What 393.13D3 means in plain language
This violation applies to older trucks—specifically those manufactured before December 1, 1993. Your vehicle is required to have retroreflective sheeting or reflex reflective material on the upper rear section. In simpler terms, inspectors are checking whether the reflective tape or material on the back of your truck is present, intact, and capable of bouncing light back at oncoming traffic during darkness or low visibility.
If your truck was built before that December 1993 cutoff, you must have this reflective covering. It's a visibility and safety requirement. Inspectors cite this violation when that material is missing, damaged, or degraded to the point where it no longer meets the standard.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, 393.13D3 has generated 227 citations all-time, with 148 citations in the last 12 months and 32 in the last 90 days. This code ranks #1183 of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume—relatively uncommon in the grand scheme of roadside enforcement.
The most important number for you: this violation has a 0.0% out-of-service rate. None of the 227 vehicles cited for 393.13D3 were placed out of service. That's dramatically lower than the all-FMCSR average of 31.4% out-of-service rate. In practical terms, inspectors are writing you a citation, but they're not stopping your truck from moving. You can keep running while you address the fix.
Enforcement has been steady over the past 12 months, ranging from 4 citations in April 2025 to 17 in November 2025, with no clear seasonal spike.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show Texas leads by a significant margin with 68 citations over the last 180 days, followed distantly by Iowa with 3 citations and New Mexico with 2. All three states have 0.0% out-of-service rates—no vehicle was pulled from service for this violation in any state.
Texas accounts for the vast majority of enforcement activity for this code. If you operate in Texas, you'll encounter this violation more frequently than anywhere else.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
In the vehicle maintenance category, 393.13D3 sits at the lower end of enforcement severity. Compare it to related reflective and lighting codes: 393.11 (Lighting devices/reflectors) has been cited 179,734 times with a 1.8% out-of-service rate—roughly 790 times more frequently than 393.13D3. Similarly, 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) has 180,097 citations with a 6.9% OOS rate, also far more common.
By citation volume, 393.13D3 is roughly one-tenth as common as these peer codes. The lower enforcement frequency and zero out-of-service rate combined suggest inspectors treat this as a fixable maintenance item rather than an immediate safety threat.
How to avoid it
The co-occurring violations in our data suggest you should integrate reflective material inspection into your broader lighting and coupling checks. Here's what to do:
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Walk around your truck before every trip. Check the upper rear section—the area behind the cab and along the back panel where reflective sheeting should be. Look for peeling, faded, or missing material. If you can see the metal underneath, it's a problem.
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Test reflectivity at night or in low light. Aim your flashlight at the rear reflective area from 30 feet away. The material should bounce light directly back at you. If it absorbs light or reflects weakly, replacement is due.
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Replace degraded material promptly. Reflective tape or sheeting is inexpensive and quick to install. Don't wait for an inspection to catch it. Vehicles with Freightliner, Kenworth, Volvo, and International frames make up the bulk of citations in our database—if you operate any of these makes, pay extra attention to rear reflective condition during pre-trip.
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Coordinate with your brake and coupling inspections. Our data shows that 393.13D3 often appears alongside brake tubing (393.45B2UV) and coupling defects (393.55C1, 393.55E) in the same inspection. When you're checking your brakes and couplers, spend 30 seconds verifying your rear reflective material too.
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Document your inspection. Keep a simple log or photos of your pre-trip reflective checks. If you're cited and the material was intact at your last check, documentation helps your defense and shows due diligence to your fleet manager.