Owners/Sales People, What Are You Driving?

We have some posts/discussions that might help with context:

• Integrator Technician Vehicle Guide
• Pimp My Integrator Truck
• How Do We Get More Calls From Our Company's Vans Branding / Lettering?(sound familiar?:))

In terms of personal vehicles, do you/ would you consider a pickup truck?

In our survey several mentioned that a truck is a nice 'dual purpose' light field service and sales vehicle.

I feel like the lettering brings some professionalism when doing site surveys versus some guy jumping out of a Maxima.

depends on the Maxima

The best service vehicle I ever used was a GMC2500 deisel crew cab with a full utility storage bed. The bed had been changed out to provide storage, had a rolling bed cover, and a full length ladder rack with a conduit box.

This thing was a beast but it held every part neatly, had room for four guys, or protection for equipment, and could carry/tow anything. I also lived in rough winter conditions in the mountains so it needed to be capable of handling that.

I'd suggest you give the HHR to your tech guy and get a nice, but not TOO nice, sedan for yourself. Something that when you show up says you are a professional and your business is stable, but not rolling in cash (eg: a nice mid-tier BMW, not an S-Class Mercedes).

For me, I don't expect business owners to drive lettered vehicles as their daily driver. If you want to split the difference, get a nice mid-tier SUV and put some simple lettering on the side back glass windows. Just enough to say it's a business vehicle, without looking like a service truck.

Are your clients really watching you pull up to the job site so often that you think they notice or read the lettering on your vehicle?

Our sales team drives Toyota Camry's or Toyota Highlander. Our service tech's mostly drive Toyota Highlanders and install drive Pickup trucks. I mostly agree with our vehicle choices except for the installation side. IMO using a truck with with a topper is about as efficient as using a station wagon. First issue is the windows on the topper can't be locked automatically and secondly it is has to store equipment. The new minivans are really good these days with the 3 different sizes they are typically offered. Also the gas mileage is much better also.

I had a Suburban for 13 years.  After driving a van around for 3 years, I swore I never would again.  Never regretted that decision.  It's worth the extra $3-400 for the first 60 months.

Split the difference. For me that turned out to be a supercharged 650 horsepower tundra with the logo on the back window. Cause that's reasonable to me. ;) After the divorce I ended up with a lincoln mkt. Professional enough for the owner to be driving, big enough for all the kids and twin turbo v6 helps keep me sane.

I was in your position a few years ago. I gave the wrapped mazda5 I was driving to my right hand man, and I bought myself the truck. Everything except my car is fully wrapped.

If you're small enough that you regularly visit active jobsites personally every day, you should probably drive something with lettering. 

If you're large enough that you don't visit active jobsites daily, you should probably get something more discrete. As Karas says, get something nice but not too nice. 

If he will be doing sales related items he should have something nice enough and with enough seats to take customers out to lunch if need be.

Holden Commodore SS Wagon.

And again i find myself lamenting the death of the wagon in the US.. A long shooting brake with a roof rack and decent room inside for whatever you need. I actually looked at buying some classic ambulances for a while but it was either crazy money for a "done" one, or a resto project i didn't have time for.

Definitely letter anything that's company-owned. Subtle if you'd rather, but make sure there's a sticker on there somewhere just case there's ever a question why your car is on site.