Making spray-on bed liners pay off

March 2, 2015
Serving the spray-on bed liner niche market is not for every shop; here is what you need to know before taking the dive.

When was the last time you considered adding a new revenue stream — specifically, one a bit outside traditional repair services?

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There's a good chance it was quite a while ago. That's a real departure from where the collision industry stood 10 years ago when shops were more open to providing niche services, such as selling aftermarket accessories, offering paintless dent removal or promoting detailing services. The majority of the focus for shops lately has been creating revenue by cutting costs and driving through more work with lean operations and multiple sites.

This focus obviously has produced significant results, though perhaps at the expense of outside-the-box business considerations that could be benefitting a number of shops. Adding a niche service like spray-on bed liners is a good example.

Each year more than two million consumers drive new pickup trucks off of dealer lots. According to SEMA, 37 percent of those motorists will invest in some type of bed liner. Shops that don't sell or repair bed liners can end up sending a lot of potential, and some very real, business out their doors and to competitors.

Serving this niche market isn't for every shop. Here's what you need to know before taking the dive into spray-on bed liners.

Business basics
Doing business in the spray-on market means partnering with a liner company like Rhino Linings, SEM, Line-X or Reflex, to name a few. Repairers become liner dealers who agree to purchase and use a range of spray-on equipment and products. Partnering with companies like Line-X entails becoming part of a franchise.

The tools, products, services and support from liner companies can vary greatly so you'll need to thoroughly investigate each company to see which company offers your shop the best fit at the right prices. You'll need to consider the following factors.

(Courtesy of Rhino Linings) - According to SEMA, 37 percent of the 2 million pickup trucks purchased annually in the U.S. receive a bed liner. Bed liners are the third most popular item pickup truck owners buy during the first two years of ownership. (Courtesy of Rhino Linings) - Count on spending 1.5 - 2 hours to complete a spray-on bed liner application. 

Start-up costs
Initial investment can run from almost nothing to over $30,000, often depending upon how much business you expect. Spraying more liners increases the investment in product and sometimes the type of application equipment.

“If a shop already has a dedicated area for applying truckbed liners, all they need to cover is the cost of application equipment, which can be less than $100,” said David Vivian, product manager with SEM. “With such minimal start-up costs, shops can be profitable on their first liner. For shops without a dedicated area, start-up costs to add or convert an area will vary based on the location, but this is critical to protect other jobs from bed liner overspray. If the shop has enough demand, though, they should see a return on investment within the first year.”

Training
Depending upon the company, expect 1-3 days of training either on-site or at the company's training facility. Be sure to ask about ongoing training for product updates.

“A shop should designate a lead technician and assistant technician for spraying truckbed liners,” Vivian says. “There are different technologies that may apply differently, so the best way to learn is through concentrated experience. An annual training class is also a good idea, specifically to learn about new products.”

Support
Expect to receive some help for marketing your business, which can include everything from a listing on the liner company's website, ads and logos to more advanced help in the form of individualized, search optimized websites and support from dedicated marketing professionals.   

Return on investment
This too will vary according to the company, type of liner application (more on this later) and the market price for a spray-on bed liner. Prices can range anywhere between $400 and $800 per job.

According to Rhino Linings, its dealers make approximately $250 per truck after chemical and miscellaneous costs. The profits and covered costs from a shop's first seventeen jobs actually can pay for the initial investment of Rhino's least expensive dealer option. Even the most popular dealer package can be paid for in approximately six weeks when spraying a little over 20 trucks per week.

(Courtesy of Rhino Linings) - Bed liners come in a variety of applications that can include options such as UV and fade resistance and color matching. (Courtesy of Rhino Linings) - Bed liners offer a host of other applications including anti-slippage protection for animal trailers.

Financial factors
Initial equipment and product costs aren't the only numbers you'll need to look at. There are other cost and financial considerations.

For one, you'll need to consider if you have the available space. Spray-on liners should be applied indoors in a ventilated area the size of a standard bay. Because overspray will be a factor, you'll need to ensure applications won't end up on other vehicles or nearby work areas. This could mean investing in curtains and an exhaust system, like those used in your aluminum repair area. Bed liner companies often sell their own solutions.

Additionally, your spray techs will need protective clothing and respirators. In most cases, you can use the same kinds of suits and breathing equipment your painters utilize. You'll also have to decide who is going to do this work. Techs, painters, detailers and other workers can be trained for this service, but they'll need to step away from their usual duties without affecting the flow of your traditional operations.

Perhaps the most significant consideration is the available service market. Repairers need to factor in the popularity of pickup trucks in their region and the number of nearby bed liner competitors. they should note that several auto manufacturers have begun offering spray-on liners as options due to their popularity.

Jenny Clifford, marketing manager for Rhino Linings, suggests shops start tracking how many bed liners they outsource each month. She says shops also should talk to local car dealerships and see where they currently send their trucks. A working partnership can be made with local dealers on new pickup sales to capture a wider range of potential collision-related customers.

And once customer contact is established, understanding what those customers want is just as vital, Vivian says. “Shops need to understand their customers and their expectations. Let’s compare John Homeowner versus John who owns a fleet of commercial trucks. They both want bedl iners. But the guy who is going to be hauling bags of fertilizer and the occasional 2x4 may want a liner that is more aesthetically pleasing,” he says. “For a guy who is hauling bricks or gravel all day, all he cares about is durability. These expectations should determine the type of bed liner applied.”

