USAF Ground Vehicle Registration Numbers

Most USAF vehicles have a registration number on their door and/or license plate. The number is usually in the format YYUNNNNN, with YY the year the vehicle was procured, U being the intended use of the vehicle, and NNNNN being 1-5 digits identifying the serial number of the vehicle (or more correctly the order it was purchased within its 'use' group).

Following a lead to an abandoned Thiokol in the Aleutians, I was sent a picture showing an old 601 with USAF markings, seen below. This sparked a memory from my time in the USAF and the vehicles I operated in AK, including a Thiokol Spryte and Imp. They both used the 'C' designation which I always thought meant 'Cargo'. This seemed to fit well with the old Dodge Carryall at my detachment having the same designation. We also had a station wagon with a 'B' designation. I thought that must have meant something like 'bus' since it was a people-mover. Well I did a little research and discovered I was close, but no cigar. Here is the straight scoop on the scheme as best as I can determine without being able to locate the definitive USAF TO 36-1-3 which supposedly defines these designations.

Some of this info was taken from USAF TO 36-1-191 TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL REFERENCE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE and the rest from scouring the net. Credit given to the sources of courses.

“B” Commercial, general purpose. This category may include transport vehicles such as cars, pick ups, buses, and trucks. Generally, they are identical to the commercial version, with little or no changes for military service.

“C” Commercial, special purpose. This category may include special or unusual vehicles such as SNOWCATS, dump trucks, drill rigs, concrete pumpers, etc. Generally, they are identical to the commercial version, with little or no changes for military service.

“D” Commercial construction/base maintenance. This category may include graders, front-end loaders, runway sweepers, etc. Generally, they are identical to the commercial version, with little or no changes for military service.

“E” Materials handling equipment. This category may include aircraft loaders, 'jammers', tugs, forklifts, etc. Some of this equipment may be similar to commercial equipment while some, like weapons loaders/jammers, should have no commercial equivalent!

“K” Military, general purpose. This category may include security vehicles, trailers, etc. While this category contains vehicles that may be classified as general purpose, they are usually custom built for the military.

“L” Military, special purpose. This category may include fire trucks, aircraft refuellers, aircraft tractors, etc. These are usually custom built for the military.

“M” Military construction/base maintenance. This category is apparently the same as the "D" category, but military-specific. While it's listed in the TO, darned if I can find any examples or even a complete description of what may be included in this category. If anyone spots an "M", grab me a picture, will ya?

“W” Vehicular type AGE. This category may include aircraft steps, de-icers, waste ('honey') trucks, etc. The description of this category excludes things like APUs and lighting carts that one might normally consider AGE because they are not self-propelled.

“X” Nonreportable. This category is for special purpose vehicles that do not fall into any of the other categories. In other words, the USAF shrugged. Vehicles that might be included in this category are golf carts and....and... and.... I dunno. ADDED 7/1/17 it appears that motorcycles fit in the X class also.

Some vehicles seem to cross groups, like there being pick up trucks with utility beds in the "B" and "W" categories. It has to do with whether or not the particular pickup was purchased with the singular intent to be used in servicing aircraft or not. And some vehicles may have simply been mis-categorized when procured. That's how nuclear (nu-cu-lar for you 'W' fans) detonators end up at DRMO.

There are probably a few errors and omissions in this thread/post, but they'll get ironed out. If I put this in the wrong forum, I'm sure someone will point that out as well, but it would seem top go here as it applies to how you may mark up (paint) your restoration.

All of these pictures (except the 601) were 'borrowed' from fleetdata.co.uk: The Leading Fleet Data Site on the Net (which no longer exists).

Now just find out what N stands for and I will be happy. the hood number on my Jeep is N-1346, it is the original number with no year before it.

Do you have any dataplate info/pictures?

Great post!!

We adapted a "stolen from the Army" and( I got pics that it was done this way) for our M-37 restoration for a truck at Kimpo AB in 1951

From what I remember of researching this topic in the wayback, the first USAF vehicles were just standard 'lesser service' vehicles that got a USAF stencil over the existing service name. They kept the original vehicle number, though. After the USAF began acquiring it's own vehicles sometime in the very early '50s, they started getting the YYUNNNN numbers. Strata blue showed up soon after. Someone correct me if I've got it wrong...

Here's the TOs.

Thanks for the TO links. I already had 1-191, but not 1-3. I was hoping 1-3 had more vehicle type info in it. I just skimmed it and looks like not.

RangerBob said:

From what I remember of researching this topic in the wayback, the first USAF vehicles were just standard 'lesser service' vehicles that got a USAF stencil over the existing service name. They kept the original vehicle number, though. After the USF began acquiring it's own vehicles sometime in the very early '50s, they started getting the YYUNNNN numbers. Strata blue showed up soon after. Someone correct me if I've got it wrong...

Click to expand...

I also believe you are right with this thinking. Ive seen pics of both a M37 and a M38A1 that had USA hood numbers with a F tacked on at the end and then marked the typical markings. We got our door markings from a pic of a M37 that was involved in a accident in Korea, I will try and find it.
The AF definatly had OD vehicles in Korea as on another forum for aircraft, there is a thread for Korea and someone posted a flightline shot with two M-37's in it.

let me try again

Pic