Can I drive a trailer without one trailer marker light?
Posted by Pretend_Substance_82@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 94 comments
Posted by Pretend_Substance_82@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 94 comments
CaptainGibbs96@reddit
I really have to ask how you got your CDL without knowing the answer to this question.
NyteReflections@reddit
Not like they fucking tell us anything to get a CDL, it's memorize this paper and here is your license.
truckdriverinstitute@reddit
Just jumping in to say that although you’re unlikely to receive anything worse than a ticket, you do need to get this fixed ASAP if you haven’t yet. Most states do require all the marker lights to be working. As minor as it may seem, you can definitely wind up with a citation.
Holy_Smokesss@reddit
"It was on there when I did the pre-trip this morning"
keymasterofgozer66@reddit
DOT here, violation but not OOS. I have never wrote a ticket for a marker light but we can. Maybe some states might be anal about it. But if the violation was written on prior inspections and not fixed they will hammer you for failure to correct prior violations.
tvieno@reddit
You may get a ticket but unlike what others are saying, you will not be put OOS for a missing market light. A missing headlight, brake light, or turn signal, yes; a marker light, no.
Delicious_Peace_2526@reddit
In Canada we carry a legal document called the Schedule 1 and lists most common defects as major or minor truck defects. It allows for things like one headlight out, one brake light out, etc. you’re expected to list the minor defect on your pre trip and get it fixed as soon as reasonably possible. You can have defective turn signals as long as it is t the rearmost turn signal.
flatdecktrucker92@reddit
I'm a class 1 driving instructor in Canada and this is the only correct answer
MoistExcellence@reddit
I'm a tennis instructor in Colorado and I agree.
Agamemnon323@reddit
I’m also a class 1 instructor in Canada and I agree.
Own_Leg_5595@reddit
I once taught a dog to fetch and I agree.
TexasGater@reddit
I have my Class F lift license and I agree.
RevolutionaryDebt365@reddit
Make sure you tell everyone you meet 🫡
amazingmaple@reddit
I slept at a holiday inn Express and I agree
keytiri@reddit
Wish I had an American version.
amazingmaple@reddit
Ummm you do. The green book that has all the regulations.
keytiri@reddit
Yeah and Canada has a document, we have a book 🤦♀️. It’s probably like a cheat sheet of most common issues they can reference instead of having to look through a book.
amazingmaple@reddit
Well it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that lights, tires and brakes are the top three mechanical issues.
keytiri@reddit
And? What’s considered minor or major?
amazingmaple@reddit
If you don't know that already then you shouldn't be driving as it's your job to know these things to be able to do a proper pre trip. Oh wait, you don't do one.
justaguynumber35765@reddit
The only one of those out of service is a corner turn signal
___HeyGFY___@reddit
Straight to hell
Virel_360@reddit
There are some trailers that don’t even have lights in that position, so how could it be an out of service violation? Your good to roll just make a note on your drop inspection and you do your duty.
Alecvinrvra@reddit
Why not. Just write it in dvir. And get a new lite down the road
Unhappy_Chile_1957@reddit
You can't drive a trailer, you have to pull it.
Justin_Ogre@reddit
That's a paddling.
LuRkEr_ReKuL@reddit
Yea you can, no you shouldn’t unless tickets are a fun hobby you enjoy.
Infinite_Factor_5685@reddit
What light? It was on earlier
Aqueouspolecat@reddit
Straight to gulag!
under-pantz@reddit
It was there when I did a pretrip
Foot_Dragger@reddit
What did you hit? Accident report!!! It's your fault!
ashaggyone@reddit
This is true. CYA driver
Federal-Service-4949@reddit
No. However, you can drive a truck and pull a trailer like that. I’d run with it and get it fixed as quickly as possible.
aarraahhaarr@reddit
Damn I had to scroll way to far to find the correct answer. Who drives trailers anyway?
karrimycele@reddit
Hell yeah you can! Oh, wait, it’s on the scale house side. Just tell them you didn’t notice it come off when you sideswiped that light pole.
