What 393.25(a) means in plain language
This regulation requires that the rear lamps and reflectors on your commercial motor vehicle remain visible and unobstructed. If your load, tailboard, or any other obstruction covers or blocks those rear lights and reflectors—the ones other drivers rely on to see your truck at night or in low visibility—you're in violation of 393.25(a).
The rule is straightforward: when you load cargo, you must ensure nothing hides the required rear lighting and reflective devices. This is a safety issue. Drivers behind you need to see your brake lights, tail lights, and reflectors to maintain safe following distance and react appropriately. A covered light is essentially a missing light from their perspective.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million inspection records, 393.25(a) has generated 1,556 all-time citations, ranking it #593 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume. Over the last 12 months and last 90 days, our inspection database shows zero citations—indicating this violation has become quite rare in recent enforcement activity.
The out-of-service rate for 393.25(a) is 1.5%, meaning only 23 vehicles out of 1,533 cited were actually placed out of service. This is significantly lower than the all-FMCSR average OOS rate of 31.4%, suggesting inspectors typically view this as a correctable defect rather than an immediate roadway hazard. When cited, most drivers have been allowed to continue after remediation rather than being sidelined.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show that smaller carriers and owner-operators dominate the citation history for this code. The carrier with the highest count is Juana Montoya Rubio (USDOT 3044830) with 13 citations, followed by St Romo Labor Force LLC (USDOT 3268867) with 10 citations. These patterns suggest the violation is distributed across a wide range of operations rather than concentrated in a few large fleets.
When examining vehicle makes, Freightliner trucks account for 175 of the all-time citations, International for 74, and Kenworth for 67. This reflects the overall prevalence of these makes in the trucking industry, not a defect specific to any manufacturer. The citation distribution across vehicle types indicates this is a loading and maintenance issue, not a design problem.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
393.25(a) exists within the broader vehicle maintenance category alongside several related codes. For context, 393.9(a)—which covers inoperable required lamps—has generated 660,737 citations with a 15.4% OOS rate, far exceeding obscured lamps in both frequency and severity. Similarly, 393.11 (lighting devices and reflectors) shows 179,734 citations with a 1.8% OOS rate.
The key difference is that an inoperable lamp is a failure of the device itself, while obscured lamps are a loading or obstruction issue. That's why 393.25(a) carries a lower OOS rate—it's often fixable on the spot by adjusting or removing the obstruction. Codes like 396.3(a)(1) for general inspection and repair failures show a 45.3% OOS rate, reflecting their greater safety criticality.
How to avoid it
Preventing a 393.25(a) citation is fundamentally about pre-trip vigilance and thoughtful load planning:
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Perform a full walk-around inspection before loading. Check that all rear lamps and reflectors are clean, functional, and unobstructed. Know exactly where they are located on your specific tractor and trailer configuration.
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Plan your load to keep rear lights clear. Before securing cargo, identify the vertical and horizontal space occupied by rear lights and reflectors. Ensure nothing—tarps, tie-downs, cargo straps, or freight—will shift into those zones during transit.
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Use protective covers or guards if needed. If your load configuration makes obstruction a risk, install protective cages or use load bars that keep cargo away from the rear profile without blocking lights.
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Inspect after loading and before departure. Even if you planned carefully, take a final look at the rear of your vehicle. Tarps shift, straps loosen, and loads settle. A 30-second visual check catches most obstruction issues before an inspector does.
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Secure tarps and covers properly. Loose tarps are a common culprit. Ensure any covering material is taut and anchored so it cannot flap or shift backward onto rear lighting.
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Document your pre-trip inspection. Many fleets require drivers to sign off on rear-lighting visibility as part of the vehicle inspection report. This creates accountability and a paper trail showing due diligence.
This code reflects a simple principle: rear lights save lives. Keeping them visible is not optional, and it takes only basic attention to prevent a citation.