mart
Local Delivery Truck Driver
Posts: 346
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Post by mart on May 22, 2014 10:52:01 GMT -5
Hi all!
One problem is well known: All model kit producers are not able, to print correct and detailed plates for big rigs in their decals sets. (Also the fuel tax badges and so on.) License plates, tax plates or number plates (however it's called) are mostly token from cars. Thats wrong. And it's not easy, to find out good reference pictures of truck plates. On the homepage of every local DOT there are "example" plates, but thats all. To find out plates for cars in a wide different range of backgrounds, for vet's, natives, handicaped people, "gold star families" (what ever that should be... Gold Star was a british BSA motorcycle), farm vehicles or pick-up trucks is no bigger problem. But "Commercial" or "Apportioned" plates are mostly not shown. The next thing is: After a couple of years, US- plates will be changed (color, motive...)! If building a truck of the 80th, a 80th plate is required! For a 60th truck an adequate plate is to be used. Question: Is there a data, a recording, a file or whatever in the www with typically US- truck plates of serval states of all decades? Alas, it's not possible, to buy old truckplates as souvenier / example in the US. Here in Germany, there is no difference between a car plate or a truck plate and old plates without the county / city stamp are not "official" (it's just a private sign but not a document) and can be bought all over. Most people storeage their old plates as a souvenir. In most european states it's in the same way. There was only one changing on the look of our plates: From the old ones to the "Euro"- look. So it's no problem, to find out a right plate.
Thanks for help!
Martin
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 15:14:27 GMT -5
There are a couple of sites out there that might be of help to you. The first in Jim Moini's License Plates ( moini.net/ ), and the second is The Plate Shack ( www.plateshack.com/ ). One thing you should consider is not that you buildig a vehicle from the 1980s, but you're displaying a vehicle that's in the 1980s. There are plenty of cars from the 1980s & 1990s with corrent plates on them because they are currently registered & on the road. It would, for instance, be incorrect to show a 2011 International LoneStar with a New York Liberty Plate as they long gone before the LoneStar came around. It would be possible to have a 1974 Kenworth W900 with the current blue/white or blue/gold plates on it if you were tyring to show it registered currently. "Gold Star Family" is a family that has lost a family member in combat since World War II.
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mart
Local Delivery Truck Driver
Posts: 346
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Post by mart on May 22, 2014 16:54:45 GMT -5
Hi Jim! Thanks for the links! I know the problem with an old vehicle, whats still in use. They need a current plate. E.g. I wanna build a truck of the 70th, placed in the 70th. So I need a 70th plate. But there is no example, to reproduce it. The thing with the Gold Star Familiy is a little bit dubios to me. I know not one family in Germany without one or more family member(s), killed in war. Our family lost 15 members in two wars. But for what they need a special plate? Ok, it need not matters to me and I don't really understand that. Martin
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 20:55:00 GMT -5
The plate is only available in some states, and the funds for the plate are used to raise money to help support wounded soldiers & families that have lost a member in combat.
Anyway, it started in WWII when families would display a small red & white striped flag with blue stars on it on there home to show how many of there sons were in the service. If the service member was killed, the blue star was changed to a gold star.
Back to the subject, yes, finding pics of 1970s licenses plates for trucks can be very difficult. If I do discover anything, I'll post what I find. Any particular state you are looking for? Also, there was in IFTA in the 1970s, and the truck had to have a plate for every state it worked in.
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mart
Local Delivery Truck Driver
Posts: 346
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Post by mart on May 22, 2014 22:48:59 GMT -5
Hi Jim!
Ok, I see, whats the reason and sense for the Gold Star plate!
At "moini's.net" I'll found a lot of examples of "Apportioned" plates. If I understand it right, this plates changing the color each year (not so the car plates). This circumstance was new to me! IFTA and IRP is known. Before IRP was founded, trucks needed a plate of every state, they joined. So, some trucks hat around 20 plates or more on the grille. But what is the difference between an "Apportioned" and a "Commerial" plate? Or is it the same? If I understood it right, a "Commercial" is to drive in the registrated home state only (?).
Martin
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2014 8:21:49 GMT -5
Correct. The "commercial" plate is for trucks that only operate within the state (local delivery, vocational, etc.); however, there is an exception to that. Pick-up trucks & vans are registered as "commercial" in some states, like Massachusetts for example, but they can go anywhere. The "apportioned" plate is for interstate commerce vehicles. Now, not all states recognize the apportioned plate. Alaska & Hawaii come to mind. What is essentially boils down to is: who gets how much tax money.
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mart
Local Delivery Truck Driver
Posts: 346
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Post by mart on May 23, 2014 11:04:34 GMT -5
The american system is quite different to the german / european one! Here, a number plate is not a "tax plate" but the "name" of the vehicle for it's identification. (So no unit numbers are needed.) It shows the county / region / city of registration and a vehicle keeps it's ziffer- / letter- combination all it's life long; excepted, it's sold off the state. The county / city / state seal stamp on both plates is the permission to use it legal and another stamp on the back plate shows the date of technical controll service. Fuell tax is paid at each filling up at the gas station and it's included in the fuel expense per liter, also the VAT and ecological tax. As an example I'll show you my plates: The blue field shows the star circle of the european comunity and a D for Deutschland. "AK" = Altenkirchen (County of .....) "KM 85" = a letter- ziffer combination in any order, but in germany the letters are always setting first. I'd like to got my initials (KM) whats 20,- Bucks extra. I'd liked to get MK 68 (born in 1968) but this combination wasn't available. Personalized plates with a full name on it are not possible in Germany. Front: Back: Badge for technical control service (each two years, trucks more than 2.8 tons annual): A 9 is on the top and a 14 inside the inner circle. I have to go to the service in Sep. 2014. The colors of those badges are changing. The registration badge. Above the name of the state (Rhineland - Palatinatia) and the seal of the state. At the bottom "Kreisverwaltung Altenkirchen" (Countygovernment Oldchurch). Without this badges, the plates are nothing than a "nice application" but no official number plate. If I wanna lay down the use of my car, the registration office only will scratch off the state seal. Hope, it helps to see the difference in the usage of plates. Martin
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