When your truck and your crew show up to a job site looking like they belong together, customers notice. Consistent branding — same logo, same colors, same feel — is one of the cheapest forms of advertising a contractor can do. Here's how to pull it together.
Why brand consistency matters on a job site
Homeowners and property managers are watching. When a crew pulls up in branded trucks wearing matching shirts with the same logo, it sends a message: this company is organized, professional, and trustworthy. When a crew shows up in three different t-shirts and a truck with a magnetic sign that's half peeling off, it sends a different message.
Branding isn't just for big companies. A two-truck operation with tight visual consistency looks more established than a 10-truck operation with mismatched everything.
Start with your logo
Before you can brand anything — shirts, trucks, hats — you need a clean, print-ready logo. If you only have a low-res image from your website or a photo of a business card, that's okay. A good print shop can help you get it to a usable state.
At Turbo Tees, we offer free artwork help. Send us what you have and we'll tell you what we can do with it. Read more in our guide on how to prepare artwork for custom shirt printing.
Pick your colors and stick with them
Your truck wrap and your shirts need to use the same colors. That means knowing your exact brand colors — ideally as PMS (Pantone) or CMYK values. If your truck wrap shop used "navy blue" and your shirt printer uses a different navy, they won't match.
When you submit your order, provide the same color values to both vendors. If you don't know your brand colors exactly, ask your truck wrap designer what they used and share that with your shirt printer.
What to put on the shirts
Keep it simple. A left chest logo and a back print with your company name and phone number is the classic formula for trade crews. The left chest keeps it professional, the back turns your crew into a walking billboard at every job site.
For the garment itself, consider what holds up in the field. Polos are great for customer-facing work; t-shirts work better for heavy labor. Read our guide on how to order custom work shirts for your crew for a full breakdown of what to order for different trades.
Hats tie it together
A matching hat with your logo completes the look. Embroidered hats last longer than printed ones and look more professional. If your crew is outdoors all day, a structured front panel cap with your logo embroidered on the front is the way to go.
Decoration method for shirts
For work shirts, embroidery vs screen print depends on the garment. Polos and outerwear — go embroidery. T-shirts — screen print or DTF depending on your quantity and artwork.
Coordinate your order timing
Get your shirts before the truck wrap if possible. This way you can physically hold a shirt next to the wrap design and confirm the colors match before the truck is done. It's much easier to adjust a shirt order than a vehicle wrap.
💡 Order a sample shirt first. Get the logo printed on one shirt before you commit to the full order. A quick review against your truck or marketing materials can save a lot of headaches.
How many shirts to order per employee
A good rule of thumb is 3-5 shirts per field employee. That covers a full work week with room for laundry. If your crew is in the field five days a week doing physical work, err toward 5. Office staff and estimators can usually get by with 2-3.
Ready to outfit your crew? Call 855-TSHIRT-5 or request a quote online.