A10co@reddit
Not OOS, but a violation nonetheless. My experience- make sure everything is fixed/written up before you hit the road. If you’re involved in a crash where someone gets hurt or dies, even if it’s their fault, something this small can come back to haunt you. “You knowingly took a truck that had defects on a public roadway?” No good way to answer that question. If you say yes, you’re cooked. If you say no, then you didn’t do your pre-trip which is a requirement, still cooked. Cover your ass.
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
If you say anything then you violated your company’s policy and didn’t read the info. It’s not a safety issue, stop. The poster just doesn’t want to run so they told their dispatcher in a text that it’s not safe and he posted it here. He’s fired anyways. C’mon driver, put on your 4 ways til you get to the truck stop.
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
Um so yeh it’s a light out. I personally think safety when it comes to this and it’s not a brake light or turn signal. but geez yall are some old fucking women on here crying about a broken fingernail. Runnit during the fucking day and get one at a truck stop or an auto parts store or use your spare if you have one. Or steal one like they did from another one of your company’s trailers. Yall are some absolute lazy bitches that will post some bs violation on Reddit so your dispatcher won’t make you take the run. Not saying you’re an f word but that’s what your grandpa and his buddies would call ya. Has absolutely nothing to do with the fact you like dick so don’t get all butt hurt….or more butt hurt rr I don’t know how that works but I’d say this was a catcher post for sure. Good luck super trucker!
Barad0x@reddit
It's 6 CSA points if you get inspected.
ns2103@reddit
Not if the defect is noted on the pretrip.
ns2103@reddit
Yes, especially during daylight when the light is not required. Note the defect and roll with it, but get it repaired within 24 hours.
RectumRavager69@reddit
Any light inoperable is a DOT violation and is the most common one of all of them every year. If it's missing and it's supposed to be there, and it is, then it's gonna be a violation and likely one they make you get fixed before you can leave.
Take it to a service center, not on the highway.
justaguynumber35765@reddit
Any required light.
If you added 1300 chicken lights and 1132 are out , no violation
RectumRavager69@reddit
The light in question is a clearance light and is required, and if you put 1300 lights on your truck and 80% of them aren't working you're way more likely to get at least talked to if not inspected.
justaguynumber35765@reddit
Inspect away.
They can't write a ticket for the lights that don't work
Successful-Worth-390@reddit
Naw you won't get put OOS for a marker light
RectumRavager69@reddit
Probably still catch a ticket tho. Or at least a fix it ticket. Depends on if they pull you over with it out or you hit the scale with it out and what kind of mood they're in. They could put you OOS until it's fixed, they could give you a fix it ticket, they could just follow you to the nearest service center and if you leave without getting it fixed then they're breaking it off inside you.
Most of the time probably a fix it ticket tho. For a light that's out. A missing light raises your chances of getting an OOS because either you knew it was missing and ran it anyways or you didn't know which means you didn't pretrip or midtrip. Now if you filled out a DVIR and informed your company it was missing and then ran it because they told you to, that's mostly on the company and your ass is mostly covered.
Biomechsentry@reddit
I wouldn’t. All it take is one eagle eyed cop and you’re out of service
Pretend_Substance_82@reddit (OP)
It’s better safe than sorry right I am going to pass by the Santa Clarita weight station so I was unsure
MarkFinancial8027@reddit
Lol I read that as the Santa Claus weigh station.
grumpus_ryche@reddit
Ho ho ho
thecatthatwentmoo@reddit
Just skip that scale OP. I pass it all the time day and night they don’t have any chasers. Just food for thought.
Shut_It_Donny@reddit
You won’t be OOS for a marker light.
Scubatrucker@reddit
Yes. It’ll still pull without a light.
AesthetesStephen@reddit
You haven’t got it fixed after 30 years? Pretty impressive
Scubatrucker@reddit
I know. I’m the king of procrastination.
TheMetalWolf@reddit
You are an inspiration to us all.
OGbigfoot@reddit
Just put a lit cigar in it.
Zealousideal_Try4171@reddit
If it’s removed you won’t even get a ticket
justaguynumber35765@reddit
Incorrect, it is a dot required light
Zealousideal_Try4171@reddit
My bad I guess it’s different for log trucks
UOLZEPHYR@reddit
Straight to Gitmo
notbannd4cussingmods@reddit
Driver once told me you can run it with one if it's uninstalled. Idk if that's true though.
