The branded look of a contractor can mean everything. Customers know your truck as soon as it pulls up. Those in need of service may see you driving down the street and keep your business in mind for a future job. A clean truck can set your business apart.
However, for one Texas-based plumber, his branded truck came back to bite him when it was discovered terrorists were using it after it was sold, according to Yahoo!
Mark Oberholtzer, owner of Mark-1 Plumbing, traded in his Ford F-250 pickup truck and was shocked when it showed up on a terrorist Twitter account. Instead of tools to work on a plumbing job, there was an anti-aircraft gun in the truck’s bed, with Mark-1 Plumbing’s logo prominently featured on the side of the door.
Jeff Oberholtzer, Mark’s son, told Yahoo! it was “crazy” to think that this is where the company’s old trucks are being used.
“Never in my lifetime would I think something like that.”
The company began receiving threatening calls earlier this week from people all across the country that assumed the small town business was aiding and abetting terror. “We have nothing to do with terror at all,” commented Oberholtzer.
This should serve as a cautionary tale to contractors: before selling your truck, it may be a good idea to remove branding from the vehicle. Otherwise, be sure you have properly vetted the party you are selling to. In Oberholtzer’s case, a truck sale turned out disastrously. It doesn’t have to when you sell your trucks.