| Author | Message | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Hey guys... As you all know... I have a 60 foot transit bus. I'm wondering... once I start my conversion, I'm thinking about selling advertising slots just like the bus companies do, in order to help maintain cashflow... I'd really prefer to be home more with my family once that time has come.... What kind of rates to the transit companies get for advertising? I've hear wild figures like $20,000 a year and $3k a month... but I've never called up a transit company and asked their rates... Is this a viable possibility, or am I just dreaming in the pipes again? Hell, the bus was a pipedream before I just (almost literally) took the plunge and bought it. heh. It's just something I'm thinking about doing when I return from Iraq... It's not something that would be viable right now, as it won't be driven around for another two years or so at least.... Thoughts? Besides the fact I'm out of my mind, again? -Mac | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
you'll be a commercial entity when you do that.... think commercial license plates, DOT annual inspections, commercial drivers license, commercial insurance....unless you win some frivilous lawsuit, you got that kinda $$$$$$??????? | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin)
Rating: N/A |
OK, about your mind... oh, you've already mentioned that! Sorry... let's move on... :-) Advertising on buses in different parts of the country would vary so widely as to make it too difficult to determine what it's worth in your local market. Call your local transit operating authority and ask them for the advertising agency that handles the ad account for their fleet. Getting someone to advertise on a personal use bus is the next challenge. However, there are specialty companies out there who will install a vinyl wrap on your car if you'll commit to driving "x" number of hours around a downtown area each day/month/year. Perhaps you can nail down one of those (or someone knows of a company that does this) and see if they're willing to outfit a bus. Could be thought provoking for both parties! Good luck. Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A |
Advertising of the variety you speak is directly related to exposure (miles driven - in specific markets) - I don't believe you'll find someone willing to commit the $$$$$$ to a full timer in an RV park - you need to be 'on the road' - Niles | ||
| LABryan
Rating: N/A |
Jim may be right about commercial plates, but I doubt you need CDL just to carry a sign. However, consider that advertisers pay for eyeballs, not just space. A metropolitan transit is operated all day long in a metropolitan area and may be exposed to a million eyeballs in a year. Can you offer the same? As I@N notes, those shrink-wrap ads that came out at the same time as the new VW Beetle paid only $500-1,000/year and you had to guarantee minimum mileage. You may be able to make some dough, but don't count on rates similar to what a transit agency gets. Bryan | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
Rating: N/A |
I've thought about this in a slightly diferent way. I am looking for sponsers for my show. and for X number of dollars or usable product you can get a certain size company logo on my bus or trailer according to your contribution and your product pushed at my shows and web site. I will target companies that would benefit from the type of audience I have. Alchoholic beverages, motor cycle related companies, direct tv or internet satelite co., cigarettes, or any product that is nationaly marketed. | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Roof space! You parked near an airport? | ||
| captain ron (Captain_ron)
Rating: N/A |
One major problem might be liability. the company you deal with may want you to carey a large amount of liability ins. | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
I had considered just such a thing some years ago, heck, my bus needed painted, and I had no particular place to go anyway. I found an advertising agency in Chicago that had several such program needs, they would "wrap" my bus in a clients logo/pictures, and for BIG bucks, I would be responsible for appearing and strutting my bus in new market areas for a few weeks at a time, as a product blitz was being performed in that area. Sure sounded like a great way to cruise the country on someone elses dollars. With YOUR bus, I would expect a premium price also. A CDL is easy to get, a DOT sticker is cheap and easy, only the insurance becomes a bit more than your normal driving insurance costs. The "work" of it was primarily to be parked in malls and such for a certain number of days. The wife nixed the plan, seemed too much like a job routine to her. | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Hmm... interesting things. Possibly something I'll look into with greater enthusiasm once I get back. It was just something that crossed my mind and wanted to ask about.  As for roof space... there won't be any. One of the first things I'm doing when I get back is sink some dough into a solar system that covers the entire roofspace, including solar heated hot water. And it will be from bumper to bumper! I'll have the $$ to go completely off grid... so I'll be doing it right. Assuming, of course, I actually make it to Iraq. heh. Gotta go through processing first. :/ I don't expect any problems though. Thanks for the responses! Cheers! -Mac | ||
| ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A |
