Semi Trailer Price - Help

[AlexV]

Very interesting replies! Thank You so much!

They actually went with someone that charged them like 3K for the full wrap. Crazy!
I believe it was an independent contractor (installer) who got the job, good for him!

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Very interesting replies! Thank You so much!

They actually went with someone that charged them like 3K for the full wrap. Crazy!
I believe it was an independent contractor (installer) who got the job, good for him!

It ain't cast or they aren't making money. Even at the rate we pay for our preferred material it's about $2,000 in printing with material, ink, machine time, labor, and overhead. This is cost before profit and installation labor.

Even a 2 man 8 hour day, you are at $800 based on median wages with taxes, wc, and other incurred costs.

At that price point, you mess up one panel, and you just paid to do the job. Have a warranty claim nine months from now; you lost money...

You are smart to not compete down there, that is a penny smart pound foolish mentality that will kill their business.

 

[Ryan Ramlal]

Due to the Vinyl Shortage. What's the going rate for 3MIJ180CV3 with 8519 per Square Foot?

 

[WB]

I just quoted $2000 to install a 53' trailer that was only 4' up in graphics, so maybe 50% coverage (this did include travel and hotels)

But if I were to print and install the same trailer I'd be at 8K atleast. I don't do race to the bottom, Cheap bundle would be $800-1000. almost 2 per truck, so 1600 in material, then add printing , laminating and trimming and installation. 1 man show 8k minimum or it's not worth it for me. I understand other companies can do it cheaper, I can't.

 

[Patentagosse]

I’d probably be around $7k or so personally with cast vinyl and lam.

That being said I know some people in the Midwest who are charging around $3k or so for a full wrap 53’ trailer, 3MIJ180 and not even printing in-house.

Mountain Commercial sells the printed wrap for about $1500 for a whole trailer.
It’s not even worth me printing to compete with that, I’d spend double that on just material alone.
-and yep I’m throwing the name out there because it’s unfair to the rest of us when people price things that low.



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There's a BIG player in my area that cover the entire North America territory from 1 location. They have 3 installation site plus a lot of big clients and installers in the USA (Greyhound...). They can print the whole trailer under 50min, UV laminate + transfer tape, labeled, packed, ready-to-ship (you can round it up to 8-9 dry box trailer per 8 hours shift. I print 175sq.ft./hour so it roughly can take 5-6 hours for the same job. They get their 3M by the skid, I get it 1 combo at the time... They UV liquid laminate, I overlam. No way I'm gonna take 10sec. to quote a job knowing I'm gonna beat hand down. I wouldn't do that kinda trailer under 7650$. They do it for 4000$. The next day.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

We did one recently for $8K. I think you're going to see answers all over the board and some people telling you to figure it out yourself... I think we were low for our area (Hawaii) but lower than what most people are charging. At the time we had only done 5 or 6 trucks previously and it would take us about an hour a panel. I think that we could go lower on the price now as it's only 20-30 minutes per 4ft panel now...

Find out how much prep work it is though. Sometimes grungy grommets and a dirty trailer take almost as much time to prep as to wrap...

So, because you've become more proficient, offering your customer their product FASTER... you would charge LESS?? Think about that for a moment. Most businesses offer "faster service" as part of why they are WORTH the price difference. NOT why they should charge less. You're doing it wrong.

 

[citysignshop]

Paint is high gloss. They just had a good lawyer.

Gloss? how about polished stainless rear doors on a semi? how is THAT legal?

Back to the OP, the example pic has the usual failure to think about the design...the whole wrap could have been moved up 3", and then you could read the copy, rather than obscured with the reflective tape.
Agree 100% that the value is in the prep.
The failures you see at seams & rivets & corrugations is dirt or oxidation, plain and simple. Show the client the 3M prep specs required to get the warranty, all 7 pages of it!
Obviously the guys doing it for less than $4000 aren't cleaning much, & using the cheapest vinyl, generic ink, and kids to install it. ( dental plan?.....nope)
I'm so old that I used to PAINT semis for Allied Van Lines...still, found an old issue of Signs of the Times magazine, where they did cost studies across the country. The low bid for painting a moving co. semi, was a guy who did dozens, for $300. The high bid was $7000, ..........in 1985!!!
( sigh!) some things never change.
Figure out your overhead, wages, and materials, then decide how much the job is WORTH in your market, and how many you can, or want, to do at a competitive price.