A fleet number has to be read in the yard, not admired on a proof at desk size. The size is the one that fits the panel you have.
Decide from the machine
Look at the panel, not at a catalogue photo of a different truck. A number that fills a narrow recess will be unreadable, and a number that is tiny on a large counterweight will be missed at a walk past. Measure the clear flat area, away from handles, lights, plates and sharp edges. Send that width with the order.
Use the same height across a fleet where the panels allow it, so a yard walk is consistent. Where a machine has a smaller panel, say so. Do not shrink the artwork on the day with a photocopier. Order that size. A height that works on a large counterweight will not fit a narrow recess on a smaller truck, so list those machines separately. Keep the characters heavy enough to read from the yard, not only from arm’s length. If the number has a prefix, print the prefix. Dropping it to save space is how two machines end up with the same mark.
Contrast and placement
Dark characters on a light panel, or light characters on a dark panel. A number in a colour that matches the paint disappears. Keep it off the manufacturer’s plates and off the thorough examination date label. Those do different jobs. The date label shows the next thorough examination date from the report. The fleet number shows which asset it is.
Ordering
Send the list of numbers as text, not as a photograph of a whiteboard. Say the height and the colour. In-stock catalogue numbers can dispatch the same day. A custom size or your own typeface is quoted.
Sources
- Titan Graphics fitting note. This page describes how we print and how a yard can fit stickers. It is not a legal duty.