Lettering Worth Seeing

Owner Eddie Zachary of Dom’s Towing, in Spring Valley, N.Y., has a general rule of thumb that goes, “When you are 100 feet away and traveling 60 mph, you should be able to read the lettering on my trucks.”As I was driving approximately that fast and at a distance of approximately 100’ on the opposite side of Thruway 287, just on the border of N.J. and N.Y., I spotted one of Dom’s trucks in the midst of a recovery scene.“My trucks are the biggest form of advertising that I do,” he said. “On our newest heavy duty I spent $3,000 to get it lettered. We’ve grown and progressed with the times and updated our equipment accordingly.”The lettering on all their trucks is uniform, each having reflective vinyl that is clearly visible from a distance.“When we are out there in the middle of the night, when people shine their headlights on us, they can see our trucks. If for any reason our lettering stands out, it’s for safety. We don’t want to rely on overhead lights,” Zachary said.Their 2008 Freightliner Coronado with a Jerr-Dan 50-ton body is a newer truck in their fleet that exemplifies the use of excellent graphics. What stands out foremost is the name Dom’s, written in a purple font with a thick silvery shadow tilted in a 3D perspective. Contrasted nicely in a script font is the word “towing.” What also stands out is the orange checkerboard pattern stamped all over the truck, which further accentuates their brand.Like many tow companies around the country, a common theme is cartoon characters. In the case of Dom’s, you will find Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Speedy Gonzalez and others on their trucks.As a final flourish, Eddie’s initials on the driver’s side of the truck are humbly written in an attractive font, as is the graphic artist’s who did all the careful lettering on the trucks.