As we turned on the the main drag this evening a large box body truck passed by on the inner lane. It was a “Moving” Billboard in more ways than one. Nearly the whole side of the body was a sheet plastic window with a moving sign which stopped when the complete new message was in place. The rear end of the box likewise was a sign which changed to a new message every 10 to 15 seconds or so. I assume the left side was like the right. The front of the box body over the cab was a painted sign saying “Call Me” and a Phone No.
If you can’t put up billboards along the interstate or scenic highways just drive the billboards ON/ALONG the highway!
Have you seen one of these “Moving Billboard” trucks and where?
This one was in Knoxville TN
They have the damned things here, too. It irritates me beyond capacity for rational thought. Not only are the idiot drivers talking on cell phones, but ooh…shiny! What is the truck changing to now?
One of the companies that runs them around here calls them “street blimps.” I’ve seen two styles – one with the moving panels as described in the OP, and another type that’s just a standard six-wheeler with a narrow structure along the back that has the ad attached to each side. The structure is the same length and height as you would expect to find on a rental truck, but is roughly 1/4 the width, with a small door on the back.
Those stupid things have been around here for the past 5-10 years.
A variant that I believe actually triggered an update to the vehicle code several years ago was about six inches wide behind a normal truck cab. Apparently, there had been some accidents with people getting clobbered by the normal-width axle sticking out two or three feet from the thin “body”. Now, they have skinny signs on regular sized flatbeds.
They do these a lot in Tokyo, usually to announce an album or movie release. Probably more cost effective than renting a billboard for a month, since you just need to hire it for a Saturday and drive around the neighborhood where your customer base is hanging out.
These give me the shits. I pay taxes so roadspace gets built because I think it’s a good thing that we have a transport network. Not so some dimwit can use it as a place to put his advertising.
We have two I have seen here in Tampa. I’ve only seen them in route to the place where they are parked. I’m sure it seemed like a much brighter idea before gas went to $3 a gallon. I rarely see them moved from the local “park in it our parking lot because no one else comes here” shopping center.
I thought it was one of the joys of living in a soulless city who thrives on chain restaraunts so much we are a primary testing site for the insidious companies.
I think we got lucky; two or three years ago there was a strip club around the airport area that decided it would advertise by this very method – a stationary sign on a moving truck, so nothing elaborate. It would drive around all over the place with a half-nekkid, seductively-posed woman pimping this strip club. Much offense was taken by very vocal members of the public. I have to admit that while I am not offended by the subject matter, I do think that shoving pointedly adult material in the faces of the young and impressionable when they are most assuredly not your target demographic is not a good thing. Still, the campaign died out after a few weeks because people were just too pissed off at the owner of said club and it was likely costing him business.
I haven’t seen another roving billboard since – at least nothing more than the usual full-length public transit appliques and suchlike.
I’m sure that the taxes these vehicles pay don’t even come close to paying for the upkeep and expansion of the roads they necessitate. I say tax 'em at least to the point they are paying for themselves, if not a bit more to pay for the accidents they are likely to engender.
I hate them. With the way gas prices have risen, it’s hard for me to believe it’s cost-effective. It really bugs me that they’re driving around, not delivering anything. Just making me read them. I’m in Kentucky and I think they’ve been around a year or two.
In NYC once, I saw a very interesting moving billboard. It was for the Bahmas or some other island destination. It was a large ‘glass’ box and in the box were some girls in bikinis and a little beach set. (sand, palm trees etc.) The girls were tossing around a beach ball.
I see them all over Vegas. I can’t help but think it’s a real money maker given the price of the trucks they mount them to . I see them on the roads occasionally but more so parked at events.
It is? You think gas taxes (and sales taxes on the autos) really pay for the upkeep and expansion of our roads?Why are our roads always clogged if we make enough money in taxes to expand them?
I’m not saying the government shouldn’t subsidize the travel of some people, and it already does, for instance those in rural areas, who I am sure get much more benefit out of gas taxes than they put in. Just saying that we shouldn’t subsidize people to use the transportation network for advertising rather than transportation.