1939 to 1947 Dodge Truck Serial Number Tags

How to Find a 1939 to 1947 Dodge or Plymouth Truck Serial Number

The best place to find information about a 1939-1947 Job Rated Dodge or 1939 to 1941 Plymouth Truck is from the Serial Number tag. This tag has the Serial Number of the truck, Model Number, Gross Vehicle Weight, and the Horse Power of the truck (HP not listed in all years).

The Serial Number tag on a 1945 WFA-31 is shown in the two images below. The majority of 1939-1946 Dodge Trucks have the Serial Number tag located as shown in the images, on the passengers side front door jamb. Starting partway through the 1946 model year the tag was moved to the same location on the drivers side door jamb where it stayed until the end of the 1947 model year.

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Flat Face Cowl trucks and other special bodied 1939 to 1947 Dodge trucks sometimes got the Serial Number tag mounted on the passengers side of the firewall. An example of a 1939 TE31 tag in that location is shown in the two images below. This was mounted on a school bus that was built on a Flat Face Cowl base. The Serial Number tag has been seen in other locations, like mounted to the glovebox door, or other places on the firewall. If a tag is not found in the standard location it may be hiding somewhere else on the body.

Click for larger image

While the tag location was basically the same for most 1939-1947 Job Rated Dodge Trucks, the tags themselves changed over the years. The tag on the left is from a 1939 PT-81 Plymouth pickup, this style tag was used from 1939 to partway through the 1941 model year. This tag does not show the Horse Power. During the 1941 model year Dodge changed the tag style to the one shown on the right, which included the Horse Power information.

Click for larger image

Data shown on the 1939 to 1946 tag:

Serial No = Serial Number This should match the number on the frame and is the number that should be used as the modern VIN on the title

Model = Truck Model. The Truck model shows things like the wheel base and two speed rear axles on the larger trucks when decoded.

Max. Gross Weight Except as Restricted by Tires and Springs = Gross Vehicle Weight, or GVW in modern language. This gives the maximum the truck plus its load can weigh.

Data shown on the 1946 to 1947 tag:

Serial No = Serial Number This should match the number on the frame and is the number that should be used as the modern VIN on the title

Model = Truck Model. The Truck model shows things like the wheel base and two speed rear axles on the larger trucks when decoded.

Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight Except as Controlled by Tires- Springs and Auxiliary Equipment = Gross Vehicle Weight, or GVW in modern language. This gives the maximum the truck plus its load can weigh.

Certified Net Horse Power at____R.P.M. = Net Horse Power

I hope to update this page from time to time as more info becomes available, and feedback is given about other information that would be good to include on this page.

Please contact the Registry maintainers at the below email address if you have any suggestions or questions.