Waisted-Desert@reddit
That's not true. It's one of the required lights per 49 CFR 393.11(a). Missing/removed is a defect.
notbannd4cussingmods@reddit
Yeah that's what I've always heard, maybe he was talking about the three lights on the rear? Idk. I've always been talk any defective light no matter where it's installed is a violation and that's what I go by.
Stanf_63@reddit
It was fine and operating when I left the yard officer, I swear
hotdog11inch@reddit
Straight to jail
Jamo3306@reddit
Yes, you can. Just be ready for a ticket. This is why the good ones keep a spare... everything. The shop might give you guff for it, but it's your liscence, not theirs. Short answer; professionals have solutions.
deadpat03@reddit
Make life easier for yourself. Get yourself some wire crimpers and strippers with But connectors, buy some 5$ trailer lights at Walmart keep them in your truck when you have this problem put them on and when your done with the trailer take them off. I have lights for just about every spot on the trailer. Even have magnetic battery powered clearance lights. I made indicators for the side that grip the side rail. Brake lights that do the same thing. Only issue is have with the brake lights they fucking ribbit them in.
nuget102@reddit
I prefer wago connectors for temporary fixes. A lot easier to just flip the switch to splice two wires together vs using butt connectors. I'm not sure on the requirement for wiring per FMSCA though, so that may not be acceptable.
Hamiltonmilehi28@reddit
No you can't
robexib@reddit
You theoretically can, but you're opening your butthole for reaming by pigs and bears. Those tickets are on you.
Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit
If I needed to drive it somewhere to get it fixed, I would log it in my DVIR and do exactly that. I have taken minor defects past scale houses, never do it with a major out of service.
National-Answer-9792@reddit
Depends on if you're kinda geeked out, or really tweaked out...most of the time, the answer would be yes you can, but on some really wild, other times, not at all can you be seen driving with one chicken light not lit up!
AcanthisittaNo7338@reddit
Yes, mark it as a minor in your book and carry-on.
Wadester58@reddit
Nooooo that's totally OOS better shut down call breakdown and wait for them to send a tech and sign off on repairs
Bigpete287@reddit
Ticket
Juan_Rempel@reddit
Not a ticket if it's in your pre trip, just a minor defect, not oos.
Juan_Rempel@reddit
Yep, infact if every single marker light failed, as long as it's in your pretrip, your legal. I would get it fixed before the next delivery.
Juan_Rempel@reddit
Also, you better be 100% legal everywhere else, you will get stopped at a scale, so be squicky clean.
mts6175@reddit
No, you will get imprisoned for 20 years and your citizenship revoked.
Cringey_NPC-574@reddit
Not my flip flops 😭
gizzmo1963@reddit
Mark it on your pre trip covers your a$$ than needs be fixed and signed off by who ever did it.
Alubsey@reddit
Yes.
Ornery_Ads@reddit
Its illegal (unless you have other lighting devices that meet the standard, which I don't see).
Will you get pulled? Probably not.
Can you? Yes.
Its a violation, but not an oos violation. Do with that information what you will.
chico-dust@reddit
You can drive it missing anything. It's whether you're willing to risk the citation for getting caught.
Auquaholic@reddit
Just get one from a truckstop and put it on. That's the best thing, because yes, you can get a ticket.
Delicious_Peace_2526@reddit
Minor defect. Write it up on your pre trip and get it repaired asap.
J-Rag-@reddit
Run it. Tell the company it's missing a marker light and needs to get fixed. Otherwise, run that bitch.
Terrible-Emu-2683@reddit
Just stop by the first truckstop you see and buy one, then get your company to reimburse you.
Shot_Moment_6125@reddit
I wouldn't, it will be a quick violation!
MarkFinancial8027@reddit
Certainly you can. You might get stopped by dot though.
Biomechsentry@reddit
Next time you pass by one of your terminals ask them for a spare. I always carry one just in case
Jetrobot@reddit
I would say no if it was the centre one but i don't really know now