FMCSR 393.134 – Large Boulder Cargo Securement: Driver Q&A

Yes — almost certainly. Across our 13 million inspection records, 393.134 carries a 96.8% out-of-service rate, meaning 4,734 of 4,888 all-time citations resulted in an OOS order. That is not a typo. For context, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate across every code in our database is 31.4%. At 96.8%, this code sits more than three times above that average. If an inspector finds unsecured large boulders on your load, you are almost certainly not moving that truck until the securement issue is corrected on the spot. Plan for a full stop, not a warning.

393.134 carries a severity weight of 7 on the FMCSA CSA scale. Severity weights run from 1 to 10, so a 7 is in the upper tier. Beyond the base weight, CSA applies a time-based multiplier: violations from the last 6 months are multiplied by 3, violations from 7–12 months ago by 2, and anything older by 1. That means a fresh 393.134 citation is effectively worth 21 weighted points before any other calculation. Because this falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, it counts against both the carrier's BASIC percentile and the driver's individual PSP record.

Stop the truck and fix the securement before moving. With a 96.8% OOS rate, the violation almost certainly comes with a hard stop order. Beyond the boulder securement itself, our inspection data shows that 393.134 citations rarely arrive alone. In the last 90 days, 393.134 inspections also flagged 392.2RG (fatigued operation) in 34 shared inspections, 393.9 (inoperable lamp) in 31, and 396.17C (no proof of periodic inspection) in 19. Walk your rig before calling dispatch:

• Verify all securement devices meet the large boulder rules
• Check every required lamp front and rear
• Confirm your periodic inspection paperwork is in the cab
• Check tire inflation and brake slack adjusters

Address every item on the inspection report before requesting clearance.

Yes — it is among the most severe in its category by OOS rate. Our database shows peer codes in Vehicle Maintenance typically run far lower OOS rates: 393.9(a) (inoperable required lamps) sits at 15.4% across 660,737 citations, and 393.78 (windshield condition) is at just 0.3% across 157,894 citations. Meanwhile, 393.134 is at 96.8%. Even 396.3(a)(1), one of the higher-OOS peers at 45.3%, is less than half the 393.134 rate. There is essentially no other code in the Vehicle Maintenance category that results in an OOS order this consistently. Inspectors treat unsecured large boulders as an immediate public safety threat, and the numbers confirm it.

Yes, you can submit a DataQs request for review (RDR), but success depends on what you are disputing. DataQs is FMCSA's system for challenging inspection findings you believe are factually incorrect or improperly coded. For equipment-based violations like 393.134, a successful challenge typically requires evidence that the securement actually met the regulatory standard at the time of inspection — think load photos taken before departure, written securement plans, or a supervisor's verification. Simply arguing the inspector was wrong without documentation rarely succeeds. If the citation was issued in error — wrong code, wrong vehicle, or already-corrected condition misrecorded — those are stronger grounds. Submit through the FMCSA DataQs portal and track your RDR case number.

Texas leads by a wide margin. In the last 180 days, our inspection records show Texas issued 286 citations with a 95.1% OOS rate, making it by far the top enforcement state for this code. North Carolina is second with 50 citations (96.0% OOS rate), and Illinois is third with 18 citations — every single one resulting in an OOS order (100.0% rate). Iowa also recorded a 100.0% OOS rate on 2 citations in that period. If you are hauling large boulders through Texas or the Southeast, expect heightened enforcement attention. The top carriers cited all-time are overwhelmingly Texas-based waste and material haulers.

It cannot wait — this is a stop-now violation. The 96.8% OOS rate means the truck is almost certainly already parked when you are reading this. Beyond the immediate stop, the trend in our database is moving upward: citations climbed from 24 in April 2025 to a peak of 102 in July 2025, and the last 90 days logged 146 citations. Enforcement is active and consistent month over month. There is no grace window built into large boulder securement rules — if the load does not meet the standard, it does not move. Repair means properly securing the load to specification before the inspection officer releases the vehicle, not scheduling a shop visit for next week.

It follows both. Under FMCSA's CSA system, a 393.134 citation is recorded on the carrier's Safety Measurement System (SMS) profile and on the driver's Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) record. The carrier sees it in the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC percentile, which affects their public safety rating. The driver carries it on their PSP for 3 years, where prospective employers can see it during hiring. With a severity weight of 7 and a near-certain OOS outcome, this is not a citation that fades quietly into the background for either party. Fleet managers should treat each 393.134 citation as both a carrier compliance event and a driver file event.