What 392.2FT means in plain language
This violation comes down to one core judgment: an inspector determined that your physical or mental condition made it unsafe for you to be behind the wheel. That condition can be fatigue, illness, or any other factor that impairs your ability or alertness to a level where continuing — or even starting — the trip creates a hazard.
The rule doesn't require you to have fallen asleep at the wheel or caused an incident. An inspector who observes bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, visible drowsiness, or signs of physical illness during a roadside stop has the authority to write this citation based on what they see in that moment.
It's worth understanding what this is not: it is not a Hours-of-Service violation by itself, though the two often travel together. A driver can be fully within their legal driving window and still receive a 392.2FT citation if the inspector concludes that fatigue or illness has reached the point of genuine impairment.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our database of 13 million+ inspections, 392.2FT has generated 8,732 all-time citations, placing it at #245 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume — meaning this is a relatively active enforcement code, not an obscure one.
The out-of-service picture is notably different from most violations. Of those 8,732 all-time citations, only 4 resulted in an OOS order — a rate of essentially 0.0%. For context, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate across all codes in our database is 31.4%. That's a massive gap. Getting cited for 392.2FT does not typically mean you're getting parked — but it absolutely means the citation lands on your record and feeds into your CSA score.
Enforcement volume has been climbing. Our inspection records show 4,541 citations in the last 12 months and 1,112 in just the last 90 days, suggesting this code is being written at an accelerating pace. Looking at the monthly trend, citations spiked to 727 in March 2026, the highest single month in the dataset, compared to 197 in April 2025. The jump is significant and fleet managers should treat it as a signal that inspector attention to this violation is increasing.
The CSA severity weight for 392.2FT is 8 — on a scale where higher numbers mean more SMS impact per citation. That's a meaningful score. Even without an OOS event, a single citation at severity weight 8 can move your Unsafe Driving BASIC in a way that attracts FMCSA intervention thresholds.
Who gets cited most
Looking at the last 180 days, three states dominate the citation map. North Carolina leads by a wide margin with 1,544 citations and a 0.0% OOS rate. Illinois is second at 330 citations, and notably is the only top state with any OOS outcomes — 1 driver placed out of service, producing a 0.3% rate. New Mexico ranks third at 16 citations with a 0.0% OOS rate.
The concentration in North Carolina is striking. NC's 1,544 citations over 180 days dwarfs every other state in the dataset, which suggests either a concentrated enforcement initiative in that state or a specific inspection program that systematically flags this code. If your routes take you through NC, this data point alone is worth paying attention to.
Among carrier-level data, our records show fleets such as CTC CORPORATION LLC (USDOT 4230085) with 26 all-time citations and KEITH MOORE (USDOT 2591129) with 23 citations appearing at the top of the volume list. Citation accumulation at the carrier level is exactly how FMCSA's SMS system builds a pattern — even individual-driver citations aggregate under the carrier's USDOT number.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
The 392.2 family of codes covers a range of unsafe driving sub-violations, and the volume differences are dramatic. The base 392.2 code — the broadest unsafe driving catch-all — has accumulated 1,208,164 citations in our database with a 0.8% OOS rate. That's more than 138 times the volume of 392.2FT's 8,732 citations, which tells you that fatigue/illness-specific enforcement is a smaller but distinct slice of the broader unsafe driving picture.
392.2RG shows 96,652 citations with a 0.1% OOS rate — roughly 11 times the volume of 392.2FT, suggesting that whatever sub-category RG covers is written far more frequently at the roadside. Meanwhile, 392.2-SLLEQP, with 72,352 citations, carries a notably higher OOS rate of 2.4% — the highest among the peer codes shown. That contrast reinforces the pattern: 392.2FT's 0.0% OOS rate is genuinely low even within a category where OOS outcomes are already rare.
What this means practically: 392.2FT citations are relatively uncommon compared to peers, they almost never result in an immediate OOS order, but the severity weight of 8 means each one punches above its weight in the CSA scoring system.
How to avoid it
Our co-occurring violation data gives clear signals about the inspection environment where 392.2FT gets written. In the last 90 days, 396.17C (No proof of periodic inspection) appeared in 221 shared inspections with 392.2FT, and 383.23A2 (Operating a CMV without a CDL) appeared in 160 shared inspections. 393.9TS (Inoperative turn signal) and 393.95A (missing or defective fire extinguisher) also appear frequently in the same inspections. That pattern tells you these are often broad, thorough Level I or Level II inspections — not quick stops. When an inspector is already writing multiple violations, they are scrutinizing the driver as well as the truck.
Here are concrete steps to protect yourself before and during any inspection stop:
- Sleep before you drive, not after you feel tired. Fatigue is assessed visually by inspectors. If you look impaired, that's enough. Start every shift with genuine rest, not the minimum you can get away with.
- Address illness proactively. If you're sick enough that it would affect your reaction time or alertness, notify your dispatcher before departure. A documented fitness-for-duty call creates a paper trail that shows the decision was evaluated — getting caught sick at the roadside creates the opposite impression.
- Fix every lamp and signal before you roll. The 73 co-occurring 393.9TS citations and 54 393.9 (inoperable required lamp) citations in the same inspections as 392.2FT show that a broken turn signal or dead marker light is often what triggers the deeper inspection that produces the fatigue citation. A functional truck draws less scrutiny.
- Carry proof of periodic inspection. With 221 co-occurring 396.17C citations, missing inspection paperwork is the single most common companion violation. Keep your inspection documentation accessible in the cab.
- Keep your fire extinguisher mounted, charged, and visible. 69 co-occurring 393.95A citations show this is a quick write during thorough stops — and each additional violation reinforces the inspector's overall impression of your operation.
- Know your vehicle's condition before the stop, not during it. Freightliner (2,113 all-time citations for this code), Kenworth (937), and Peterbilt (910) top the cited vehicle makes. These are high-mileage workhorses — pre-trip your cab systems with the same rigor you apply to your brakes and tires.