Driving cross country with no plates on the truck!

[vonsmog]

I had a couple of guys stop in yesterday to pick up some Unimog parts after picking up a truck that one of them just got off of Ebay. They got the truck on Friday in NH, went to a buddy's place in the Catskills for some Unimog parts. Then down to Hershey for the Porsche swap meet on Sat. Drove all night and slept in my driveway do get some parts from me Sun. morning. I am up near Rochester, NY. Then are headed all the way to Colorado! This was the plate on the back of the truck. Looks like it was made from a pizza box and a sharpie! They got pulled over the first few hours in CT. And the state cop just shook his head and said "this is your lucky day, I am too tired to write out all the tickets I could give you. Get the hell out of this state!" And let them go! I don't think I would have the balls to do this at this stage of life! How about you, would you take the chance?

[Embraer]

I usually just keep the sellers plate on the car (if it's cool with him) and then fedex it back to him as soon as i get home. (...or I'll just take a plate off one of my cars, take it with me, and put it on the car before i drive home)

[IROC]

That would be a legal plate in Alabama. I wish I had a dollar for every piece of cardboard on the back of a car in Alabama that said "LOST TAG"...

[porsche4life]

It shocks me how often I see cars around here with no plate or a dealer tag that is MONTHS out of date...

[Laneco]

Oh good God let me give you a brief rundown of the list of things that are wrong here...

This is a commercial truck. It is being used in a commercial application. It is hauling something for a commercial application. Commercial truck rules will apply. So let's start out with how this goes "down" beginning with the probable cause and ending with the impound.

1. WTF on the plates. Seriously, WTF? To move this vehicle across state lines you would need a legitimate commercial plate or commercial permit. Not a pizza box and sharpie. This is the probable cause that initiates the traffic stop.
2. To be in commerce, you need a USDOT # and the name of the company clearly displayed on both sides of the truck. You don't have to display this on a newly aquired vehicle, you get 30 days. But you still must HAVE the USDOT # already...
3. Commercial trucks for hire (moving other people's stuff) must have a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance with proof in the form of an MCS90. When hauling used automotive parts, such as engines, $1 million is required.
4. This vehicle is small enough that it does not require a CDL, but the drivers must still be otherwise qualified. The company must have a driver qualification file and the drivers must have in possession a DOT medical card.
5. All commercial drivers must maintain hours of service. These are in a couple of different formats but all are intended to record all of the drivers work time. The intent is to limit the total amount of work time and most importatly, the total driving time and ensure that each driver has rest between shifts. For the trip these guys are doing, a "log book" would be required for each of them.
6. Each commercial vehicle must have an "annual" or "periodic" inspection completed and documentation must be kept on the vehicle. This inspection must be done BEFORE the vehicle is used on the highway.

There's quite a bit more, but these are the things that any officer could readily find as shortages roadside. The insurance and lack of operating authority (no USDOT #) are offences that easily result in the vehicle being impounded. No plates will also do it in some states.


angela

[Embraer]

What shocks me is how often people incorrectly put the stickers on their plates. They will cover the Month sticker with the year sticker.

[Christien]

Originally Posted by IROC

That would be a legal plate in Alabama. I wish I had a dollar for every piece of cardboard on the back of a car in Alabama that said "LOST TAG"...

I did this once when I sold my 944 as a favour for the buyer. Never got the plate back. Won't do it again.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Christien

I did this once when I sold my 944 as a favour for the buyer. Never got the plate back. Won't do it again.

Sold a car to a co workers nephew. Left the plates as a favor. After 2nd red light ticket I told her to tell him if I don't get my plates back tomorrow I'm going to go repo the car.

[slakjaw]

I find it better to have no plates over an "in transit" sign or whatever.

[willtel]

This is an Atlanta MARTA bus in service with a plate stating "Tag Applied For". Funny thing is that there is no tag application process in the state of GA. You either have a temporary dated dealer plate or a permanent plate, Georgia Department of Revenue What MARTA is doing here is blatantly illegal, I have called the police and MARTA on numerous occasions and no one cares.

Government=Do as we say, not as we do.

[LakeCleElum]

I flew to New Orleans to p/u a m/c I bought and ride back to Seattle. I planned to leave the plate on the bike and mail it back to the owner. Problem was, when we went to the bank to pay off the loan, the plate was tied to the insurance, which was canceled when the loan was paid and the bank wanted the plate (strange).

I rode it back with no plate, passed many LEO's and never got a 2nd glance. I could have got a LA temp permit, but DMV was closing for the weekend as we finished up at the bank.........These Unimog guys should get a "temp" or "transit permit. Nothing would be better than the cardboard......

[Christien]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Sold a car to a co workers nephew. Left the plates as a favor. After 2nd red light ticket I told her to tell him if I don't get my plates back tomorrow I'm going to go repo the car.

That would be frustrating. I reported the plate as stolen when it wasn't returned within a week. Buyer said he'd fedex it to me - yeah, right. This was the guy that came back to me a month after buying the car, driving it 500 miles home, wanting me to pay for half his tranny repair.

[Dave L]

I have sold a car and left the plates on so he could get it home. I sent him off with a UPS bag and slip filled out and got the plates back a few days later.

I.... I mean a friend drove home a 944S with out insurance or plates after its purchase

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Christien

I did this once when I sold my 944 as a favour for the buyer. Never got the plate back. Won't do it again.

In Alabama, it used to be that the plates stayed with the car when it was sold - it was up to the new owner to register the car (and it's plate) in their name. I sold a car once and about 6 months later received a summons regarding hundreds of dollars in unpaid tickets. I had to go down to the courthouse and prove that I didn't own the car any longer (bill of sale). The clerk said, "this happens all the time..."

[Zeke]

angela, no doubt you know your stuff, but that truck is functioning as a "not for hire." And that's a sign he needs so he doesn't pay tariffs.

Now that's another subject. How's he gonna cross into some states? I'd hope a notarized bill of sale will help, but it's a risk.

[Racerbvd]

I wouldn't try it, we are looking at a car in Seattle, and I may have to fly out to close the deal, but even if I was up to driving it back to FL, I wouldn't do it without tags or insurance... Should know today, sent the deposit, the rest will come after the PPI which should be happening right now

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Christien

That would be frustrating. I reported the plate as stolen when it wasn't returned within a week. Buyer said he'd fedex it to me - yeah, right. This was the guy that came back to me a month after buying the car, driving it 500 miles home, wanting me to pay for half his tranny repair.

I forgot about that little 'incident'....

[porsche4life]

We always get insurance before we go pick something up... Usually we take a plate off something else if it doesn't come with a temp...

Of course lately we have gotten lazy and just take the car trailer.... Share the driving load that way....

[Rich76_911s]

I sure as heck wouldn't do it. What is so hard about getting a temp tag?

[pksystems]

In transit insurance was free on my normal policy, and you can get an In transit permit from the registry that you put on your windshield. That's how I got one of my cars to the inspection place. Dunno if you're allowed to drive cross country with that tho