The brief: Rebranding and New Vehicle Fleet for a New Waste Contract

SUEZ secured the new municipal waste and recycling contract for Southend-on-Sea, with a handover scheduled for 12pm on Saturday 5th April 2025, just ahead of the new contract going live on the following Monday morning.

That left a very small window to rebrand a large and mixed fleet, over 60 vehicles in total, including RCVs, large and small sweepers, box tippers, cages, cabs and vans.

Some vehicles were brand new and completely unbranded, while others were inherited from the previous contract and needed to be fully stripped and re-graphic’d in time to hit the road first thing Monday.

No pressure.

Planning & Preparation for a Large-Scale Fleet Graphics Install

Because of the tight turnaround, this job was all about planning properly before anyone picked up a squeegee.

Working closely with the SUEZ fleet team, it was agreed early on that the vehicles would be painted turquoise, in line with Southend-on-Sea City Council’s colour palette. The graphics themselves were designed using clear messaging and recognisable Southend landmarks, keeping everything consistent across vehicle types and sizes.

From a durability point of view, we made a key decision at the planning stage:rather than applying individual vinyl letters, the main side panels would be wrapped. This avoids edges lifting during routine pressure washing and mechanical cleaning, something that’s unavoidable with working municipal fleets.

To make that work visually, the wrap background needed to match the painted bodywork exactly. After liaising with the fleet team and reviewing RAL spray-outs, we adjusted the CMYK makeup of the supplied artwork so the wrapped areas blended seamlessly with the paintwork. The result is a finish that looks like applied lettering, but performs far better long term.

The Initial Fleet Install Weekend

The handover weekend landed in early April 2025 and unusually, the weather played ball. It was the first genuinely good weekend of the year, which made a huge difference.

With workshops needed for SUEZ’s own prep work, much of the rebrand was carried out outside on site, allowing everyone to work around each other without vehicles constantly being shuffled in and out.

We’d already dispatched all graphic kits for the new vehicles to site in advance and had a full install team ready to go. Over the course of that weekend, we completed more than 50 vehicles, working across newly delivered, unbranded vehicles and existing vehicles requiring stripping and re-application

By Monday morning, the fleet was out in Southend looking consistent, compliant and contract-ready.

Ongoing Fleet Graphics Installed Across the UK

That initial weekend was just the start, since then, we’ve continued installing graphics for additional Southend vehicles as they’ve come online, both at build factories around the UK and back on site in Southend.

Fleet work like this often happens in phases, and having the ability to print and turn around kits quickly is key. With multiple large-format printers running alongside our day-to-day work, we’re set up to keep projects like this moving without drama, it’s simply part of how we operate.

Durable, Consistent Municipal Fleet Branding

The finished fleet is clear, consistent and instantly recognisable, with strong local identity built into the design. Just as importantly, the materials and install approach were chosen to stand up to real-world use; frequent washing, daily wear, and long service life, reducing the need for ongoing repairs or replacement.

A solid outcome for a tight turnaround, and a great example of how proper planning makes even the most compressed timelines achievable.