Somewhere in my thousands of bookmarks I have a link to a company that pays you to do this. They have conditions, yes, but it is offered to qualified vehicles. I don't think it would have anything to do with a CDL, because it's offered to 'ordinary' consumers as well. But I can't find the bookmark right now. I found it a long time ago thru a google search so you could probably find it as well. I think you have to drive a min. number of miles/week in a certain geographic area - boondockers wouldn't do the advertisers much good. They want LOTS of eyeballs so you would be in urban areas most likely. Just what you want to do with a 60' bus, eh? | ||
| Jim Bob Rating: N/A |
A commercial vehicle is defined as one that is used to make money. We wanted to put our co. name & logo on our own bus & were told that if we did, it would be a commercial vehicle, requiring commercial insurance (and a CDL because it has air brakes). It costs $800 per year to insure our bus motorhome. I did not get a quote for the same vehicle with signs, but a dump truck pays $10,000 per year here! Commercial vehicle license plates are MUCH more than the $47. we pay for ours. You are also subject to being stopped by guys like Don here (DOT cops) and inspected. Jim-Bob | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
Here, here now Jim Bob, I NEVER stopped buses, Kansas would not allow me to do that! I would sure WANT commercial use liability insurance regardless, but for just parking with a sign on it, I would expect a lot less than that price, shop around and see. | ||
| Jim Bob Rating: N/A |
Well I assumed he meant driving AND parking with sign/s on it. If he's just going to park it in some mall parking lot with a billboard on the side, then he could just hang the bilboard or banner after it is parked there. And Don, why didn't Kansas let you stop busses? Was it because of that unfortunate incident with the bus from the school for wayward girls earlier in your career? Jim-Bob | ||
| Jtng Rating: N/A |
Jim-Bob- HAR! | ||
| Don/TX
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I have told you Jim Bob to NEVER talk about that incident on this board!!! | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Rating: N/A |
Hello busnuts. Insurance is a huge cost these days for the big stuff. Many companies jumped into the commercial market back some years ago now, lured by the dreams of big profits. They got burned heavy on claims and bailed, becasue they didn't know how to properly underwrite. The commercial insurance market is now very much a sellers market, with relatively few insurers compared to a few years ago. If you do strange things, they either just don't quote, or they quote you high like the worst case, just in case. Makes it very difficult to start a new venture, or, heaven forbid, you get creative and try to leverage a niche. The insurance may end your business plan before it begins. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
Personally, I think the whole insurance market is one big government endorsed and force fed SCAM. But on the flip side... You can be paid to have a political sign in your front yard of your house. I don't think this is much different... It's still my house, and as a whole, signage isn't used to make money, just offset the cost of ownership... I think I'll end up pushing the envelope and doing this eventually... If anyone says anything, I'll deal with it then... but it's not like I'd be making a PROFIT from doing it... But, on the flip side... the bus is actually registered and titled in my company name, and personally insured. Since my "company" is only an asset holdings company, and doesn't do business in any state... It'd be pretty hard to prove it's a "for profit" venture of any kind... But again, it's a road I'll travel later on. Yesterday was my final dentist visit... So, now I'm free to leave! I'll be contacting Halliburton/KBR early next week to try to set up the plane ticket and get out of the country! Cheers! -Mac | ||
| Jim Bob Rating: N/A |
Macgyver: The laws are already well defined as to what is a commercial venture. In the boating world, a skipper can't accept ANYTHING from his guests, not even food or beverage, nor sharing fuel costs or it is "carrying passengers for hire". If you get paid for services rendered it IS for profit, whether your company makes any money that year or not. As you say, you are pushing the envelope. Most of us do that at one time or another. Just know where the edge really is. Best of luck with your overseas work. Make lots of bus conversion money & come back without any extra balance weights! Jim-Bob | ||
| Macgyver (91flyer)
Rating: N/A |
JB... I'm one of those guys that tends to think "It's better to ask forgiveness, than it is to ask for permission.".... I tend to push the envelope on just about anything I do. It's apparent from the bus I purchased and drove back! :D Sometimes I even try to move the edge, without much luck... but that's just me. It's fun... hell, life's here. I'm stuck in it whether I like it or not... might as well do something besides sit on my duff twiddlin' my fingers going "Gee, I wonder if it could be done"... As for the weights... yea... they can just stay where they're at. I don't plan to bring home any souveniers that should be used on a fishing line! And I plan to bring back about $75k for the conversion... should be enough for what I want to do, including anything that will need to be repaired or replaced in the time it's in storage. Cheers! -Mac |