What 393.11LR means in plain language
When an inspector writes up 393.11LR, the core issue is straightforward: your commercial motor vehicle was found to have lighting devices or reflectors that were either missing, inadequate, or not functioning as required. The regulation covers the full lighting and reflector package required on a CMV—side markers, clearance lamps, identification lamps, reflectors on trailers, and similar equipment meant to make your vehicle visible to other road users.
The "LR" suffix distinguishes this specific variant from other sub-codes under the broader 393.11 family. In practical terms, it typically targets rear-facing or lateral reflective equipment—the passive visibility components that don't need power to work but must be present and in acceptable condition.
This is not a moving violation. It is a vehicle maintenance citation. You won't be put out of service for it, but it will follow your CSA record and your carrier's Safety Measurement System (SMS) score. Ignoring it doesn't make it disappear—fixing the underlying equipment problem does.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our inspection records, 393.11LR has generated 6,400 all-time citations and 4,172 citations in just the last 12 months—meaning roughly 65% of the code's entire recorded history has occurred in the past year alone. In the last 90 days, inspectors issued 975 citations under this code.
The out-of-service rate is 0.0%—across all 6,400 recorded citations, not a single driver was placed out of service. That is a meaningful data point. The all-FMCSR average OOS rate across our database is 31.4%, so 393.11LR sits dramatically below the norm. You will not be parked roadside because of this violation. However, "not an OOS violation" does not mean "harmless."
The monthly trend data in our database tells a clear story: citations climbed from 120 in April 2025 to 435 in March 2026. That's a more than 3.5x increase in monthly volume over twelve months. Enforcement attention on lighting and reflector compliance is growing, not fading. The code currently ranks #301 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume—placing it well inside the top 10% of all codes nationally.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records for the last 180 days show Texas leading all states by a wide margin with 1,926 citations. New Mexico comes in second with 50 citations, and Iowa third with 29 citations. Illinois follows with 24 citations and North Carolina rounds out the top five with 2 citations.
The Texas number is not a typo—1,926 citations versus 50 in the next closest state reflects that Texas is a major enforcement corridor for cross-border commercial traffic, particularly from Mexico. All five of the top states show a 0.0% OOS rate, which is consistent with the national picture for this code.
Looking at carrier-level data, our records show fleets such as RUBEN CARLOS TREVINO SANCHEZ (USDOT 1649689) with 36 all-time citations and SERGIO VARELA MALDONADO (USDOT 725226) with 24 citations appearing at the top of the volume list. The concentration of citations among carriers operating in Texas-adjacent corridors reinforces that geographic pattern.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
To put 393.11LR in context, consider a few peer codes from the same Vehicle Maintenance category in our database.
393.9(a) — Inoperable Required Lamps has accumulated 660,737 citations with a 15.4% OOS rate. That's more than 100 times the citation volume of 393.11LR, and inspectors actually park drivers for it at a meaningful rate. If 393.11LR is a warning sign, 393.9(a) is the code you are trying to avoid.
393.11 — Lighting devices/reflectors (the parent code) shows 179,734 citations in our records with a 1.8% OOS rate. Even the broader parent carries a small but real OOS risk that the LR sub-code does not. Your 393.11LR citation is near the least-severe end of the lighting violation spectrum.
396.3(a)(1) — Inspection/repair/maintenance (general) carries a 45.3% OOS rate across 236,919 citations—nearly half of all drivers cited under that code get parked. If a lighting deficiency is part of a broader maintenance failure, the accompanying codes can escalate your situation quickly.
The bottom line: 393.11LR is a low-severity citation on its own, but it rarely appears alone at inspection. In our last 90 days of data, it co-occurred with 393.9 (inoperable required lamp) in 491 shared inspections—the most common pairing by far. That combination does carry OOS exposure through the 393.9 component.
How to avoid it
The co-occurring violation pattern in our data is direct guidance on where to focus your pre-trip. Here's what the numbers point to:
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Walk every reflector mounting point before departure. 393.11LR is a passive-equipment citation—no power required, which means it's easy to miss during a quick walkaround. Physically check that rear and side reflectors are present, securely mounted, and not cracked, faded, or obscured by mud or debris.
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Test every required lamp, not just the obvious ones. With 491 shared inspections between 393.11LR and 393.9 in just the last 90 days, an inspection that catches one almost always catches the other. Work through clearance lamps, marker lamps, and identification lamps individually. Have a spotter confirm rear lamps are illuminating.
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Check trailer coupling and brake hardware while you're at the rear. Our co-occurrence data shows 393.45B2UV (brake tubing/hoses inadequate) appeared in 220 of the same inspections as 393.11LR in the last 90 days, and 393.55E (coupling device defects) appeared in 211. A walk to the rear for lights is also the right moment to inspect air lines, glad hands, and the fifth-wheel or pintle hook area.
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Inspect your windshield while you're doing the cab walk. 393.78 (windshield condition defective) co-occurred in 217 shared inspections. Cracks or obstructions that seemed minor in your yard look different to an inspector under portable lighting.
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Verify your periodic inspection documentation is current. 396.17C (no proof of periodic inspection) appeared in 162 of the same inspections in the last 90 days. A lighting write-up that triggers a documentation check can add a second citation before you leave the scale.
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Pay extra attention on Freightliner and Kenworth equipment. Our records show FRHT with 1,889 all-time citations and KW with 1,015 under this code. If you're operating either make, make your lighting walkaround deliberate and systematic—these platforms appear most frequently in the citation history for 393.11LR.
The citation is on your record now. The next one doesn't have to be.