Manheim is offering a guide for commercial vehicle fleets who wish to effectively de-badge their vans before selling on.

Signage branding left in place or incorrectly and ineffectively removed can have financial implications for the operator.

At best, the vehicles can be hard to sell, at worst; the disposed vehicle may be involved in criminal activity that can damage the good reputation of the original operator after it has been sold.

The majority of leasing and contract hire operators have all signage and branding professionally removed before re-sale for both financial and legal reasons.

However, logo removal itself, if not carried out correctly, can result in vehicles needing costly paintwork repair, or remaining marked for life, which can effect resale value.

To help vendors avoid vehicle de-branding pitfalls, Manheim offers these top tips:

  • Use good quality decal material when branding new vehicles.

    These may seem a more expensive proposition initially, but better quality vinyl, plastic or body wrapping film is quicker and easier to remove cleanly before re-sale. Removing inferior products can be difficult and time consuming and can even result in costly paintwork damage

    Ensure bodywork repairers allow paintwork to dry thoroughly before reapplying decals Operators should be aware that paintwork on vehicles that have undergone damage repair should be allowed to dry for two or three days before the decals are reapplied. If not, the paintwork may lift off when the decal is removed

  • Remove all branding

    Branding includes company name and/or trading name, distinctive brand trade marks and logos, company address and contact numbers, email and website addresses.

    “Ghosting” or paint finish shadowing can often still be seen, particularly on darker paint, even after the branding has been correctly lifted, so it is worth spending a little extra on a machine polish to achieve a consistent finish.

  • Leave it to the professionals

    DIY removal of body wrapping film, vinyl and plastic decals using chemicals, heat or abrasive materials can leave vehicles with scratched, pitted and discoloured paintwork which will need bringing back up to standard. If adhesive residue is left behind it will attract dust and dirt which will be difficult to remove later on.