What 392.2-SLLOWZ means in plain language
FMCSR 392.2-SLLOWZ addresses a fundamental safety issue: you cannot legally operate a commercial motor vehicle when your physical or mental condition makes it unsafe to drive. This includes fatigue, illness, medication effects, or any other impairment that reduces your ability to stay alert and in control.
The regulation is straightforward—it's not about how you feel subjectively. It's about whether your actual ability or alertness is so impaired that continuing to operate poses a safety risk. An officer citing you for this violation observed signs they documented as evidence: perhaps erratic lane tracking, repeated near-miss events, visible drowsiness, or a driver admission of illness or extreme fatigue.
Unlike many moving violations, this code doesn't trigger an automatic out-of-service order at roadside. That distinction matters for your immediate next steps. However, the citation still lands on your safety record and carries a CSA severity weight of 8, meaning it factors into regulatory scoring that affects your carrier's standing and your own driver profile.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, 392.2-SLLOWZ is cited 474 times all-time, with 283 citations in the last 12 months and 77 in the last 90 days. This code ranks #941 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume—relatively uncommon in the enforcement landscape.
What's most important: zero drivers have been placed out of service for 392.2-SLLOWZ in our entire database. The OOS rate is 0.0%. For context, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate is 31.4%, meaning this violation almost never results in an immediate roadside removal of the vehicle and driver. Officers treat this as a serious safety concern but stop short of the most punitive enforcement action.
That said, the citation still goes into your Motor Carrier Safety Management System (MCSS) record and becomes visible to your carrier, insurance underwriters, and DOT investigators. The pattern in your data is also important: 34 citations appeared in May 2025, and 37 in February 2026, suggesting enforcement spikes seasonally or in specific jurisdictions.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection data from the last 180 days shows 392.2-SLLOWZ citations are concentrated in three states:
Missouri leads with 63 citations, followed by Arizona with 31 citations and Pennsylvania with 28 citations. All three states show a 0.0% out-of-service rate, meaning enforcement in these areas focuses on the citation and the safety message rather than roadside removal.
Missouri's dominance in this code likely reflects high traffic volume on interstates and busy commercial corridors, but without additional context about inspection frequency or enforcement posture, we cannot determine whether the citation rate reflects higher incidence or more aggressive enforcement.
Among the carriers in our all-time data, Federal Express Corporation (USDOT 86876) appears with 7 citations and J B Hunt Transport Inc (USDOT 80806) with 5 citations. These numbers reflect the size and nationwide presence of these fleets rather than any pattern of negligence; they operate hundreds of thousands of miles annually and maintain significant safety programs.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
Within the "Operating a CMV while ill or fatigued" category, 392.2-SLLOWZ sits at the lower end of enforcement frequency compared to parent or sibling codes.
The base code 392.2 itself has 1,208,164 citations all-time with a 0.8% OOS rate—far higher citation volume but similar low out-of-service enforcement. Code 392.2-SLLSR has 191,232 citations (0.1% OOS rate), and 392.2RG has 96,652 citations (0.1% OOS rate). All three codes reflect the same violation category but may differ in the specific circumstances or documentation officers observe at roadside.
Your code, 392.2-SLLOWZ, is substantially less common than these peers, suggesting it represents either a narrower subset of fatigue/illness incidents or enforcement in specific regions or carrier programs.
How to avoid it
Our data shows clear patterns in co-occurring violations that point to the root causes:
Hours of Service (HOS) violations appear alongside 392.2-SLLOWZ most frequently. In the last 90 days, 8 inspections that cited this code also cited HOS form/manner issues (395.24), and 6 cited other fatigue-related HOS violations. Action: Never push past your legal HOS limits. Fatigue doesn't just violate the regulation—it triggers additional citations. Use your logbook or ELD correctly, and take mandated rest breaks before you feel dangerously tired.
Periodic inspection (396.17C) and tire maintenance (393.75C) also co-occur. When a driver is visibly fatigued or ill, they may also have deferred vehicle maintenance or overlooked pre-trip checks. Action: Conduct a full pre-trip inspection every shift, even if you feel fine. Mechanical issues compound fatigue and increase your risk.
Seat belt violations (392.16AD) appear in some inspections. Fatigue and inattention often correlate with failing to use safety equipment. Action: Buckle up before every trip, every time.
Be honest about your condition. If you're running a fever, on medication that causes drowsiness, or haven't slept adequately, do not start or continue a run. Notify your dispatcher immediately and request rest or reassignment. A brief delay is far cheaper than a citation, an accident, or a catastrophic crash.
Watch the seasonal spikes. Our data shows high citation months in May, July, February, and March. These often correlate with peak hauling season or weather challenges. Reduce your speed, increase your following distance, and take extra breaks during these high-enforcement periods.
Vehicle type matters too. Freightliner units (116 citations) and Kenworth tractors (42 citations) dominate the citation list—not because those trucks cause fatigue, but because they're common in the fleet. Regardless of your equipment, the principle is identical: rest before you're exhausted, not after.