What 393.13A means in plain language
FMSCR 393.13A requires your commercial motor vehicle to have the proper retro-reflective sheeting or reflex reflectors installed. These are the reflective materials and devices on your truck and trailer that make your vehicle visible to other drivers, especially at night or in low-light conditions.
The specific requirement is that your CMV must be equipped with required retro-reflective sheeting or reflex reflectors. If an inspector finds that your vehicle is missing these materials or they're not in working order, you'll be cited for this violation. This isn't about minor wear—inspectors are looking for whether the reflective systems that are supposed to be there actually exist and function.
Retro-reflective materials are critical safety features. They bounce light from other vehicles' headlights back to the driver, making your truck visible even when your lights might not be on or when visibility is poor. Without them, your vehicle becomes a hidden hazard on the road.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, 393.13A has received 93 all-time citations, making it ranked 23rd out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume. Over the last 12 months, we've recorded 55 citations for this violation, and in the most recent 90 days, 9 citations.
The critical number for you to understand: out of all 93 citations ever recorded for 393.13A in our database, zero vehicles were placed out of service. That's a 0.0% out-of-service rate. For context, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate is 31.4%, meaning 393.13A violations are rarely severe enough to remove a vehicle from operation on the spot. However, that doesn't mean the citation is harmless—it still counts against your safety record and your carrier's CSA profile.
This code carries a CSA severity weight of 3, a moderate weight in the scoring system. The monthly trend over the last 12 months shows citations ranging from 1 to 8 per month, with no clear seasonal pattern—violations occur fairly consistently throughout the year.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show that Texas leads in 393.13A citations over the last 180 days with 19 citations and a 0.0% OOS rate. Iowa and Illinois each had 1 citation during the same period, also with 0.0% OOS rates. The concentration in Texas reflects both the volume of truck traffic in the state and the intensity of roadside inspection activity there.
By carrier, our data shows fleets such as CINDY JASMIN MARTINEZ (USDOT 3315055), KJC TRUCKING LLC (USDOT 818988), SWS TRANSPORT LLC (USDOT 3527633), and 316 TRUCKING LLC (USDOT 4124720) each with 2 citations in our all-time records. These carriers span different fleet sizes and operational profiles, indicating that 393.13A citations are distributed across the industry rather than concentrated in a single segment.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
To understand where 393.13A sits in the maintenance violation landscape, consider these peer codes from the same vehicle maintenance category:
393.9(a) — Inoperable required lamps has 660,737 citations with a 15.4% OOS rate. This is vastly more frequent than 393.13A, reflecting that burned-out or inoperable lights are caught at nearly every major inspection facility.
393.11 — Lighting devices/reflectors (a broader category that can include reflector issues) shows 179,734 citations with a 1.8% OOS rate. This is much higher citation volume than 393.13A specifically, but still maintains a low OOS rate.
396.17(c) — No proof of periodic inspection has 198,331 citations and a 0.0% OOS rate, matching 393.13A's zero OOS rate but far exceeding it in frequency. This suggests that missing inspection documentation is a more common roadside finding than missing reflective sheeting.
In summary, 393.13A is infrequently cited compared to the broader reflector and lighting violation codes, suggesting either that most vehicles meet this requirement or that inspectors encounter it less often due to the specific nature of the violation.
How to avoid it
Based on what our inspection data reveals about 393.13A and co-occurring violations, here are concrete actions you can take before every trip:
Do a full reflector walk-around during your pre-trip inspection. Check the front, sides, and rear of your tractor and trailer for retro-reflective sheeting and reflex reflectors. Look for missing sections, peeling materials, or damage. This takes 5 minutes and catches the problem before you hit the road.
Pay special attention if your vehicle is a Freightliner, Peterbilt, or Kenworth. Our data shows FRHT units account for 34 of the 93 citations, PTRB for 13, and KW for 11. If you operate one of these makes, reflector maintenance should be a standing item on your pre-trip checklist.
Inspect and replace lighting fixtures that could hide reflector issues. Across the last 90 days, our records show 393.13A appearing alongside 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) in 5 inspections. This pattern suggests that when lights aren't working properly, inspectors may have better visibility of missing or damaged reflective materials. Keep all lamps functional to avoid compounding the problem.
Request a reflector condition report from your carrier's maintenance team if you're unsure. Don't wait for a roadside citation. A quick call to your dispatcher or mechanic asking them to verify that your reflective sheeting meets current standards can prevent this violation entirely.
Document your pre-trip reflector check. Write down in your logbook or trip inspection form that you checked reflective materials. This creates a record that you performed due diligence, which may be relevant if you dispute a citation or if your carrier needs evidence of your safety practices.
The good news: a 0.0% out-of-service rate means you're unlikely to be stranded if cited. The better news: with a focused five-minute reflector check each trip, you can avoid the citation, the points on your record, and the administrative burden entirely.