Can you advertise on garbage trucks?

Can a business buy an ad on a garbage truck?

Yes, but not by calling a driver or a hauler and asking. A city refuse truck is public property. The city decides if ads can go on it, who sells the space, and what the ads can say.

The rules also depend on who owns the truck. Some cities run their own trucks. Some hire a private company to haul. If your city runs its own, the city is the one to approve. If a private company owns the trucks, the contract between the city and that company sets the rules.

That is why we say no city is open yet. We are opening city by city. Cities have to approve ads on their trucks before we can sell any.

Have cities really done this?

Yes. The cleanest record is in Columbus, Georgia. The city asked companies to bid. On April 13, 2021, its city council adopted Resolution 111-21. The resolution approved a contract with a marketing company to find clients to place body wrap ads on city-owned refuse trucks. Read the council minutes and the agenda item.

Other places have done versions of it. Here is what the public record and the news say.

• Hollywood, Florida. City commissioners voted 4 to 3 to allow ads on garbage trucks. They said some kinds of business would not be welcome. Source: Sun-Sentinel.
• Moline, Illinois. A 2015 local news story reported new Mediacom ads on the city's garbage trucks. Source: Dispatch-Argus.
• Philadelphia. In 2013 the city council voted 15 to 0 to allow ads on city property. Trash trucks were reported to be first in line. Source: The Inquirer.
• Santa Monica, California. Waste Dive has reported ads on the city's recycling trucks. Source: Waste Dive.
• Valparaiso, Indiana. Waste Dive reported that the city considered buying refuse trucks fitted to hold ads. Source: Waste Dive.

These are things cities did. They are not Roadway results. We do not know how each program ended, so we do not say.

How does a city approve ads on its trucks?

Columbus shows one way. The steps were these.

1. The city decided it wanted to sell ad space on its trucks.
2. It asked companies to bid for the job.
3. It picked a company, and the council voted on the contract in a public meeting.
4. The ads had to follow the city's rules.

Is it legal? That depends on the city's written rules, and this page is not legal advice. What we can say is that cities that allow ads on trucks write the rules down. If your city has not, ask city staff what the process would be.

Who checks each ad?

In each city, every ad will be checked against that city's written ad policy before it runs. The city writes the policy. We run the process and apply it to every ad the same way.

When an ad passes, that means it meets the written policy. It does not mean the city or Roadway endorses the business. Roadway Displays is a private company, and ads on city trucks are paid ads from private businesses.

What kinds of ads cannot run?

Our default list leaves out alcohol, tobacco and vaping, cannabis, adult content, firearms, gambling, political ads, religious ads, advocacy ads, and payday lending. A city can make the list stricter.

Some trades must show a line on the panel. Contractors show a California license number. Attorneys show the attorney or firm name and a real office address. Health ads cannot market Medicare Advantage plans. The full list is on the ad policy page.

What does the ad look like on the truck?

Columbus approved body wraps, which are printed vinyl stuck to the truck. We build something different. A framed sign, not a wrap. The printed panel slides out of the frame.

• The frame is aluminum and holds the panel with spring tension.
• The panel's live area, where your art shows, is 91 inches wide by 27 inches tall.
• A truck has two sides, so it has two panels.
• The printed panel swaps in under 30 seconds. A new message still goes through design, review and printing first.

Nothing to skip. Nothing to block. Learn more in the pillar guide to garbage truck advertising.

Who sells the space?

That depends on the city. In Columbus, the city picked a marketing company through a bid. We are Roadway Ad Network, a part of Roadway Displays. We make the frames and print the panels ourselves, and we are opening city by city.

Roadway Displays has built sign frames for refuse and recycling trucks since 1987. The advertising program is separate from that frame business, and it is new. Read about us.

What decides the price?

These things change the price of a truck ad.

• The city and its agreement.
• How many trucks you want.
• How many months you run.
• One side of the truck or two.
• Design and print.

For garbage trucks, talk to us for pricing. To compare with other truck formats that publish prices, read how much truck advertising costs.

Do all cities say yes?

No. The Hollywood vote was 4 to 3, so not everyone on that commission agreed. Some cities say no, and some never take up the question.

That is fine. A city that says no is doing its job. Our job is to be ready, with a written policy and a clear process, for the cities that say yes.

Can the message change during a run?

Yes. That is the point of a framed panel. The printed panel swaps in under 30 seconds, so a message can change by month. A spring tune-up line in March can become an air conditioning line in June.

Keep one thing in mind. A new message still goes through design, review and printing first. The 30 seconds is the swap on the truck, not the whole job. Plan your next message a little ahead of the month it starts.

What kind of business is a truck ad good for?

A business that serves the neighborhoods where the truck runs. Think roofing, HVAC, plumbing and solar companies. Think a dental office or a law firm that wants to be known in its own town. Think a venue, an event or a regional brand.

It is a weaker fit if you need an audited audience rating to get a buy approved. We say that up front. We can show you a city's own schedule and help you count your calls. We will not hand you a rating that does not exist.

How do I know if a truck ad worked?

Count your own calls. Add a tracking number to your panel, and ask every new customer how they heard about you. Any reach figure we show is labeled as an estimate, with how we got it.

We say this because refuse trucks are not part of the industry's audited audience ratings. Geopath keeps a list of the transit media it audits. If a seller hands you an audience number for a garbage truck, ask who counted it.

What should I ask any seller of truck ads?

1. Which city and which routes, and where does that information come from?
2. Who approved the ad program, and where is the written policy?
3. What is in the price, and what is extra? Ask about design, print and changes.
4. How long is the minimum run, and what happens after it?
5. If you quote an audience number, who counted it?

A seller who can answer all five in plain words is worth your time. A seller who cannot is guessing.

How do I get this in my city?

No city is open yet. Join the list for your city and we will write when it opens. We are opening city by city, starting in Southern California.