Editors Note

Every week I hear some version of the same question: “Jerry, how much do these trucks actually make?” And every time, I’m reminded of how misleading that question can be—because most people aren’t really asking about revenue. They’re asking, “Can I build a real business with this? Can this replace my income? Is this worth the leap?”

I get it.
I’ve been there.
And I wish someone had given me the straight answer when I started.

The problem is, the internet is full of numbers with no context—operators quoting their best weeks, manufacturers selling hype, and blog posts written by people who’ve never run a single mile on a real route. None of that helps you build a profitable, predictable business.

So in today’s issue, I’m giving you the honest breakdown of how the money actually works—what Exclusive jobs really bring in, why Shared Route MRR is the foundation of a stable business, and how to run the math for your city using the calculator I built for you. No fluff. No inflated benchmarks. Just what I wish someone had shown me 10 years ago.

If you’ve ever wondered whether this industry can support your family, help you transition out of your current job, or build the kind of freedom you’re chasing…
this is the issue you need to read.

Let’s get into it.

M.D.B. Startup Focus

How Much Do Mobile Digital Billboards Make?

If you’ve researched this industry at all, you’ve probably typed some version of this into Google:

“How much do mobile digital billboards make?”
“Are digital billboards profitable?”
“Is mobile advertising a good business?”

And if you’ve clicked around long enough, you’ve probably realized the same thing everyone else does—the answers online are either vague, wildly inflated, or written by someone who has never actually operated a truck.

So in this issue, I’m going to give you the real answer.
Not a hype number.
Not a “best case scenario.”
And not the kind of math that assumes every day is sunny and every client pays on time.

Just the truth from someone who has lived it for more than a decade.

But before we get into the numbers, let’s level-set something up front:

How much your truck makes has far less to do with the truck itself… and everything to do with the business model you run.

There are two primary revenue lanes in this industry—Exclusive Use and Shared Route MRR—and they behave nothing alike. Most new operators don’t understand the difference, so they end up frustrated, cash-poor, burned out, or worse… convinced the business doesn’t work.

The business works.
But you have to understand the math behind each lane.

Let’s start with the one everyone assumes is the moneymaker.

Exclusive Use Revenue (Hourly/Day-Rate Jobs)

This is the takeover-style job: one client “owns” the truck for a set number of hours or days. Product launches. Brand activations. Grand openings. Rally events. Political pushes. Concerts. These jobs feel big and look big… and when priced correctly, they can be great.

But here’s the part most people don’t know:

Most operators drastically overestimate how many exclusive hours they’ll sell—and underestimate the volatility.

In most markets, retail pricing sits around $125–$150/hr.
Wholesale to brokers is typically $100–$125/hr.

And then there’s the bottom tier—the operators who accept anything because they “need the job” or think they’ll “make it up on volume.”
Let me be blunt: you don’t make up profit on volume when your margin is already gone.

That myth has crushed more new operators than any other belief in this business.

Even when priced correctly, exclusives are unpredictable. Weather kills days. Events cancel. Agencies change budgets. And many of these jobs pay on Net-30, Net-60, even Net-90 terms, which means your cash flow gets stretched thin exactly when you need stability.

Yes—an exclusive job can bring in a strong week or month. But treating exclusives as your model is how operators end up with beautiful websites, a truck they love, and a bank account that keeps shrinking.

Let me give you the math many operators never run:

At $150/hr, an 8-hour day is $1,200.
Three days a week gets you $3,600.
Multiply that by four weeks and you’re at $14,400/month gross—if everything goes perfectly and if you can consistently sell that many days.

Most don’t.

Which brings us to the lane that actually builds a stable business.

Shared Route Revenue (Monthly Recurring Revenue)

If Exclusive Use is a project-based business, Shared Routes are your subscription business.

This is the lane the Total360 Model was built on. I won’t go into proprietary detail here, but here’s what you need to know:

A well-designed route, with clearly defined packages and consistent fulfillment, creates predictable recurring revenue.
And predictable recurring revenue is what makes this business scale.

Shared route revenue is simple math:

Number of advertisers × monthly package price = your MRR.

Once you hit the point where your MRR covers your hard operating costs (driver + fuel), every additional advertiser becomes clean margin. That’s why the Total360 approach works—because it builds stability first and growth second.

Most people think the “big money” is in the exclusives.
It’s not.
The big money is in the MRR… and exclusives are the cherry on top.

When your route becomes your baseline revenue, you’re no longer desperate for every job that comes your way. You stop underpricing. You stop accepting low-margin wholesale jobs. You stop saying yes because you’re scared to say no.

MRR makes you selective.
Selectivity makes you profitable.
Profitability makes you sustainable.

So how much can a truck make?

You’ll hear operators throw around numbers all over the place… but the truth is, you can determine it yourself with simple math.

That’s why I built a FREE revenue calculator that you can use to run different scenerios—because your market, your pricing, and your utilization matter far more than someone else’s headline claim.

You can plug in your own assumptions for:

• Exclusive hourly rates

• Expected hours sold (not hoped for)

• Shared route pricing

• Advertiser count

• Driver cost

• Fuel cost

• Insurance + overhead

The calculator will show you both the gross and the net, and it will quickly reveal which lane will stabilize your business.

Spoiler: it’s almost always the Shared Route.

Click the button below to get instant access to our revenue calculator.

I want to take a moment to offer a disclaimer here. This calculator is meant to be a tool for you to run different scenerios to see whats possible. At the end of the day, there are many factors that affect your success or failure.

Why most people get this wrong

Operators don’t fail because the trucks don’t work.
They fail because their math doesn’t work.

They price everything off a single hourly rate—as if a 3-hour exclusive should be priced the same as 40 hours of route delivery. They chase every job because they don’t have a base to stand on. They assume a great month means a great model. They underprice wholesale jobs out of fear. And they underestimate how a lack of spare parts or downtime can wipe out their profit for the week.

This is a business where the numbers—not the hopes—decide your success.

The good news? When you understand the math, this becomes one of the cleanest, simplest media businesses you can run.

What to do this week

Run your numbers with the calculator.
See what your realistic exclusive revenue looks like.
See how a shared route changes the baseline.
Blend both lanes into a plan you can actually execute.

And if you’re serious about learning the deeper model behind the Total360 approach, come to Discovery Day. There’s no substitute for seeing the business live, asking the hard questions, and putting your hands on a brand new Legion 714.

Details are here: www.ledtrucks.com/discoveryday
Prefer to read the whole story first? Grab my free + shipping book: www.ledtrucks.com/freebook

Do the math.
Choose your model with clarity.
And build a business that doesn’t just look good online—but pays you every single month.

Industry Discovery Day

Legion LED Trucks is the FIRST and ONLY option to learn detailed information about the mobile digital billboard industry BEFORE buying a truck.

For people who are on the fence about whether they should invest into this business, this is a way to figure that out for a few hundred dollars before spending $200k+. The information taught can not be found on Google or through Ai and the LED truck demo is your chance to be up close and personal with a brand new LED truck from Legion LED Trucks.

These events are small with limited seating. Only 2 VIP tickets available! Reserve your seat now before they are gone.Get More Info On Discovery Day

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