What 393.86A4 means in plain language
FMCSR 393.86A4 addresses the rear impact guard—commonly called an ICC bumper—on your commercial motor vehicle. This is the metal frame or bumper assembly mounted at the rear of your truck that's designed to prevent smaller vehicles from sliding under your trailer in a collision.
You've been cited because an inspector found that your rear impact guard is missing entirely, visibly damaged, or installed incorrectly. Damage includes bent, cracked, or separated components that no longer meet the structural standard. Improper installation means it's not fastened securely, is mounted at the wrong height, or doesn't align with the vehicle frame as intended.
This isn't a judgment about your driving. It's a vehicle condition violation that reflects maintenance or equipment status at the moment of inspection.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across our 13 million+ inspection records, 393.86A4 has been cited 38 times all-time, with 19 citations in the last 12 months and 3 in the last 90 days. Nationally, this code ranks #1712 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume—it's relatively uncommon.
What matters most: zero out-of-service (OOS) decisions have been issued for 393.86A4 across all inspections in our database, yielding a 0.0% OOS rate. By comparison, the all-FMCSR average OOS rate is 31.4%. This means inspectors consistently allow drivers to continue operating after citing this violation, rather than removing the vehicle from service. A citation is logged on your record, but you are not typically sidelined.
In the last 90 days, citation activity has been sporadic: 1 in May 2025, 2 in June, a spike of 4 in July, then 1 in August, and 5 in September 2025. This pattern suggests seasonal or regional enforcement variation rather than sustained national focus.
Who gets cited most
Our data shows citations distributed across a small number of states. In the last 180 days:
- Texas leads with 3 citations, 0 out-of-service decisions (0.0% OOS rate)
- North Carolina follows with 1 citation, 0 out-of-service decisions (0.0% OOS rate)
Both states show the same 0.0% OOS rate, so there is no material variation in enforcement severity by jurisdiction.
Among carriers, our data shows fleets such as Gregorio Fierro (USDOT 1908063) and GOA Express LLC (USDOT 4236906) with 2 citations each in our all-time records. No single carrier dominates; citations are distributed across many small and mid-size operations.
Vehicle makes cited most frequently include Freightliner (10 citations), other makes (10 citations), and Peterbilt (9 citations). Utility (7 citations), Kenworth (4 citations), and Mack (4 citations) also appear. This reflects the prevalence of these makes in the trucking fleet overall.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
393.86A4 sits in the Vehicle Maintenance category alongside codes that address lighting, brakes, and general inspection compliance. Here's how it compares to peer violations:
- 393.9(a) — Inoperable required lamps: 660,737 citations, 15.4% OOS rate. Lighting violations are cited roughly 17,000 times more frequently and trigger out-of-service decisions in about 1 in 6.5 cases.
- 393.47E — Slack adjuster defective: 180,363 citations, 0.0% OOS rate. Like 393.86A4, brake slack adjuster defects are never placed out-of-service in our records, but they are cited nearly 4,700 times more often.
- 396.3(a)(1) — Inspection/repair/maintenance general: 236,919 citations, 45.3% OOS rate. This broader maintenance category has a dramatically higher OOS rate—nearly half of citations result in vehicle removal—and occurs over 6,200 times more frequently.
Your citation is among the least frequently enforced maintenance violations and carries no OOS risk, making it a lower-severity defect on the enforcement spectrum.
How to avoid it
Our inspection data reveals patterns. In the last 90 days, 393.86A4 co-occurred with inoperable tail lamps (393.9T) in 2 inspections, and with brake tubing/hose issues (393.45B2UV) in 2 inspections. This suggests rear-end defects are often part of broader rear-axle or tail-section neglect.
To avoid this citation:
- Perform a structured pre-trip walk-around of your rear bumper and ICC assembly. Check that the metal frame is intact—no cracks, severe bending, or separation from mounting points. Look for visible damage or corrosion that compromises structural integrity.
- Verify all fasteners and bolts are present and tight. The bumper must be securely anchored to the frame. Loose or missing bolts are a common reason for improper installation findings.
- Confirm the bumper height and alignment. It should be mounted at the height specified by the vehicle manufacturer and centered on the rear axle. Sagging or misaligned bumpers fail inspection.
- Inspect tail lamps and electrical connections near the bumper area. Since tail lamp defects co-occur with bumper citations, check that all rear lighting is operational and not obscured by damaged bumper components.
- Document repairs in your maintenance log. If you have a rear bumper repaired or replaced, keep the work order and date. This protects you if an inspector questions recent damage.
- Know your truck's make and model. Freightliner, Peterbilt, and Utility vehicles appear most often in our citations; if you operate one of these, add rear bumper condition to your regular checklist.
This violation is avoidable through basic pre-trip discipline and does not carry out-of-service risk, so addressing it before an inspection is straightforward.