FMCSR 393.11TL Lighting Devices/Reflectors: Driver FAQ

No — 393.11TL is not an out-of-service eligible violation. Across all-time records, only 2 vehicles out of 23,327 citations were placed out of service, producing a 0.0% OOS rate. You can continue operating after receiving this citation. For context, the average OOS rate across all FMCSR codes is 31.4%, so 393.11TL sits far below the norm. That said, inspectors often cite companion lighting codes simultaneously, and some of those — like 393.9(a) — carry a 15.4% OOS rate, so a complete pre-trip light check is still essential every time you pull out.

393.11TL carries a severity weight of 3 in the FMCSA SMS Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. That base score gets multiplied depending on how recently the inspection occurred — violations in the last 6 months carry the heaviest time weight, violations between 6 and 12 months carry a reduced weight, and those older than 12 months carry the lowest weight. The violation follows both the driver and the carrier. With 14,955 citations recorded in just the last 12 months, inspectors are actively writing this code, so any new hit lands in your highest-multiplier window immediately.

Fix the lighting deficiency before your next dispatch and document the repair. Here's why a thorough fix matters: our inspection records show that in the last 90 days, 393.11TL appeared alongside 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) in 1,441 shared inspections, and alongside 393.9TS (Inoperative Turn Signal) in 454 shared inspections. That means inspectors who find one lighting problem typically find more.

Immediate steps:

1. Walk the entire truck and trailer — check all running lights, markers, turn signals, and reflectors.
2. Repair or replace every deficient item before rolling.
3. Get a signed repair order and keep it in the cab.
4. Check 396.17C (No Proof of Periodic Inspection), which co-occurred in 562 shared inspections — verify your inspection documentation is current.

It's relatively low-severity on the OOS scale, but it's one of the most frequently cited codes in the country. At 0.0% OOS rate, 393.11TL is far less dangerous in terms of immediate shut-down risk than peer codes like 396.3(a)(1), which carries a 45.3% OOS rate across 236,919 citations. Even the closely related 393.11 (general lighting/reflectors) has a 1.8% OOS rate across 179,734 citations. Where 393.11TL stands out is volume: it ranks #120 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes nationally. That ranking means inspectors know this code well and write it consistently, so it accumulates CSA points quietly and steadily across fleets.

Yes, you can submit a DataQ Request for Data Review (RDR) to challenge the citation. Because 393.11TL is an equipment finding — a physical inspection of lighting hardware — a successful challenge typically requires evidence that the cited lamp or reflector was actually present and functional at the time of the inspection. Useful documentation includes timestamped photos taken at or near the inspection location, a repair order showing the equipment was in working order, or a prior inspection report that passed the same items. If the inspector recorded the violation in error, FMCSA's DataQs system can remove or correct the inspection record, which directly reduces your SMS BASIC score.

Texas is by far the heaviest enforcement state for 393.11TL. In the last 180 days alone, our inspection records show Texas issued 6,622 citations — dwarfing every other state. Iowa came in second with 524 citations, and Illinois third with 30 citations in the same period. New Mexico recorded 28 citations, and North Carolina logged 4. If you run lanes through Texas regularly, the data makes clear this is where your lighting compliance risk is highest. Pre-trip checks on all marker lights, clearance lights, and reflective tape are especially important before entering Texas weigh stations and inspection corridors.

Enforcement is consistently high and shows no sign of declining. Our inspection records show 14,955 citations in the last 12 months and 3,295 in just the last 90 days. Monthly citation counts have held between roughly 1,200 and 1,487 citations every month from August 2025 through March 2026, with February 2026 hitting the highest single-month count at 1,487. While the 0.0% OOS rate means you won't be parked on the spot, every citation adds CSA severity weight points that accumulate toward intervention thresholds. High and stable enforcement volume means the probability of being cited again on a subsequent inspection — before the first violation ages off your record — is real.

Both the driver and the carrier absorb the citation in FMCSA's SMS system. The violation is recorded against the driver's individual CSA profile under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC and against the carrier's USDOT number simultaneously. Our inspection records show carriers can accumulate citations quickly: BUOYANT ENERGY LLC (USDOT 3343091) leads all-time with 35 citations for this code, and nine other carriers each have between 24 and 31 citations. For fleet safety managers, that pattern illustrates how a single frequently-cited code can push a carrier's Vehicle Maintenance BASIC percentile upward across a large driver pool, even when no individual driver has an excessive count.