What 383.71(c) means in plain language
383.71(c) addresses a specific requirement related to driver fitness and qualification standards. The regulation focuses on ensuring drivers meet mandatory conditions before operating a commercial motor vehicle. When an inspector issues this citation, they've found that you or your operation did not satisfy a documented requirement tied to your eligibility or fitness to drive.
This is a compliance checkpoint that sits between you and the road. It's about proving you meet the baseline fitness standard the FMCSA requires. Unlike some citations that flag equipment failure or logbook errors that happen on the fly, a 383.71(c) violation typically surfaces during a roadside inspection when the inspector reviews your credentials, medical status, or documented qualifications against federal records.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across 13 million inspections in our database, 383.71(c) has generated 256 all-time citations and ranks #1142 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by enforcement volume. In the last 12 months, this code produced zero citations. In the last 90 days, zero citations.
The most striking finding: not a single one of those 256 citations resulted in an out-of-service order. The OOS rate is 0.0%—meaning every driver cited walked away with the truck. This stands in sharp contrast to the all-FMCSR average OOS rate of 31.4%. That gap tells you something important: inspectors are treating this violation as correctable on the spot or within a reasonable timeframe, not as an immediate safety disqualifier.
The low citation volume and zero OOS rate together suggest this code is either strictly enforced only when necessary, or compliance is already quite high in the driver population. Either way, if you've been cited, you're dealing with a relatively rare violation.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records don't break down 383.71(c) citations by state in the data available, so we can't name the top three jurisdictions. However, we can tell you which carriers appear in the all-time citation list: EZ Route Transport Corp, Luis Rodriguez (USDOT 2148166), Prime Landscaping and Snow Removal LLC, Belt Trucking LLC, Arauz Trucking LLC, and K & Sons LLC each recorded 2 citations. The remaining carriers in the top 10—including ABF Freight System Inc, Midwest PMS Contract Carrier LLC, Shamrock Foods Company, and KLLM Transport Services LLC—each had 1 citation.
The fact that no single carrier dominates the list suggests 383.71(c) violations are scattered across the industry rather than concentrated in one fleet type or size category.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
To put 383.71(c) in context, we compared it to peer codes in the Driver Fitness category. The difference is stark.
383.23(a)(2) — Operating without the correct CDL class — has logged 50,385 citations with a 98.4% out-of-service rate. 391.41APC — operating without a valid medical certificate — hit 49,539 citations at a 97.1% OOS rate. 383.23A2-LCDLN — no valid CDL at all — recorded 47,123 citations at 98.6% OOS.
By contrast, 391.41(a), a general physical qualification code, sits at 42,270 citations with only a 16.2% OOS rate. And 391.11B2-Z, an English language proficiency code, shows 42,240 citations but just 0.2% OOS.
Your citation at 0.0% OOS falls into the lower-severity camp. It's not triggering immediate removal from service the way a missing CDL or expired medical certificate does. This suggests the violation is fixable—either through documentation, a quick administrative step, or clarification with your carrier or the licensing authority.
How to avoid it
Based on the pattern of citations and the vehicles most often cited, here are concrete steps:
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Before every shift, verify your credentials are current. Check that your CDL is valid, your medical certificate is in date and in your possession or on file with your state, and any endorsements match the cargo or vehicle you're operating. This is the single easiest prevention point.
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Keep your FMCSA Medical Examiner's Certificate accessible. If it's expired or missing, you're exposed. Don't assume your state's records are current; carriers and drivers have both been cited when the inspector couldn't locate proof, even if the state had it filed.
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If you drive a Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, or FRHT unit—the top four makes in our database for this code—add a pre-trip credential check to your routine. Our inspection records show these vehicle makes represent 87 of the 256 citations (roughly 34%), so these platforms may see higher inspection rates or there's a pattern worth being alert to.
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Communicate with your fleet manager about any changes to your medical status, license status, or endorsements. A gap between what you know and what the carrier or state records show is the classic setup for a 383.71(c) citation.
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If you're cited, don't panic. Zero drivers have been placed out of service for this code. Work with your carrier and the inspector to identify exactly what document or status triggered the flag, then resolve it quickly. Most citations point to a fixable administrative issue, not a fitness problem.