anyone can buy a truck with high-tech tracking systems and back up cameras, (which of course we have), but it is impossible to buy a brand that carries with it 40 years of hard, honest work and investment in its local community. 

Quality Plumbing and Heating (QPH), Bunker Hill, Indiana

Serving Indiana since 1968, we are a plumbing and HVAC for commercial and residential properties, founded by Buford McDaniel a WWII veteran. This truck is inspired by the various planes of that era.

Colonial Plumbing, Heating & Air, Colonial Heights, Virginia 

We recently had our entire company brand recreated, including our vehicles. In a word, our service is revolutionary — and the new brand and truck wraps are meant to be revolutionary as well. With so many truck wraps today failing to integrate a brand, or be memorable, it was our mission to create a concept that would be disruptive to the marketplace, and showcase our unique selling proposition in a fun, creative way. Since hitting the roads with a fleet of 11 vehicles, we’ve had a tremendous response, both from clients and local technicians (a surprising added benefit).