What 393.13B means in plain language
Code 393.13B applies specifically to commercial vehicles manufactured before December 1, 1993. These older trucks are required to display retroreflective sheeting or reflex reflective material on their bodies. Retroreflective material reflects light back toward its source—typically headlights from oncoming traffic—making your vehicle visible at night and in low-visibility conditions.
If your vehicle was built before that 1993 cutoff and is missing this sheeting or material, or if what's present is damaged or inadequate, you can be cited. The regulation exists because visibility is a fundamental safety requirement. Newer vehicles (post-1993) have different reflectivity standards, but pre-1993 trucks specifically need this retroreflective treatment to meet the standard.
This is a maintenance and equipment violation, not an operational one. It's something that should be caught and fixed during pre-trip inspection or routine maintenance, not something that develops suddenly on the road.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, 393.13B is a low-volume citation. All-time, we've recorded 102 citations for this code. In the last 12 months, inspectors cited it 68 times. Over the past 90 days, there have been 8 citations.
What stands out most is the out-of-service rate: 0.0%. None of the 102 vehicles cited for 393.13B were placed out of service. This differs sharply from the all-FMCSR average of 31.4%. In practical terms, inspectors are treating this as a fix-it violation—something that needs attention but doesn't make the vehicle immediately unsafe to operate. Nationally, 393.13B ranks 1413th out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation frequency.
The monthly trend over the last 12 months shows variability, with August 2025 seeing a spike of 14 citations. Most other months ranged between 2 and 7 citations.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show Texas leads by a significant margin, with 21 citations in the last 180 days and a 0.0% out-of-service rate. Illinois follows with 2 citations (0.0% OOS), and Iowa with 1 citation (0.0% OOS).
Across all enforcement, no state in our top-cited list shows variation in OOS rates—all hover at 0.0%—so enforcement appears consistent regardless of geography.
Regarding carrier data, our records show fleets such as 4KX Transportation Inc with 2 citations and Aggregate Haulers I L P with 2 citations in our all-time database. These numbers are low, reflecting the overall rarity of this violation.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
393.13B sits in the Vehicle Maintenance category alongside other reflectivity and lighting violations. For comparison:
393.11 (Lighting devices/reflectors) has 179,734 all-time citations with a 1.8% out-of-service rate. That code is much more frequently cited, but its OOS rate is still low—indicating that lighting and reflector violations generally do not trigger immediate roadside removal.
393.78 (Windshield condition defective) shows 157,894 citations with a 0.3% out-of-service rate, also a maintenance issue with minimal OOS enforcement.
393.9 (Inoperable required lamps) is far more common at 180,097 citations with a 6.9% OOS rate—still low, but notably higher than 393.13B's 0.0%.
In context, 393.13B is among the least-enforced and least-severe violations in its category. Its 0.0% OOS rate aligns with other cosmetic or older-vehicle-specific equipment rules.
How to avoid it
Prevention starts with understanding your vehicle's build date. If your truck was manufactured before December 1, 1993, conduct a detailed pre-trip inspection of all exterior sheeting and reflective material.
Before you take the road:
- Check your vehicle's manufacture date. It's on the door jamb placard or VIN plate. If it reads pre-1993, you are subject to 393.13B.
- Walk the full perimeter of your truck. Look for retroreflective sheeting or reflex material on the sides, rear, and any trailers. It typically appears as colored reflective tape or lettering.
- Inspect for damage or peeling. Faded, cracked, or peeling material counts as inadequate. Replace any compromised sections before your next inspection.
- Pay special attention to high-contact areas. Mud, weather, and road salt accelerate wear on reflective material. The rear third of trailers and undercarriage areas are most vulnerable.
Our inspection data also shows that 393.13B commonly co-occurs with fuel system leaks (396.5B) and windshield defects (393.78) in the same inspection. This suggests that vehicles cited for 393.13B may have multiple deferred maintenance issues. If you've been cited once, conduct a full vehicle walk-around and address any other visible defects immediately.
Freight haulers and specialty transport operators (our data shows Freightliner and other heavy-duty makes dominate citations) should schedule reflective material replacement as part of routine PM intervals, especially if operating older equipment.
In short: know your vehicle's age, inspect regularly, replace worn material promptly, and don't wait for a roadside citation to fix a visibility issue.