By Dennis Barrett, President, Roadway Displays · Published November 2026 · 6 min read
Magnetic truck signs fit one job: a small door sign on a steel body that you can take off and put back. A Roadway frame fits a different one: a large panel on the side of a truck that stays put and swaps for a new message in under 30 seconds.
This guide compares the two on surface, size and cost, and says plainly when a magnet is the better buy. It is for owners pricing door magnets for trucks and for fleet managers deciding what goes on the side of a truck.
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Should a work truck use a magnet or a frame?
Use a magnet for a small sign on a steel door that you are willing to take off and clean. Use a frame for a large panel on the side of a box truck or trailer side, or a refuse body, that you want to stay mounted and change on a schedule.
Search results for magnetic signs for trucks are mostly online print shops, and for one truck with one message a $25 to $65 magnet is hard to beat. The case for a frame starts at a magnet's limits: surface, size and how often the message changes.
How do magnetic truck signs and a frame compare?
A magnet needs smooth steel and regular care. A frame is fastened to the body with rivets or bolts and holds a much larger panel.
| What to compare | Magnetic sign | Roadway frame and panel |
|---|---|---|
| Where it holds | Smooth, flat steel only. Not aluminum, fiberglass or plastic, and not heavily curved panels or body filler | Fastened with rivets or bolts with locking nuts. We confirm the mounting for your body type when we quote |
| Size | Door-size signs. 12 x 24 in is common, and online sellers list up to about 24 x 36 in | Standard frame: 91 x 27 in live area. 4x8 frame: 96 x 48 in panel (outside size) |
| Staying power | Makers advise removing and cleaning it on a schedule, from daily to weekly on vehicles | Stays on the truck. Only the panel changes |
| Security | Lifts off by hand | Tamper-proof design |
| Changing the message | Peel one magnet off and put another on | Open the frame, lift the panel out and set the new one in, in under 30 seconds |
| Paint and body | Makers say to skip custom paint, airbrushing and wrapped vehicles. Trapped dirt or moisture can stain paint | Mounting is permanent, so it is a poor fit for leased trucks that must be returned unmarked |
| Cost | About $25 to $65 per sign at online sellers | Standard frame $250 to $300. Panel $95 single-sided or $165 double-sided |
| Warranty | Set by the seller | Frame warranted indefinitely against mechanical failure (trees, buildings and driving damage excluded) |
Where do magnetic signs work, and where do they not hold?
Magnets hold on smooth, flat steel and little else. Magnet sellers' own care guides say a sign will not properly stick to aluminum, fiberglass, plastic, heavily curved panels or areas with body filler.
Steel refuse bodies hold magnets fine, so a door magnet works on one. Many box trucks and trailers have aluminum or fiberglass-reinforced sides, and a magnet will not hold there. Test it: put a magnet on the spot you want. If it clings, a sign can go there. If it slides, it can't.
A frame does not depend on magnetism. It is fastened with rivets or bolts with locking nuts, and we confirm the mounting for your body type when we quote.
What does each cost over a year?
Online sellers we checked on October 29, 2026 price a 12 x 24 in truck magnet at about $25 to $35 and a 24 x 36 in magnet at about $65. A standard Roadway frame lists at $250 to $300, and each panel at $95 single-sided or $165 double-sided.
- One truck, one message: the magnet wins. $25 to $65 against $250 to $300 before the first panel.
- One side of one truck, three messages in a year: a frame plus three panels is $535 to $795 at list price, depending on the frame price and single- or double-sided panels. Three 24 x 36 in magnets are about $195.
- Size per message: a 24 x 36 in magnet covers 6 square feet. The standard panel's live area is 91 x 27 in, about 17 square feet, nearly three times as much.
- Crew time: magnet makers recommend removing and cleaning signs on a schedule. A frame stays where it is.
Prices are list prices before freight and tax. A frame on each side of the truck doubles the frame and panel figures. There is no minimum order on panels, so one truck can test a message before you add more.
Who does a frame fit, and who should buy a magnet?
A frame fits a fleet that wants a large, secure panel on a flat side and expects to change the message. A magnet fits a single truck that needs a door sign this week.
Buy a magnet if:
- You have one or two trucks and a message that will not change.
- The sign is door-size and the body is smooth steel.
- You do not mind taking it off to clean the sign and the paint underneath.
- The truck is leased and must be returned unmarked.
A frame is the better fit if:
- You want a panel the size of the truck's side, not a door sign.
- A magnet will not hold on the body, or you are not sure it will. The quote confirms the frame mounting.
- You change messages for seasons, products or partner brands, and want to do it at the yard.
- You want the panel to stay in place.
See how the Quick-Change Frame System mounts and what it holds, how frames are used on box trucks and trailers, or how a frame compares with a full vehicle wrap on frames vs wraps.
Want a number for your trucks? Send the body type and how many trucks, and we'll send budgetary pricing. Get Budgetary Pricing
About the author. Dennis Barrett is President of Roadway Displays. He built the first frames with his father Bob in 1987, has worked at Roadway full time since June 2000, and runs manufacturing and printing in Temecula, California.