Any police issues with driving an unregistered 5 tonner from base?

[ichudov]

If, say, I buy a 5 ton truck and drive it from Sparta, WI, to Chicago, how much trouble from police can I expect? This truck, though purchased legitimately and with paperwork, would not yet have a title or license plate. Has anyone been stopped? Any ideas?

 

[Suprman]

I would at least have insurance and the bill of sale. This has been discussed before though I remember it a few times and I haven't been on this forum that long. It is still illegal. I have friends with dealers licenses I can get a plate for a short period if I really needed it. I thought you had a flat deck. Most cops think you are in the military they won't mess with you. It's not like you're gonna be speeding in the thing they are looking for the guy doing 85 in his sports car with a big loud muffler weaving in and out so he can get 2 cars ahead of you.

 

[Coffey1]

A ticket for no reg and tag a big ticket if no insurance possible impoundment other than that nothing

 

[Recovry4x4]

Depends on how you sell your issue if you get stopped. I've done this but brought a paper trail a mile long including the procedure for obtaining an SF97. I won't drive one and inch off my property without proper insurance. I can articulate that I've taken every measure I can to do the right thing but in the end, it's still and unregistered vehicle and is subject to impound (at least here in FL).

 

[EMD567]

In SC, as long as you have ins, you can drive on a bill of sale for 10 days..........

 

[4x4 Forever]

There have been countless threads concerning this, might not be the route you are taking, but will give you a better insight.

I do not believe you will have a problem IF you have insurance for the trip. *Most* states allow you to recover and register within 30+/- days. That being said, do you know a Trooper you can talk to find a very credible answer? If you are getting it off of a GL lot, you will not have the paperwork to register or get a temp plate anyway.

*Most* - NOT all!
Do make sure you have the proper license...

 

[glassk]

No real help with the Truck part,

However a Big Thank you for the TM's

 

[papabear]

There is only ONE correct answer to your question....that answer can ONLY be given by the DMV in your state.
Anything we folks from other states post will not matter when the LEO pulls you over.

I can assure you that proper insurance will be a requirement. States vary on how long you have to get a tag....find out before ya get "tagged"!!!

 

[Old Lincoln County Iron]

I always have the invoice from GL, and get a copy of the signed and dated release also. I always call progressive insurance from the GL LOT and add the truck to my policy before leaving the lot. And of corse do a through pretrip inspection ( as long as the GL rep doesn't mind). Most of my recoveries, have been across state lines so port of entrys, DOT, and border patrol check points are quite common. Ive had no problems. It also helps to have a CDL, and current medical card!

 

[ichudov]

No real help with the Truck part,

However a Big Thank you for the TM's

You are most welcome, please post them far and wide, to spread the good free stuff!

 

[ichudov]

Hi, I have a medical card, and hope to get a CDL next week. I do have a semi lowboy and driver, but I got two 5 tonners this week and we wanted to do it in one trip, hauling one and driving another.

 

[BKubu]

There is only one answer. Get tags and insurance. Find a state that will let you drive home without tags and insurance and let us know where that is. It does not exist. Could you have an understanding LEO with the paper trail that Kenny mentioned above...sure. However, there is no guarantee about that. The only guarantee is getting your truck hauled or brining tags and insurance. Any advice less than that is foolish. Book it. Anyone who suggests less than this either has not been pulled over (most likely) or got a really understanding cop (not likely). I am not a cop, but I work with many...and know many more...and I know that almost all will not let you pass with a bill of sale and a story about just driving it home.

 

[eagle4g63]

I can say with an absolute positive that you CAN drive home here in Indiana with only a bill of sale(actually you have 30 days).....NO TAGS..........not sure on the insurance thing as I always at least call my agent when I am at the vehicle I am driving home.....don't want to get in an accident and have to argue the fact after.

Again the answer to ask the BMV is a great start(for BOTH Illinois and Wisconsin)........as long as you get lucky with one that actually knows something. You could also talk to the state police and see if they know. You can also look at the laws yourself, if you can understand them.....some of them are worded so screwy.

