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Okay, so I'm always seeing single digit numbers branded on space marine vehicles, and as we all know at least some space marine chapters have more than nine vehicles. this leads me to my question-

Is each type of vehicle numbered and in their own number category, or does each vehicle's number get changed for the strike force that they are a part of?
Are rhinos numbered for the squad they are carrying, or are they just numbered one to whatever?

In the same token Cadian tanks have a two digit number, correct? This must be squad number then tank number. If so, would the vehicle squads be numbered for each type of vehicle? (i.e. Russes would have a squad 1,2 and 3, and so would sentinels, hellhounds, and artillery)
-or would the squadrons be organized where Russes would be maybe 1 and 2 and then hellhounds would be 3 and 4, and if so, what order do the vehicles get numbered in?

The three digit number on IG is Company, Platoon, Squad right? i.e. 423 would be 4th company 2nd platoon 3rd squad.
Then why do company command units still have two single numbers on them? it can't be regiment and company because regiments can go into the three digits.
I suppose it could be Company, (skull for command) and then squad, but command platoons with multiple squads don't exist anymore.

There is no hard-and-fast rule about the numbering system, it can change for each individual regiment or chapter.

Basically, if you're trying to work out a numbering system, make one up yourself that you think makes sense and go with it.

IMO, for my own Space Marines; Rhinos and Razorbacks would be numbered by the squad within

For my Guard: It's a little more complicated, and I haven't even worked it out fully yet

Hope that helps a little

I use a numbering system for my armored regiment that I believe is roughly based on how modern armies do it. I may be mistaken though.

Regimental Command Vehicle:
440
Regimental Command Escorts:
441,442,443

First Company:
Command Tank:
100
First Squadron
111,112,113
Second Squadron
121, 122, 123
Third Squadron
131, 132, 133

Second Company:
Command Tank
200
First Squadron
211, 212, 213
Second Squadron
221, 222, 223
Third Squadron
231, 232, 233

Third Heavy Company:
Command Tank
331
Squadron Tanks
332, 333

^Similar for me, except companies are lettered

X00 (Regimental Command Tank)
A10 (A Company, 1st Squadron, Squadron Command Tank)
C0C (C Company, Commissar Tank)
B00 (B Company, Company Commander)
C22 ( C Company, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Tank)

My command vehicles all have a '6' designation. Theoretically it confuses the enemy as command tanks should always be targetted as a priority and the "00" type designations are a dead givaway On the other hand, the number stencilled on the vehicle probably has less to do with targetting than all the comms aeriels that tend to get stapled onto command vehicles

Also it only works as long as the enemy doesn;t also know your designation system!

I just did it the same way we do at work...

Coy Comd:
19
Coy Sgt Major (Lord Commisar)
19C
1st Troop
11, 11A, C, E
2nd Troop
12, 12A, C, E
Etc.

The imperial numbering system.... isn't known as GW never gets further than squad based organisation..

So official examples and decals may just provide numbers to differ the few units a common 1500 pts army may have.
I'd try to use some real life systems, be they historical or actually in use as they tend to work.
Vehicles for example would have a numbering system for valuable vehicles in a 3 digit form, as tanks aren't as numerous as trucks, who may have a number given by the munitorum and thus easily 6-9 digits ...

Imperial Tanks come in units of 10, numbering them in 3 digits like this:

- 1st = company
- 2nd = squad
- 3rd = vehicle number

1 co 1 squad tank 1 = 111
1 co 3 squad tank 2 = 132
8 co 7 squad tank 3 = 873

up to 9 companies a 10 tanks could be done like that. 900 + x should be enough

The command tank, may get a zero.

1 co 0 cmd tank 0 = 100

The overall command, may start with zero:

0 ( cmd ) 1 ( function = cmd overall ) tank 1
011 for the officer in charge
0 ( cmd ) 2 ( function = commisariat ) tank 1
021 for the commissar

So 900 units for battle plus another up to hundred as command and support. Seems a good solution.

For astartes, the 0-9 may be just the squad number, companies get 10 squads per codex and the company could be represented in markings of the company color used for banners etc. A vehicle could have a 8 as transport of the 8th squad of a company, plus color markings of the company. The only rpoblem there is, some of the vehicles are part of the arsenal, like the predators and numbering them from 0 to 9 won't work if a chapter got more than 10 of them...

The numbers on Space Marine vehicles will likely be the number of that individual vehicle and/or the Company number.

There are only 10 companies per chapter(YMMV) so that will be low.

A Chapter may only have 10-15 tanks of any particular variety too. So a chapter may have 15 Predator tanks, each with a number 1-15 and so on for each vehicle.

Numbers really don't matter for Space Marines either, they have relativly few vehicles that they can identify them with just their names and not a simple number.