Section 393.11 requires retroreflective sheeting or reflectors on the sides and rear of trailers and semitrailers manufactured after specific dates. The standard is the §393.13 conspicuity treatment — alternating red and white reflective sheeting at the prescribed dimensions.
Common citations
- Sheeting peeled, faded, or covered by mud and not visible.
- Damaged sections from minor impacts or scrapes.
- Sheeting that no longer meets the photometric standard, even if physically intact.
How to prevent it
- Inspect conspicuity sheeting on every pre-trip — faded sheeting from sun exposure is the leading cause of failure on trailers more than five years old.
- Replace sections as needed; full re-treatment is rarely necessary.
- Wash the trailer occasionally. Mud-covered reflective tape is functionally non-reflective and gets cited.
How Roadworthy HQ helps
A reflector or conspicuity citation shows up in Roadworthy HQ as part of the inspection it came from, not as a record of its own: the app does not store individual violation codes. Log the roadside inspection on the vehicle's Inspections tab: date, state, level, driver, the number of violations, and whether it was out-of-service. For an out-of-service inspection the 15-day §396.9(d)(3) repair-certification countdown stays on that tab until you enter the certification date. The rule's 15 days cover every violation on the report, not only out-of-service ones, so for a non-OOS inspection that date is yours to track. The repair itself goes in the vehicle's maintenance log: date, type, what was done, who did it, and cost. DVIRs are logged per vehicle with the defect described in your own words, and a defect marked safety-affecting that is logged without a repair certification sends a critical alert.