Can I go the NOT FOR HIRE route?

I agree with almost all that Ridgeline stated and the OP is certainly my making this way more difficult than it needs to be and doesn’t seem to want to accept any answers provided.
As I stated previously, I have commercial plates as this is the only way to plate in Ohio, same as California. This won’t matter what you do with the truck and a good way to look at it is you can plate up but you can’t plate down......meaning you can use a commercial plate for anything but you can’t use a non-commercial plate for commercial.
While there is no hard fast rule and where I disageee is I believe you should always be very clear and have something on the door to let DOT what you are doing. “Not for hire” means absolutely nothing as it relates to commercial activity so don’t put that. But my opinion is “Non-Commercial Use Only” is appropriate. Not putting anything on the door will be a red flag and I can promise you will get pulled over as DOT has no clue what you are. I am speaking from experience and feedback as I used to drive with nothing on the door and would get stopped at every scalehouse and every DOT sitting by the side of the road with the same feedback that they stopped me because they didn’t know what I was doing.
Out the “Non-Commercial Use Only” in the door and haven’t been stopped once since.

 

TTNJ, thank you for your response, I do accept much of the information provided and I appreciate everyone who has commented. It has given me better insight into your world.

 

Where you’re wrong is; when you’re registered with the DOT and not the DMV, you aren’t subject to the traffic laws such as speed limits or stop signs. Police, cops, whatever you want to call them are all employed by the DMV, making you subject to any of their “rules of the road”. If you aren’t a “driver” under the DMV, but a “Private Motor Carrier Non Commercial” under the DOT, then you’re good to freely “travel” how you want and at whatever speed you want. Stop giving out misinformation and keeping everyone who reads this a slave to the system, like how you are.

 

Hey guys. We found the Sovereign Citizen idiot!

Hera's a hint. All that Sovereign Citizen b.s. will not hold up in a single court of law, nor will any LEO put up with it.