this thread is an entertaining read, to say the least.
Fuck tape, taping the numbers, and pretty much anything to do with all that.
Painting around it easy as shit, and leaving it on after your flicks seems silly to me.
Either come to terms with going over them and accepting what comes with it, or learn to paint around them with or without the aid of tape.
As it pertains to your original idea, I don't think leaving the tape on the freight is a good move, because to a worker, covered numbers are covered numbers.
tape is space in your bag for another can...just like the mask, fuck it.