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Hi Guys,

What do the numbers and colors mean on a bridge plate (the round circle that mounts to the front grille)?

thanks,
bob

Bob,

The bridge plate is just that. It is the number bridge that the vehicle can drive over. When the engineers erect a bridge the bridge has a weight limit. That weight limit corrisponds to a number. For example #2 may mean anything 2000 pounds or less. (I don't know the actual numbers to weight specs). So only vehicles with a #2 bridge plate or lower can cross that bridge. So a #4 (M37 Dodge) could not cross that bridge safely. If the Bridge is a #6 then a #4 truck can cross with out problems. If the truck is towing a trailer then the letter C is posted above the number. The C is found on the half-moon shaped peice that holds the numbers in. It can flip over to be C or No-C.

Bridge plates from WWII till the mid 1970s were Yellow with black lettering and the C was Red. After Cammo paint came to be the plates are all flat cammo green with flat black lettering.

Hope that answered your question.

Yes it did! Thanks for the info!

regards,
bob

If I recall correctly, the numbers are in tons and represent the gross vehicle weight (with max load). Therefore a M37 would be 4 tons.

The number is the class of Bridge, not thge weight of the truck.

The numbers indicated on the bridge plate are the gross vehicle weight of the vehicle.
If towing a trailer the number is changed to add the gross vehicle weight of the trailer and
the plate with the "C" is exposed to mean "in combination" with the towed vehicle.
Rick

Vehicle classification numbers indicate a relationship between the load-carying capacity of a bridge and the effect produced on it by a vehicle. The effect of a vehicle on the bridge depends upon the gross weight of the vehicle, the weight distribution to the axles and the speed at which the vehicle crosses the bridge so it's not just the gross weight of the vehicle that determines the classification displayed on the plate.

Ok so my explination was a bit simplified....but I was basically right.

Yes it was.