TruckCodex

396.3(a)(1) — Inspection/repair/maintenance - general

FMCSA violation code under Vehicle Maintenance. 236,919 events recorded in roadside inspections. Severity weight: 5. Out-of-service eligible.

OOS Eligible
Severity Weight
5
OOS Eligible
Yes
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
Total Events
236,919
Code
396.3(a)(1)
Code System
FMCSR
BASIC Category
Vehicle Maintenance
OOS Eligible
Yes
Severity Weight
5
Violation Group
BASIC 5
Total Events
236,919
Carriers Cited
87,398

Violation Description

Motor carrier failing to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain all CMVs and intermodal equipment subject to its control.

About This Violation Code

Code 396.3(a)(1) falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC category in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS). It carries a severity weight of 5 (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 396.3 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

View on eCFR.gov →FMCSA Violations Search →
Events (all time)
236,919
OOS Events
107,347
OOS Rate
45.3%
Top State (180d)
North Carolina
3 events

Top Enforcing States

Where 396.3(a)(1) is most commonly cited (last 180 days)

1.North Carolina
3
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 396.3(a)(1) citations. Red bars mark months with OOS-triggering citations.

2
Sep
2
Nov
1
Feb

Most Active Stations

Inspection stations citing 396.3(a)(1) most often (last 180 days)

1.MONTGOMERY COUNTY I-73 N
1
OOS 100.0%
2.MONTGOMERY COUNTY NC 24
1
OOS 100.0%
3.STANLY COUNTY US 52
1
OOS 100.0%

Often Cited Together

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

396.3A11 co-occurrences

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

Top Carriers Cited

Ranked by frequency • 87,398 carriers total • Page 1 of 3496

Top Carriers with 396.3(a)(1) Violations

Showing 25 of 87,398

fmcsa-violations
Top Carriers with 396.3(a)(1) Violations
#CarrierUSDOT# Violations
#1SERVICIO INTERNACIONAL DE ENLACE TERRESTRE SA DE CV818175629
#2OPERADORA DE TRANSPORTE INTERNACIONAL SA DE CV683428520
#3UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC21800505
#4SWIFT TRANSPORTATION CO OF ARIZONA LLC54283451
#5J B HUNT TRANSPORT INC80806445
#6FIRST STUDENT INC354406420
#7TRANSPORTADORA NORTE DE CHIHUAHUA S A DE C V711125384
#8WESTERN EXPRESS INC511412343
#9VRP TRANSPORTES DE MEXICO S DE RL DE CV662058334
#10TRANSPORTES AGUILA DE CIUDAD JUAREZ SA DE CV555365327
#11SERVICIO DE TRANSPORTE INTERNACIONAL Y LOCAL SA DE CV557341316
#12SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT2808560315
#13EVANS DELIVERY COMPANY INC38111295
#14SERVICIOS DE LOGISTICA TRANSNACIONAL EN TRANSPORTACION SA DE CV2380911266
#15SCHNEIDER NATIONAL CARRIERS INC264184241
#16GILBERTO CARRANZA-GOMEZ786840240
#17CNC LOGISTICS S DE RL DE CV2726203238
#18TRANSPORTATION AND CARGO SOLUTIONS S DE RL DE CV779973231
#19SOPORTE Y SERVICIOS EN PRODUCTOS INDUSTRIALES S DE RL DE CV3152868226
#20CRST EXPEDITED INC53773220
#21FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION86876208
#22KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION INC428823203
#23RS TRANSFER SA DE CV1156825194
#24FLETES MEXICO CHIHUAHUA SA DE CV1053118191
#25WERNER ENTERPRISES INC53467182

Recent Inspections

Latest inspections where 396.3(a)(1) was cited • 236,919 total events • Page 1 of 9477

Recent Inspections with 396.3(a)(1)

Showing 25 of 236,919

fmcsa-inspections
Recent Inspections with 396.3(a)(1)
DateReport #StateLevelOOS
Feb 10, 202687016428NCLevel 2Yes
Nov 29, 202586441146NCLevel 1Yes
Nov 11, 202586312127NCLevel 1Yes
Sep 21, 202585854109NCLevel 2Yes
Sep 2, 202585673054PALevel 1Yes
Feb 14, 202583883343NCLevel 2Yes
Nov 1, 202483071851NCLevel 1No
Oct 18, 202482947666PALevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482906386DELevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482914007CALevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482910519OKLevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482906255WALevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482908038SCLevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482906259USLevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482913188CALevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482913231CALevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482906391USLevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482910986NELevel 2No
Oct 15, 202482906411DELevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482906322UTLevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482910157NCLevel 1Yes
Oct 15, 202482906648SDLevel 2Yes
Oct 15, 202482910325NCLevel 2Yes
Oct 15, 202482906900SCLevel 1No
Oct 15, 202482908517MDLevel 1Yes

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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