PC, Apportioned Tags, and an Odd Question

Personal conveyance is simply an interpretation of hours of service regulations that allows you to drive a commercial motor vehicle in an off-duty status. It does not apply to fuel tax (IFTA) or apportioned registration (IRP). Being the nature of your truck is usually commercial you will have a hard time at the port of entry without a trip/fuel permit.

Yes, a road tractor can be registered at a non-commercial vehicle and driven on the same tags you would drive a pickup truck, but that is not how your truck is registered at this moment. The IRP rules state that the truck must be apportioned if the primary use is to transport property, see quote below from the IRP Manual;

You must register your vehicle(s) apportionately if the vehicle(s) travels or is intended for travel in two or more of the member jurisdictions and is used for the transportation of persons for hire or is designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property, and:

• is a power unit having a gross or registered weight in excess of 26,000 pounds, or
• is a power unit having three or more axles regardless of weight, or
• is used in combination when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.

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The same rules apply to fuel tax (IFTA), the need for a fuel permit or decal is based on the primary use of the vehicle, not the fact it is being used as a personal conveyance at the moment.

Ask yourself, is the savings on motel costs worth the aggravation of dealing with commercial vehicle enforcement? Also, what you save on motel expenses will be eaten up in fuel, assuming you have a normal personal vehicle with fuel economy in the mid 20 MPG range.