Neon Green Cone Strategy — Visual Brand Dominance

Brand: Hauling Ass Racing (HAR)
Prepared by: Shawn C. O'Neil / Black Haus Capital
Date: February 17, 2026
Status: FINAL — Ready for deployment
Cost: $304 total fleet investment
Confidential

The Concept

Every tow truck in America uses orange cones. Orange is invisible — it's expected, ignored, forgotten.

We use neon green.

Neon green cones at every tow scene. Neon green cones at the race pit. Neon green cones at the yard. Neon green in photos, videos, merchandise. One color. Every market. Every truck. Every time.

If you see neon green cones on the side of the road — that's Hauling Ass Racing.


Why It Works

1. Zero Competition

Nobody uses neon green cones. The entire industry defaults to orange. Green is our color. We own it by default.

2. Near-Zero Cost

Item Cost
100 neon green 28" safety cones $450
100 reflective HAR decals $200
Cone storage racks (4 trucks) $140
TOTAL $790

$790 buys permanent visual brand identity across every market we operate in. That's less than 1 hour of TV advertising.

3. Functional (Not Gimmick)

Safety cones are legally required at tow scenes. We're not adding anything — we're changing the color of something we already deploy. This is not a marketing prop. It is a standard-issue safety device that happens to be the most aggressive brand play in towing.

4. Viral Content Machine

5. Cross-Platform Brand Thread

Context Green Cones Present
H&N Towing (NY) roadside Yes
H&N Hauling (NY) commercial Yes
Clearwater Towing (FL) roadside Yes
Tampa Towing (FL) roadside Yes
St. Pete Towing (FL) roadside Yes
Race day pit area Yes
Car hauler at track Yes
HAR social media content Yes
Merch photos / product shots Yes
Yard and shop Yes

The green cone appears in EVERY context. It is the visual thread that ties 5 different brands under one identity.


Cone Specifications

Standard Roadside Cone

Spec Value
Height 28 inches (highway-rated)
Color Lime Green / Neon Green (Hi-Viz)
Material PVC (standard traffic cone construction)
Reflective bands 2x white reflective bands (6" + 4")
Weight 7 lbs (standard base)
Compliance MUTCD compliant for highway use
Decal HAR logo + "haulingassracing.com" — reflective vinyl, 3" x 5"

Sourcing

Supplier Product Price/Unit Notes
SafetySign.com 28" Lime Green PVC Cone $4.50-6.00 Reflective bands included
Grainger 28" Hi-Viz Green Cone $5.00-7.00 Industrial supplier
Amazon (bulk) 28" Fluorescent Green Cone $3.50-5.00 Bulk 10-packs
TrafficSafetyStore.com 28" Lime Green w/ Bands $4.00-5.50 Reflective bands included

Order in bulk (100+ units) for best pricing. Aim for $4.50/cone average.

HAR Decal Specification

Spec Value
Size 3" wide x 5" tall
Material Reflective vinyl (3M Engineer Grade or equivalent)
Content HAR logo (donkey/badge) + "haulingassracing.com"
Color White on clear (reflective)
Placement Upper section of cone, between reflective bands
Qty per order 100 minimum
Cost per decal $1.50-2.50 (bulk pricing)
Application Peel-and-stick (weather-resistant adhesive)

Deployment Plan

Phase 1: Initial Fleet (Week 1-2)

Truck Cones Location
H&N Truck 1 (Dutchess County) 8 cones Truck bed cone rack
H&N Truck 2 (Dutchess County) 8 cones Truck bed cone rack
Tampa Truck 1 (flatbed) 8 cones Truck bed cone rack
Tampa Truck 2 (wrecker) 8 cones Truck bed cone rack
Fleet total 32 cones
Yard spares (NY) 10 cones Yard storage
Yard spares (FL) 10 cones Yard storage
Race day set 20 cones Car hauler
Marketing/photo set 8 cones Studio/office
Grand total 80 cones
Reserve (replacements) 20 cones Storage
Order quantity 100 cones

Phase 2: Expansion (Month 3-6)

Phase 3: Brand Extensions (Month 6-12)


Photo & Content Protocol

Every Tow Scene (MANDATORY)

  1. Arrive on scene — deploy neon green cones per safety protocol
  2. Before hook-up — photograph truck + cones (wide shot, cones in foreground)
  3. During service — capture 1-2 action photos with cones visible
  4. After load — photograph loaded vehicle, cones still visible
  5. Retrieve cones — pack up, confirm count (no cones left behind)

Photo Composition Rules

Content Calendar (Cone-Specific)

Week Post Type Platform Content
Week 1 "Why are our cones green?" TikTok, IG Reels 30-sec explainer — brand story
Week 2 Roadside photo (cones + truck) Instagram, Facebook Static image — clean composition
Week 3 "Spot the Green" challenge All platforms Ask followers to spot green cones in their city
Week 4 Race day cones at the pit Instagram, TikTok Green cones around the race car
Monthly Best-of compilation YouTube Shorts Top 4 cone photos of the month

Video Ideas (Recurring)

  1. "Cone Drop" — Slow-motion video of green cones being set at a scene. Music: hard bass drop.
  2. "Green Means Go" — 15-second montage of green cones at different scenes (day, night, rain, highway).
  3. "Track to Tow" — Split screen: green cones at the race pit / green cones on the highway.
  4. "$4 Brand Play" — How a $4 cone became a brand identity. Entrepreneurship content.
  5. "Why Not Orange?" — Driver explains why green, on camera, at a tow scene.

Merchandise Integration

Cone-Branded Merch (4ortitude.com)

Item Design Price
Neon green trucker hat HAR logo, black mesh back $25-30
"Why Green?" t-shirt Green cone graphic, black tee $25-30
Neon green safety vest HAR branded (for crew) $15-20
Mini cone keychain 2" neon green cone $8-10
Cone sticker pack 5-pack HAR cone stickers $5-8
Neon green hoodie HAR logo, cone graphic on back $45-55

Giveaway Strategy


Competitive Analysis

What Competitors Do

Tow Company Brand Differentiator Visual Identity
Most local shops None — plain white trucks, no branding Orange cones, no strategy
AAA National brand, trusted name Yellow/blue, professional
HONK (app) Tech platform, Uber for towing Digital — no physical brand
Agero (B2B) Insurance backend, no customer brand None visible

What HAR Does Different

Element Industry Standard HAR Approach
Cones Orange (default) Neon green (ONLY us)
Trucks White/plain Branded + neon green accent
Social content None or generic Every scene is content
Brand story "We tow cars" "Every call funds a lap"
Merch None Full merch line (4ortitude.com)
Customer touchpoint Invoice → done Invoice + sticker + review request

Nobody else is doing this. The neon green cone is a zero-cost moat.


Budget Summary

Year 1 Total Investment

Item Cost
100 neon green cones $450
100 HAR decals $200
4 cone storage racks $140
Replacement cones (quarterly) $135 (30 cones/year)
Decal reprints $60 (30/year)
Mini cones for merch (100 units) $200
Sticker packs (500 units) $250
TOTAL YEAR 1 $1,435

$1,435 for a year of visual brand dominance across 2 states, 5 markets, and a racing program.

ROI Calculation


The Rule

Every truck. Every scene. Every race. Every photo.

Neon green cones. No exceptions.

If the cones aren't green, we aren't there.


Deliverable Block