FMCSR 393.104B: Damaged Tiedown Citation — Driver Q&A

Not automatically — but it has happened. 393.104B is not OOS-eligible on its face, yet our inspection records show that 725 of 3,020 all-time citations still resulted in an out-of-service order, producing a 24.0% OOS rate. That likely reflects inspectors finding additional violations during the same stop. For comparison, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate across every code in our database is 31.4%, so 393.104B sits below that average — but one-in-four chances of being parked is still a serious risk. Fix any damaged tiedown before departure; don't assume the non-OOS-eligible label means the truck will keep rolling.

393.104B carries a severity weight of 6 in the CSA scoring system. That base score is then multiplied depending on how recently the inspection occurred — violations in the most recent 6 months carry the heaviest multiplier, tapering off over 36 months. Because this falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, it affects the carrier's maintenance score directly. Our records show 1,839 citations issued in just the last 12 months, so FMCSA reviewers are actively seeing this code. A severity-6 hit close in time to other maintenance violations can push a carrier above intervention thresholds quickly.

Take these steps immediately:

1. Document the tiedown condition — photograph the damaged device before it's removed or replaced.
2. Replace or repair every defective tiedown before reloading cargo.
3. Check for co-occurring issues. Our inspection data shows that in the last 90 days, 393.104B inspections also turned up 125 cases of inoperable required lamps (393.9), 70 cases of no proof of periodic inspection (396.17C), and 52 cases of missing or defective fire extinguishers (393.95A). Walk the whole unit.
4. Retain your inspection report and note the inspector's exact finding — you'll need this for DataQs if you plan to contest.
5. Notify your safety department so the citation is logged before CSA scoring updates.

It's mid-tier by volume but real by consequence. 393.104B ranks #440 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by all-time citation count, with 3,020 total citations in our database. Among peer Vehicle Maintenance codes, the picture is striking: 393.9(a) has 660,737 citations and a 15.4% OOS rate; 396.3(a)(1) has 236,919 citations and a 45.3% OOS rate. 393.104B's 24.0% OOS rate exceeds the 15.4% rate for inoperable lamps but sits below the general maintenance-inspection code. That means a damaged tiedown is more likely to ground your truck than a burned-out lamp — and inspectors are clearly not treating it as a paperwork-only violation.

Yes, you can submit a DataQs Request for Data Review (RDR) — and equipment findings are contestable. Because 393.104B is an equipment condition violation (not a documentation gap like a missing inspection report), a successful challenge typically requires evidence that the tiedown was actually in serviceable condition at the time of the inspection. Useful supporting materials include dated maintenance records, pre-trip inspection logs, and photographs taken at the scene. If the inspector misidentified the device or cited the wrong regulation, DataQs is the formal channel to correct the record. Unresolved citations stay on the carrier's CSA profile for 36 months, so filing promptly matters.

Texas leads by a wide margin. In the last 180 days our inspection records show Texas produced 747 citations under 393.104B — far ahead of any other state. Iowa and North Carolina each recorded 33 citations over the same period, though their enforcement styles differ sharply: Iowa had a 0.0% OOS rate on those 33 stops, while North Carolina converted 45.5% of its 33 citations into out-of-service orders. New Mexico (19 citations, 0.0% OOS) and Illinois (17 citations, 35.3% OOS) round out the top five. Fleets running Texas corridors or through the Carolinas should treat tiedown condition as a pre-entry checklist item.

Enforcement is clearly trending up. Our database shows 430 citations in just the last 90 days, and the monthly trend over the past year tells a consistent story: citations ran between 128 and 195 per month from December 2025 through March 2026, with March 2026 hitting 191 citations and 61 out-of-service placements — the highest OOS count in the trailing 12-month window. The 24.0% all-time OOS rate means that even on a code not listed as OOS-eligible, nearly one in four cited drivers got parked. There is no low-risk version of leaving a frayed or broken tiedown on the truck.

Both — but in different ways. Under FMCSA's CSA system, equipment violations like 393.104B score against the carrier's Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, not against the driver's individual SMS profile. However, the citation does appear on the driver's inspection history and can affect hiring decisions when future employers pull that record. If the carrier accumulates enough Vehicle Maintenance BASIC points to trigger an intervention, the investigation will examine individual driver inspection histories as part of that review. A single citation affects the carrier's score; a pattern of citations on the same driver's inspections raises questions for both parties.