TEXAS COMMERCIAL/TRUCK PLATES
Ch. 75 P 3/14/1923. Commercial registration would have started with
the 1924 seal, as numerous 1923 San Antonio Express advertisements
from May 20 to June 22 soliciting bids for new plates and seals
included 100,000 "commercial motor vehicle seals" in addition to
700,000 motor vehicle seals. The Austin American-Statesman
reported on June 21, 1923, that "The board did not buy 100,000
commercial motor vehicle seals as had been advertised. It was
decided not to buy these commercial seals at the present time."
Commercial plates began 1925, became Truck 1945. Farm began 1934.
Palmer has all county assignments 1925-75.
Amounts manufactured in ( ), if higher than assignments.
1928 WEIGHT CLASSES
1 1,000 - 6,000 lbs.
2 6,001 - 8,000 lbs.
3 8,001 - 10,000 lbs.
4 10,001 - 12,000 lbs.
5 12,001 - 14,000 lbs.
6 14,001 - 16,000 lbs.
7 16,001 - 22,000 lbs.
8 22,001 + lbs.
INITIAL SUPPLE. OBSERVED ADMINISTRATION
1925 1 - 75-000 80-000 99-765 none
1926 1 - 90-700 91-960 113-055 none
1927 1 - 118-300 137-820 none
1928 C1M 1 - 100-000 141-199 350
C2M 1 - 8-000 14-359 250
C3M 1 - 3-000 4-548, 048 150
C4M 1 - 400 (600) 2-314 none
C5M (200) 865
C6M (50)
C7M (50)
C8M (100)
1929 1 - 158-300 (200-000) 198-347 1-000
1930 1 - 175-000 224-400 1-000
1931 1 - 225-500 245-739 1-500
1932 2-001 - 239-150 (250-000) 246-722 none
1933 1 - 239-000 231-791 (Exempt
1934 1 - 215-000 217-049 began
1935 1 - 160-000 183-718 1932)
1936 1 - 168-000 207-872
1937 501 - 174-000 227-470
1938 1 - 204-000 (220-000) 212-525
1939 1 - 208-300 (230-000) 239-626
1940 1 - 215-850 249-312
1941 300-001 - 528-650 556-828
1942 300-001 - 550-000 564-000 574-205
1943-51 FORMAT M/A 10 - P/Z 9999 No G,I,O,Q,W used.*
1943-44 are tabs. *W added 1951.
INITIAL SUPPLE. OBSERVED TOTAL OF EACH
1943 NA 6469 MY 5570 216,250 195,371
1944 MZ 7259 MZ 2578 207,050 202,369
1945 MY 9849 NB 5899 199,650 225,670
1946 NA 2899 NE 6799 NH 5920 212,680 256,540 275,641
1947 NB 7349 NK 8699 227,120 298,400
1948 NL 2149 NR 1021 301,840 340,672
1949 NT 5399 NY 3954 365,030 403,545
1950 NR 2749 NY 7723 342,400 407,314
1951 NW 6949 NZ 9423 406,540 438,984
1952-72 FORMAT 1A 10 - 7Z 9999 No G,I,O,Q used.
2Z omitted 1955-60. Prefix stacked 1952-55.
Star hyphen added 1957-72.
INITIAL SUPPLE. OBSERVED TOTAL OF EACH
1952 2Z 1099 2Z 6911 430,660 436,472
1953 2Y 8699 3D 3146 428,270 472,667
1954 2X 6674 3F 3298 416,255 492,799
1955 3B 1699 3R 3599 3R 3998 441,250 563,030 563,429
1956 3E 5299 3T-724 3T-9597 474,820 580,135 589,008
1957 3T-5349 3Z-9999 3Y-7713 584,760 649,350 637,074
1958 3U-9999 4A-149 3V-9761 599,400 649,490 609,152
1959 3V-2624 3Z-6224 3Z-9471 602,015 645,575 648,822
1960 3U-4174 3Z-5774 4B-598 593,575 645,125 659,929
1961 3X-6524 4B-4949 4C-5786 635,885 674,270 685,097
1962 4B-3299 4H-6274 4K-7948 672,620 725,545 747,199
1963 4D-1124 4L-2724 4P-3414 690,425 751,965 782,625
1964 4K-1474 4V-8024 4X-1224 740,725 837,185 850,365
1965 4U-5424 5C-7524 5C-9664 824,595 906,615 908,755
1966 5D-624 5N-7174 5N-9956 909,705 996,175 998,957
1967 5M-4724 5V-1524 5W-5935 983,735 1,050,465 1,064,866
1968 5U-5099 6A-7149 6B-7601 1,044,050 1,106,040 1,116,482
1969 5Y-9949 6B-1249 6J-9228 1,088,860 1,110,130 1,178,049
1970 6H-8649 6L-6149 6S-6895 1,167,480 1,194,950 1,245,646
1971 7B-8549 7E-3288 1,337,210 1,361,919
1972 7D-1824 7N-8223 1,350,465 1,436,784
Farm Truck series: 1952-60 5A-6L, 1961-74 8A-9F.
Replacement series: 1955 3Z,4Z, 1956-60 4Z,4Y, 1961-72 7Z,7Y,
1973-74 ZW,ZX.
AMOUNTS MANUFACTURED (for years when higher than assignments):
1943 NC 239 (230,000) 1958 4B-2999 (662,330)
1948 NR 1199 (340,850) 1959 4B-3624 (662,955)
1949 NY 5409 (405,000) 1966 5R-624 (1,009,605)
1955 3F 9999 (489,510)
1973-74 FORMAT AA-10 - HZ-9999 No I,O,Q,DV used.