Finally, shops need to consider just how much revenue they want to make. As with other parts of their business, repairers should set sales goals and be prepared to aggressively pursue spray-on work.

Installation steps
When it comes to performing the actual liner installation, dealers spend the bulk of their time on prep work and work inspection.

The basic steps (supplied by Rhino Liners) for most products are as follows:

Step 1: Begin by removing the tailgate and placing it on a rack. Remove tie downs, plugs and other attachments. Be sure to protect the tailgate latch and rods when removing the tailgate access panel.

Step 2: Remove the bed bolts and other hardware from the truck bed. The bolt heads do not build good thickness and often are failure points. (Note: If the bed bolts are rusty and/or if there is risk of breaking bolts while removing, leave them in place. Make sure to sand rust off and prime them.)

Step 3: Clean the truck bed and tailgate. Wipe down both with acetone to remove any grease or dirt. Apply denatured alcohol to areas to be taped.

If the truck bed and tailgate have been repainted, check for good paint adhesion by performing a cross hatch test in a non-visible area.

Step 4: Mask the truck and tailgate to protect non-liner areas from overspray. Use proper quality masking paper for automotive use or a plastic car cover to avoid bleed-through. Similarly, use high quality automotive-grade masking tape and wire or fiber tape for trim lines.

Step 5: Sand areas to be sprayed. Scuff these areas using a cup brush and a 5-in. dual action or 5-in. palm sander with 60-grit sandpaper.

Using 80-grit sandpaper, hand sand all tight areas, edges and the entire over-the-rail area (if applicable).

Check your work. No glossy areas should appear, especially along the edges.

If any rust is present, use a coarse 24 – 40 grit grinding disc to grind down to bare metal. Prime all bare metal areas before spraying.

Step 6: Final cleaning. Remove dust and grit either by vacuuming and/or by wiping down with acetone.

Step 7: Spray on the liner using the techniques from your training class. Depending upon the product, you'll need to spray on a specific thickness of liner.

If necessary, stand on a work stool high enough to give you easy spraying access into the bed.

Double check all hard-to-access areas to ensure they've received a proper coating.

Step 8: Inspect the bed. Use a flashlight or bright light to ensure that the texture is consistent and that there are not any shiny areas.

Use a thickness gauge to determine application depth across the truck bed. Many liner companies note specific areas for these measurements.

Step 9: Remove the trim. Pull the wire or fiber tape soon after the spraying is completed. Be sure to pull the tape up at a 45 degree angle towards the truck bed to create a smooth transition from the liner to the painted surface.

Avoid lifting edges of freshly sprayed liner.

Step 10: Remove the masking. Inspect the vehicle to ensure that no overspray is on the truck and that all masking tape and paper are removed.

Remove any overspray using denatured alcohol and a rag.

Step 11: Trim any drips, especially along rail edges.

Step 12: Perform a final inspection of the liner texture and trim lines.

Step 13: Reinstall the removed hardware on the tailgate and bed. Reinstall the tailgate on the truck, making sure the tailgate closes properly.

Bed liners typically dry cure quickly. The truck can be returned to the owner in as little as an hour after the application. However, truck owners shouldn't place anything heavy in the bed for at least 24 hours to give the liner the opportunity to fully cure.

Product options
A final benefit of selling spray-on liners to keep in mind is the variety of offerings. Some bed liners can be color matched to the vehicle and others offer benefits such as UV and fade resistance.

Some dealers also sell liners as vehicle undercoatings and protective coating for the tops of RVs; the floors, bumpers and fenders of off-road and other vehicles; and the floors of animal trailers, where they prevent damage and slipping.

Bed liner companies regularly roll out products to meet a host of market needs. If your shop joins this industry, you could be looking at a filling a niche that is both stable and steadily expanding.

Additional uses
Spray-on polyurethane coatings are not just for truck bed liners. They also protect fenders, bumpers, floor boards, nerf bars and trim. In fact, whole vehicles have been sprayed. The same polyurethane spray can be applied to emergency vehicles, commercial transport, heavy construction, agriculture equipment and boats.

Spraying polyurethane serves two purposes: First, it adds years of service by preventing scratching, rusting and chemical contamination from deteriorating standard OEM paint. Second, it can created a roughed-up, anti-skid or anti-slip surface.

Some coatings, using a similar spray system, have been applied to military and private vehicles for blast mitigation.

The Mythbusters tested myths about bed liners in 2011 and confirmed it to be an adequate protection against dents in minor crashes (applied on a car), dog bites (applied on a jacket) and explosive blasts (applied on a wooden or brick wall).

Only two types of coatings are mentioned so far, but additives can be added to coatings to provide different characteristics, although this is about truck bed liners, the protective coatings can be applied in many other environments and have a variety of needs and purposes besides a simple truck bed liner.

It is becoming more popular to coat the exterior of vehicles and boats. This is because there are more companies competing in these markets, and therefore developing better solutions. So now you see companies like Rhino Linings, Line-X, Spray-Lining.com and Scorpion providing solutions for exterior and colors. These solutions also transfer over to the interior of boats because of the waterproof and anti-corrosive properties that polyurethane and epoxy hold. So revenue can be obtained from multiple different industries, not just the pickup owners.

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