Every state in the U.S. has its own rules regarding plate lettering and designs. However, only certain States of the U.S. have FP letters. So, what does FP mean on a license plate?
This abbreviation stands for “Fleet Plate” or “Fleet Permanent.” Read on to find out more specifics on FP plates and their purpose.
What Does FP Mean On A License Plate
FP letters are an abbreviation for either “Fleet Plate” or “Fleet Permanent.” Thus, FP plates are issued on motor vehicles leased or owned by a company, an organization, or a government agency.
For example, these are police departments, bus companies, or taxi firms. Essentially, these vehicles do not belong to an individual or a family.
Many people think that cars with FP letters are necessarily bad, but that is not always the case. It is certain that those vehicles are frequently utilized for certain work-related tasks, have high mileage, and are often used by many people, but they are maintained by qualified mechanics as well.
Difference Between Fleet and Non-Fleet
The thing that differentiates a fleet car from a commercial non-fleet is the number of vehicles. Also, fleet qualifications vary by manufacturer. Generally, if a company or organization owns five or more commercial vehicles, they essentially have a fleet.
In addition, a fleet is usually composed of trucks or vans; nevertheless, passenger cars, limousines, ambulances, taxis, buses, and other types of vehicles may be registered as a fleet, depending on the company type.
When it comes to the purpose of fleet vehicles, they are used to transport people or products for business needs. Also, there is fleet management, which goal is to improve productivity and efficiency, reduce costs, as well as improve customer satisfaction.
This fleet management system includes tracking vehicles, improving driver safety, and vehicle maintenance.
Types of Fleet Vehicles
There are more divisions when it comes to fleet vehicles type. Firstly, there are company cars, grey fleet vehicles, and pool cars.
So, company cars are owned or leased by an employer and intended for a single employee who can use this car for personal and business purposes. On the other hand, a pool car is available to different employees for business-related purposes.
Also, cars are considered gray fleets if employees use their personal or rented vehicles for business travel. In addition, a grey fleet is ideal for organizations with low mileage.
Secondly, there are fleet vehicles intended for:
- Trucking: A trucking fleet may include dozens of trucks or only a few. These large vehicles have harsh safety and accordance requirements due to their regular long-haul cross-country driving routes and massive sizes.
- Delivery: Delivery fleets can transport local deliveries from transit centers for businesses or parcel shipping companies.
- Commercial: Commercial fleets usually consist of many different types of vehicles. These commercial fleets are often used for many purposes.
- Transport: Transport fleet vehicles may consist of rental cars, taxis, or rented moving trucks. Sometimes, customers will drive these cars instead of employees.
Fleet Permanent Registration
If your State has a fleet permanent registration program, fleet permanent registration is available. For example, in New York, the Department of Motor Vehicles Permanent Fleet Registration Program (PFR) offers a way for owners of larger fleets of vehicles to sustain registrations and pay the necessary fees without tracking down every vehicle and replacing the registration sticker annually.
The Fleet Permanent And Its Benefits
This permanent fleet program is, in the first place, made to simplify fleet registration of vehicles for owners of large fleets. So, the owners do not need to locate every car or truck in the fleet to update the registration card and sticker.
Also, instead of the individual registration renewal notice, they are notified through a monthly list for renewing the registration. Moreover, vehicle registration credentials are valid as the vehicle is owned by or leased to the fleet owner and is currently registered.
On the other hand, if the registration is expired, you will have to pay not only the registration renewal fees for all vehicles but also penalties. Moreover, here are some more benefits of fleet maintenance:
- Reduce fleet fuel costs
- Reduce fleet labor costs
- Improved customer service
- Reduce maintenance costs
- Eliminate theft and waste
Fleet Insurance and Its Benefits
Fleet insurance is something you certainly need since it will save your business money and give you flexibility and control under one fleet insurance policy when insuring the vehicles.
For example, if a driver is sick, you can assign another driver to that vehicle for the needed time. Furthermore, fleet insurance is less expensive than holding individual policies for each vehicle and caters to businesses’ specific needs.
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Fleet License Plate In California
In California Permanent Fleet Registration (PFR) program exists. Thus, with the help of this program, owners can easily register their fleets of vehicles.
However, fleet vehicles do not have the F.P. abbreviation. Instead, to mark the fleet vehicle, they have a sticker that must be attached in the upper right corner.
The sticker contains the text “California Permanent Fleet,” and the serial number is at the bottom. If you want to apply to this fleet program, you can find more details on the Department of Motor Vehicles in California.
Fleet License Plate In Illinois
As in California, Illinois State also has this Permanent Fleet Registration Program. If the owners register their fleet, the vehicles will have F.P. initials on the plates, which you can find in the license plate guide.
The letter F is on the far left part of the license plate, and behind it is the letter P. Finally, at the back of the letters comes the vehicle s license plate number and on the topmost is the word “Illinois.”
Fleet License Plate In Washington
Fleet vehicles in Washington do not have letters F.P. on the license plate. Instead, when owners register their fleet through Fleet Account Program, their cars have the word “Fleet“ written on the license plate in a distinct font from the rest of the text.
This distinctive font of the word helps to easily determine that the vehicle is a fleet. If you want to find out more specifics on how to qualify for the PFR program go to the Washington Department Of Licensing.
Fleet License Plate In Florida
Fleet license plates in Florida can be easily recognized even though they do not have the letters F.P. because the plates have a distinctive color.
The word Florida is on the top of the plates since the word Fleet is placed at the plate’s bottom. Additionally, the logo and name of the organization must be visible on each plate.
Fleet License Plate In Oregon
Oregon fleet plates do not have an abbreviation F.P. like in California or Illinois, but P.F. Letters P.F. stand for Permanent Fleet.
This means that every vehicle will have unique license plates if you have a fleet. After P.F., there is the plate number, and on the topmost is the State’s name, Oregon.
Furthermore, fleet plates come in yellow, and the writing is blue. Here you can find more about fleet registration information.
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The Verdict
F.P. abbreviation means “Fleet Plate” or “Fleet Permanent.” It is used to identify vehicles leased or owned by a company, an organization, or a government agency. If you want to apply for the Fleet plate registration program, you should first check if there is one in your State.
Every program has its own rules when it comes to qualifying for it. Also, fleet plates can be denoted in many ways depending on your State. For example, in Illinois and California, the F.P. letters are used.
On the other hand, those plates are marked as a fleet in Washington D.C. and Florida by writing the exact word on the plates. The fleet vehicles come in various types and are used for either business or personal needs depending on the company.
The purpose of a fleet of vehicles is to transport people or products. Thanks to the Fleet Management system, they can track the vehicles, improve driver safety, as well as maintain the vehicles.