INITIAL SUPPLE. OBSERVED TOTAL OF EACH
1973 GD-1749 GT-3499 GY-1590 1,400,340 1,531,960 1,580,001
1974 GP-9549 HF-8649 HK-8843 1,508,040 1,656,990 1,697,144
1975-85 BLACK/WHITE BASE No I,O,DV,TT,TX,VD,XA-XZ used.
1975 "75" Type 1 AA-10 - HQ-5124 (1,813,305 P)
1975 "75" Type 2 HQ-5363 - KC-7169 (361,447 P)
1977 "77" Type 3 KD-6091 - LV-6763 (400,273 P)
1977 "77" Type 4 LW-1472 - ZZ-9999 (2,877,548 P)
Nov.83 "NOV 84" Type 4a 100-AA - 9999-CQ (618,300 P)
(TOTAL 6,084,720 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Dated "75", star, off-white
Type 2 - Dated "75", map, off-white
Type 3 - Dated "75", map, snow-white
Type 4 - Undated, map, snow-white
1975: Initial assignment AA-10 - HM-1149 (1,779,360 P).
1982: Starting at VG, numbers run 100 - 9999.
1984: Starting at CK, numbers run 1000 - 9999.
1976 STICKER: Marked "TRUCK". Initial assignment
1 B - 2107000 B in same order as passenger.
1977-94: Passenger stickers issued.
Monthly Staggered Registration began 1978, same as passenger.
Plates replaced after 8 years of use, starting 1988.
1985-2001 DARK BLUE & RED/WHITE BASE
Feb.85 "DEC 85" Type 1 000-1CR - 299-9KK (1,612,838 P)
Nov.86 Type 2 300-0KK - 999-9ZZ (3,486,652 P)
Sep.91 "SEP 93" Type 2a AA0-001 - TL7-175 (3,786,797 P)
Type 3 TM1-112 - ZZ9-999 (1,478,741 P)
Nov.97 Type 3a 1BB-B01 - 2XF-W93 (1,472,817 P)
Type 4 2XM-H40 - 4DN-M51 (No exact break
May 00 Type 5 4DH-H76 - 4LL-Z99 1,227,066 P)
(TOTAL 13,549,536 P)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - "SESQUICENTENNIAL" slogan
Type 2 - Red "TEXAS", sticker boxes, no slogan or hologram
Type 3 - As Type 2, but hologram added
Type 4 - As Type 3, but no sticker boxes
Type 5 - As Type 4, but larger "TEXAS"
Types 1-3: No I,O used. Types 3a-5: No A,E,I,O,Q,U used.
Types 1-2: DV, TT, VD omitted. Type 3: TX, XY omitted.
Types 3a-5: Numbers progress before letters except first digit.
VARIATIONS
1955: Type 1 - Stacked 1/A 10 - 3/F 5047 (484,558)
Type 2 - Unstacked 3H6782 - 3R3998 (67,147)
1956: Type 1 - 1956 dies, no star 1A 10 - 3P8484 (557,925)
Type 2 - 1957 dies, star 3R-419 - 3T-9597 (29,159)
1960: Type 1 - 1957-59 dies, 2 tab slots, bolt holes
1A-10 - 3Y-9994 (639,355)
Type 2 - 1961-64 dies, no tab slots, bolt slots
3Z-5003 - 4B-598 (15,576)
1973: Type 1 - Rounded "3" of date AA-10 - EY-4274 (1,123,145)
Type 2 - Straight-topped "3" FB-6913 - GY-1590 (424,248)
1974: Type 1 - "TEXAS 74" top, "TRUCK" bottom, 1974 dies
AA-10 - GZ-1617 (1,589,805)
Type 2 - As Type 1, but 1975 dies
GZ-3600 - HK-3327 (99,628)
Type 3 - "19 TEXAS/TRUCK 74" top, 1975 dies
HK-7750 - HK-8843 (1,094)
LEGENDS
1925, 1927 Vertical "COM" in center, star inside "O"
1926 Vertical "C/M" at left, star inside "O" in center
1928 Vertical "C1M" (or C2M - C8M) in center
1929-41 Vertical "C*M" in center (1936 no slogan, "TEXAS-1936")
1942 Vertical "COM" in center
1943 TAB Smaller letters stacked vertically, not diagonally,
2 digits on either side of bolt hole, "4/3" at right
1945-62 "TRUCK" opposite "TEXAS-45"
1963, 1965-74 "TEXAS 63" top, "TRUCK" bottom
1964 "64 TEXAS" top, "TRUCK" bottom
1975-85 "TEXAS" above "TRUCK" top center, all embossed
1985-87 "TEXAS" screened above embossed "TRUCK" top center,
"SESQUICENTENNIAL" screened bottom
1987-2000 "TEXAS" screened above embossed "TRUCK" top center
2000-13 "TEXAS" above "TRUCK" top center, all screened
("TRUCK" in black on Flat base)
COLORS 1925-41 (R) = Reverse colors of passenger.
1925 Black/Orange 1934 Orange/Black (R)
1926 Black/White 1935 Green/Gray
1927 Green/White (R) 1936 Light Yellow/Dark Blue (R)
1928 White/Dark Brown 1937 Black/Orange
1929 Black/Orange (R) 1938 Orange/Black
1930 Gold/Dark Blue (R) 1939 Black/Green
1931 Black/White (R) 1940 Orange/Black
1932 Green/Yellow 1941 Black/Gold (R)
1933 White/Maroon
REPLACEMENT COLORS 1955-74
1955, 1957, 1959, 1961 Black/Light Green
1956, 1958, 1960, 1962 Black/Red-Orange
1963, 1965, 1967 Red/White
1964, 1966, 1968 Yellow/Black
1969, 1972 FR Red/White
1970, 1974 FR Green/White
1971, 1973 FR Blue/White