What 393.86A4-RIG means in plain language
Your truck's rear impact guard—commonly called an ICC bumper—is either missing from your vehicle, visibly damaged, or not installed correctly. This guard is a steel frame bolted to the rear of your trailer or cargo body. It's designed to prevent smaller vehicles from sliding under the back of your rig in a rear-end collision, which can be fatal.
The regulation requires that this guard be present, structurally sound, and properly fastened. If an inspector found yours missing, bent out of shape, loose at the mounting points, or improperly welded, they'll cite you under 393.86A4-RIG. This is a straightforward vehicle condition violation—not a driver behavior issue, but a maintenance and equipment defect that needs fixing.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million roadside inspection records, 393.86A4-RIG has been cited 64 times all-time, with 40 citations in the last 12 months and 7 in the last 90 days. This code ranks #1551 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume, making it relatively uncommon in the enforcement landscape.
The most important number for you: 0.0% of citations result in out-of-service orders. Every single citation on record—all 64 of them—allowed the vehicle to continue operating. By contrast, the all-FMCSR average out-of-service rate is 31.4%, so inspectors are treating this violation as a fixable defect rather than an immediate safety threat to road operations.
In the last 12 months, citations have ranged from 2 to 5 per month, with no clear seasonal spike. This suggests ICC bumper defects are detected steadily year-round rather than clustered in any particular season.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show Georgia leads with 4 citations in the last 180 days, followed by California and Minnesota, each with 3. Pennsylvania and Washington each had 2, and Tennessee, Montana, Maine, Arizona, and North Dakota each recorded 1.
The out-of-service rate across all these states is uniformly 0.0%—no material variation. This tells you that geography doesn't change how inspectors handle this violation; it's treated the same coast to coast.
Among carriers with multiple citations on record, Deffenbaugh Industries Inc (USDOT 271225) appears with 2 citations, and carriers such as J B Hunt Transport Inc, AAA Cooper Transportation, and Swift Transportation Co of Arizona each show 1. These data points reflect inspection activity, not a pattern of systematic noncompliance—single or dual citations within a large fleet are statistically expected background noise.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
Inside the Vehicle Maintenance category, 393.86A4-RIG sits at the very low end of enforcement volume and severity. Consider these peer codes:
393.9(a) — Inoperable required lamps has been cited 660,737 times with a 15.4% out-of-service rate. That's over 10,000 times more frequent and generates roadside removals regularly.
396.3(a)(1) — Inspection/repair/maintenance general has 236,919 citations and a 45.3% out-of-service rate, meaning nearly half of those inspections end in the vehicle being taken out of service.
393.78 — Windshield condition defective has 157,894 citations but only a 0.3% out-of-service rate, similar to your code in that it rarely halts operations.
Your citation is a low-volume, low-consequence maintenance item. Inspectors use it to document a missing or damaged guard, but they're not staging your truck off the road.
How to avoid it
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Perform a rear-end visual walk-around every pre-trip inspection. Walk to the back of your trailer or cargo body and visually check that the ICC bumper is present, not bent or crushed, and all bolts or fasteners appear tight. If you see rust, missing bolts, or obvious deformation, flag it for maintenance immediately.
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Check mounting bolts and welds if you operate an older or heavily used trailer. Bumpers loosen over time due to road vibration. Feel for movement or gaps where the bumper meets the frame. A loose guard is a defect waiting to be cited.
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Know your vehicle make and body style. Our records show Freightliner (21 citations), Great Dane (7 citations), and Peterbilt (5 citations) trailers account for the bulk of citations. If you operate one of these, pay extra attention to the rear bumper condition, as these platforms may have known wear points.
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Don't assume a repair is complete without verification. If your carrier's maintenance team replaces or repairs an ICC bumper, physically inspect it before accepting the vehicle. Improper installation—bolts cross-threaded, welds incomplete, or alignment off—can result in a citation even on a brand-new guard.
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Monitor for co-occurring defects. Our data shows 393.86A4-RIG frequently appears in the same inspection with inoperable lamps, coupling device defects, and insufficient tire tread. If you've been cited for this bumper issue, perform a more thorough vehicle check for other maintenance items before your next roadside encounter.
This is a preventable citation with a simple fix: a properly installed and maintained rear impact guard. The fact that no one has been taken out of service for this violation in our database tells you inspectors expect a prompt repair and compliance—not a roadside confrontation.