commercial plates?

Highlander · Sep 17, 2014

Ok this maybe be a dumb question but I have heard different things. If I own a sprinter van and lease on to a company as an O/O do I need commercial plates? I am assuming I do but we know what happens when we assume.

fastman_1 · Sep 17, 2014

Yep having them allows you to park in truck zones in major city's, that alone will save you in parking tickets to make the cost of plates worth it

Highlander · Sep 17, 2014

Thanks!!!!

fastman_1 · Sep 17, 2014

Also some states make you cross the scales

Ragman · Sep 17, 2014

fastman_1 said:
Also some states make you cross the scales

There's been lots of discussion on that subject.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/general-expediter-forum/35932-weigh-stations-question.html

fastman_1 · Sep 17, 2014

Ragman said:
There's been lots of discussion on that subject.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/general-expediter-forum/35932-weigh-stations-question.html

I know a few years ago Alabama Had you scale and keep a log book, but I haven't been back there in years.

Highlander · Sep 17, 2014

Thanks for the link Ragman, seems like some gray areas.

Ragman · Sep 17, 2014

Highlander said:
Thanks for the link Ragman, seems like some gray areas.

Anytime.

FlyingVan · Sep 18, 2014

Highlander said:
Ok this maybe be a dumb question but I have heard different things. If I own a sprinter van and lease on to a company as an O/O do I need commercial plates? I am assuming I do but we know what happens when we assume.

It depends on the state you register your van in.

I used to live in GA and I did not need commercial plate there. Then I moved to TN and I didn't get a commercial plate, but I was pulled over by the TN State Patrol and given a ticket. He told me that I needed a Commercial Plate if I used my van for business. I couldn't get out of that one, since my van was plastered all over with Landstar signs. I tried to argue that I just moved to TN and I did not know I needed one since GA did not require it. I still got the ticket, but, if I went to court with proof that I changed to a Commercial plate I wouldn't have to pay any fines. Which I did do, they tried to fine me anyway, but finally just made copies of the new registration and let me go. I might have been just unlucky, since I know a few expediters in TN that don't have commercial plates. In TN, the difference between regular and commercial plates for vehicles 9000 lbs GVWR or less is about $25 a year more for the commercial one.

ebsprintin · Sep 20, 2014

Also some carriers may have their own requirements that take you above the legal requirements.

eb

Highlander · Sep 20, 2014

Nor sure if it is needed but seems that the best way to cover the largest portion of my a@@ is to go commercial
.

Thanks for all the input

FlyingVan · Sep 20, 2014

ebsprintin said:
Also some carriers may have their own requirements that take you above the legal requirements.

eb

That may be true, however, none of the companies I have been with (Panther, FedEx, Landstar) required commercial plates for my Sprinter. They were just fine with the regular passenger licence plate.

Moot · Sep 23, 2014

FlyingVan said:
It depends on the state you register your van in.

Exactly! Check with your state DMV. In Minnesota I had regular passenger plates on my first van. This van came with a quasi-commercial plate with a 10,000 GVW sticker.

mjmsprt40 · Sep 23, 2014

I live in Illinois, seems at least that if the van doesn't have windows in the back the dealer automatically gets you commercial plates.

RV plates would be the other choice for this style, but if you do that and get caught with cargo----.

Here, the price difference between passenger car and B- commercial is negligible, D plates are higher of course.