Shop trucks revisited: 1998 to 2003

By signcraft

Posted on Monday, August 25th, 2025

It was good to hear from readers about the “Shop Trucks revisited: 1981 to 1997” feature that ran a couple of weeks ago. We’re glad you enjoyed it, and that it was a trip back in time for many longtime SignCraft readers. You asked to see more, so here you go.

Ironically, shop vehicles are often one of the overlooked means of advertising for a sign business. They can provide some of the most inexpensive advertising going for a sign maker—just as they do for your customers.

Great-looking graphics on your shop vehicles show what you’re capable of. They show that vehicle lettering matters and that it pays off. Conversely, when your shop vehicle Is unlettered, it sends the wrong message—especially when you’re trying to encourage the customer to spend a little more for well-designed vehicle graphics.

The Sign Shop, Middletown, New York – SignCraft, March/April 1998

Magnum Signs & Lines, Inc., Kent Bridge, Ontario, Canada – SignCraft, March/April 1998

Custom Signs & Graphics, Ishpeming, Michigan – SignCraft, March/April 1998

Carolina Signworks, Inc., Rockingham, North Carolina – SignCraft, March/April 1998

Pete’s Custom Signs, Lathrop, Missouri – SignCraft, March/April 1998

Sign Pro, Mankato, Minnesota – SignCraft, March/April 1998

Robb Prahl, West St. Paul, Minnesota – SignCraft, November/December 1999

Brad Styron, Sign Central Inc., Morehead City, North Carolina

David Showalter, David Design, Bryan, Ohio – SignCraft, May/June 2001

While organizing the photos for this article, we came across the image for David Showalter’s original shop truck, a fine old Chevy which was featured in black-and-white in our first “Shop Trucks” article in 1981. You can see that article in “Shop Trucks revisited: 1981 to 1997.”

Paul Rafferty, Ivy Designs, Wressle, Lincolnshire, England – SignCraft, September/October 2001

Cal Trauter, Alleycat Signs, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada – SignCraft, November/December 2001

Jeff Haberman, Slewfoot Signs, Jefferson, Wisconsin – SignCraft, November/December 2001

Bob Tretow, Muskego, Wisconsin – SignCraft, November/December 2001

Steve Johnson, Johnson Advertising, Manistique, Michigan – SignCraft, May/June 2002

Brian Gavek, Gavek Graphics, Centre Hall, Pennsylvania – SignCraft, July/August 2002

“This is all vinyl,” says Jill Welsh, Jill’s Custom Signs, Butler, Pennsylvania. “I lettered my truck when I first got my computer. I thought I was pretty smart and I had all this stuff going on in the layout. Then I read Bob Behounek’s article, ‘The trend toward “soft sell”,’ in the May/June 2001 issue.

“I went out that same day and peeled everything off. Then I did the new layout, which has a much more minimalist look. Everyone likes it more. Your shop truck is really the best advertising you can get—I get a lot of great jobs from people seeing my truck.”