 

[glcaines]

You can almost always get insurance ahead of time without difficulty because most states have a law that says your current insurance coverage will automatically apply for a certain period of time when you buy another vehicle. However, definitely check with your insurance company since your 5-ton is likely a different type of vehicle than what you already have. I recovered a deuce at Sparta and drove it back to Georgia. I already had a permanent insurance policy on the truck from State Farm. All they needed was the VIN and the bill of sale. I also got a temporary tag from the Georgia DMV. I didn't even display the tag during the 27 hour drive home because the duct tape I brought to attach it wouldn't stick to the CARC paint. I went through every weigh station and didn't have any difficulties. Use the search function and read some of the many threads on this topic.

 

[BKubu]

Do you feel confident about that? In other words, would you be willing to send me your designated path so I could alert the state police in your area to watch for you? I would never do that. But, the point is made. There is no way you would chance your beliefs about driving a truck home on your car insurance policy. Call them to let them know what you are driving home. See what they say. Get it in writing. Then drive your truck out. Bring your bill of sale, proof from the state that you have 30 days to get your tags, and proof from your insurance company that they intend to insure you no matter what occurs. There is no way they figure you are driving home a 13K or 23K pound vehicle on your car insurance policy.

 

[porkysplace]

From the Wisconsin DMV website :
Out of state residents buying a vehicle in Wisconsin may purchase a temporary plate that is valid for 30 days from the first date of operation from DMV temporary license plate agents or DMV service centers offering registration services. The fee is $3 plus a service fee up to $5. Out of state residents with valid transferable plates from their home state may use their plates while operating in Wisconsin.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now keep in mind this may not apply to 5 tons newer than 1970 , because of the issues with the DMV and former military vehicles.

 

[eagle4g63]

Didn't need proof of the law when I have driven MANY of my vehicles after buying them(I have owned over 30 vehicles in the last 25 years) and have been pulled over a few times with them different times.......all with the same first question from the cop........"where is your plate".....I give the very same answer, "here is the dated title and the bill of sale........I am within the 30 days" they look and hand it back to me and say "have a nice day"

Only once did I have one ask if I had insurance, and I told them here is my agents card you can call him and verify I called when I bought it. I have never had an insurance card in my hand "FOR the vehicle" I was driving.

Like I said.....I KNOW THE LAW here in Indiana........and that is all I am talking about........And yes I also did the same thing on BOTH my deuces, even got pulled over in my first deuce 2 days after buying it for a bad brake light........cop had no problems with just a bill of sale.

 

[BKubu]

Didn't need proof of the law when I have driven MANY of my vehicles after buying them(I have owned over 30 vehicles in the last 25 years) and have been pulled over a few times with them different times.......all with the same first question from the cop........"where is your plate".....I give the very same answer, "here is the dated title and the bill of sale........I am within the 30 days" they look and hand it back to me and say "have a nice day"

Only once did I have one ask if I had insurance, and I told them here is my agents card you can call him and verify I called when I bought it. I have never had an insurance card in my hand "FOR the vehicle" I was driving.

Like I said.....I KNOW THE LAW here in Indiana........and that is all I am talking about........And yes I also did the same thing on BOTH my deuces, even got pulled over in my first deuce 2 days after buying it for a bad brake light........cop had no problems with just a bill of sale.

Nice response. Perhaps, you just shut down what I said. Or, not. People need to make sure that THEIR insurance carriers intend to cover their vehicles when they drive them home. Sure, I have assumed the same thing, and it has been confirmed, when I drove a new vehicle off a lot. However, driving a deuce or 5 ton is a bit different. Maybe they will cover you...or maybe not. It depends upon how you think about things. Do you figure that they will try to figure out why you are not eligible for coverage? I bet they will if you wreck into a minivan and kill a family of four. Extreme, you think? Probably. But, possible when you are driving any vehicle, let alone these vehicles. I am SHOCKED at how cavalier guys in our hobby are when driving their trucks off base.

 

[Old Lincoln County Iron]

In my case its a commercial insurance Policy, not car insurance. I have drove trucks in from California ,Arizona, Nevada, Kansas , Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, and here in New Mexico. I've been stopped by DOT, state police, and border patrol. With the paper work I had there was no issues. Of corse I think abit of it depends on ones attitude in the situation. These are just my experiences.

 

[Chief_919]

The question is not so much about what kind of ticket you may get.

Ask yourself the worst case scenario- you get into an accident where somebody is injured or killed. Now you are in court being sued, and the other side is pointing out that you were driving a salvage truck with no title,registration or tags.....how well do you think that will play with the jury?

The cost of doing it right is tiny compared to the possible costs of doing it wrong...