TruckCodex

393.51 — Steering wheel free play excessive

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 11,283 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 6. Out-of-service eligible.

OOS Eligible
Severity Weight
6
OOS Eligible
Yes
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
11,283
Code
393.51
Code System
FMCSR
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
OOS Eligible
Yes
Severity Weight
6
Violation Group
BASIC 5
Total Events
11,283
Carriers Cited
9,062

Violation Description

Steering wheel free play exceeds the allowable limits for the type of steering system.

About This Violation Code

Code 393.51 falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC category in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS). It carries a severity weight of 6 (scale 1-10, higher = more severe). This violation is Out-of-Service eligible, meaning the driver or vehicle may be placed out of service at roadside when cited.

When this violation is cited during a roadside inspection, it contributes to the carrier's Vehicle Maintenance BASIC score. Carriers with high BASIC percentiles may be prioritized for FMCSA interventions including warning letters, investigations, or compliance reviews.

Regulatory Reference

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

This violation references 49 CFR 393.51 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

View on eCFR.gov →FMCSA Violations Search →
Events (all time)
11,283
OOS Events
8,400
OOS Rate
74.4%
Top State (180d)
Texas
1,136 events

Top Enforcing States

Where 393.51 is most commonly cited (last 180 days)

1.Texas
1,136
OOS 69.8%
2.North Carolina
75
OOS 89.3%
3.Illinois
24
OOS 83.3%
4.Iowa
20
OOS 95.0%
5.New Mexico
7
OOS 100.0%

Click a state to see roadside inspection activity, top stations, and carrier profiles in that jurisdiction.

Citation Trend (12 months)

Monthly count of 393.51 citations. Red bars mark months with OOS-triggering citations.

82
Apr
244
May
199
Jun
259
Jul
248
Aug
304
Sep
300
Oct
231
Nov
203
Dec
202
Jan
260
Feb
230
Mar
15
Apr

Most Active Stations

Inspection stations citing 393.51 most often (last 180 days)

1.VETERANS POE
66
OOS 22.7%
2.PHARR POE
40
OOS 75.0%
3.US-0290 IN HARRIS CO. (706-738
22
OOS 40.9%
4.COLUMBIA POE
12
OOS 100.0%
5.INDIOS POE
10
OOS 70.0%
6.IH-0610 IN HARRIS CO. (0-37)
10
OOS 50.0%
7.IH10 WB WINNIE SCALE
9
OOS 88.9%
8.US77 RIVIERA SCALE
9
OOS 77.8%
9.SH-0225 IN HARRIS CO. (686-700
9
OOS 88.9%
10.BOTA POE
8
OOS 62.5%

Often Cited Together

Other violations commonly found on the same inspection (last 90 days)

393.9407 co-occurrences392.2RG227 co-occurrences393.78206 co-occurrences396.17C166 co-occurrences393.47E162 co-occurrences396.5B137 co-occurrences393.9TS120 co-occurrences393.45B2UV114 co-occurrences393.11113 co-occurrences393.95A107 co-occurrences

Citation patterns suggest related root causes (e.g., HOS violations paired with logbook errors).

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 9,062 carriers total • Page 1 of 363

Top Carriers with 393.51 Violations

Showing 25 of 9,062

fmcsa-violations
Top Carriers with 393.51 Violations
#CarrierUSDOT# Violations
#1EVANS DELIVERY COMPANY INC3811121
#2JESUS MA VALDEZ GARCIA253478419
#3RUBEN CARLOS TREVINO SANCHEZ164968915
#4GULF WINDS INTERNATIONAL INC69014715
#5WASTE INDUSTRIES USA19869612
#6SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT280856012
#7ACME TRUCK LINE INC5276712
#8BENNETT MOTOR EXPRESS LLC9269311
#9TRANSPORTE INTERNACIONAL LOPEZ OCHOA SA DE C V104190711
#10SOUTHVIEW SANITATION SERVICES INC418341710
#11JARRED BULLARD DBA ICB TRANSPORT SERVICES353463010
#12AGGREGATE HAULERS I L P10214859
#13ALMA LUZ SANTOS SALDIVAR18060719
#14JOSE INES RICO HERNANDEZ29817099
#15BUOYANT ENERGY LLC33430918
#16FREIGHT SOLUTIONS LLC21491618
#17TRANSPORTES DE CARGA SAUL SALINAS SA DE CV5576768
#18D&D READY MIX CONCRETE LLC29358227
#19RS TRANSFER SA DE CV11568257
#20BENITEZ TRUCKING LLC19572747
#21TRANSPORTES REFRIGERADOS GC XPRESS SA DE CV25638037
#22COVENANT TRUCKING LLC31953977
#23ZT EQUIPMENT LLC23708067
#24SAMUELITO CONSTRUCTION LLC24383937
#25FLORENTINO AGUIRRE HERRERA15986576

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 393.51 was cited • 11,283 total events • Page 1 of 452

Recent Inspections with 393.51

Showing 25 of 11,283

fmcsa-inspections
Recent Inspections with 393.51
DateReport #StateLevelOOS
Apr 2, 202687486820ILLevel 2Yes
Apr 2, 202687486648NCLevel 2Yes
Apr 2, 202687488114TXLevel 1Yes
Apr 1, 202687486165NCLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687487679TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687487339TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687460023NCLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687487668TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687487269TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687487601TXLevel 1Yes
Apr 1, 202687488391TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687488253TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687488251TXLevel 1Yes
Apr 1, 202687488050TXLevel 2Yes
Apr 1, 202687486106NCLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687488274TXLevel 2No
Mar 31, 202687469146TXLevel 2No
Mar 31, 202687487695TXLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687488026TXLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687464273NMLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687459923NCLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687459974NCLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687487439TXLevel 1Yes
Mar 31, 202687488389TXLevel 2Yes
Mar 31, 202687487909TXLevel 2Yes

Data sources & freshness

FMCSA Vehicle Inspections and Violations
Updated 3 months ago
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR)
Unknown freshness

Related records

CategoryAll Vehicle Maintenance Violations
Browse all violation codes in the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
IndexAll Violation Codes
FMCSR violation codes by BASIC category
ReferenceFMCSA Roadside Inspections
Inspection levels and procedures
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