Inches matter when it comes to bumper inspections
For three years running, DOT annual vehicle inspections have needed to include the rear impact guard, yet many trailers on the road today are still not up to spec when it comes to these critical safety devices.
To avoid this common violation, it may be time to get out your measuring tape and ensure your vehicle bumpers are compliant.
Annual checkup
In late 2021, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) added rear impact guards to the list of parts needing to pass an annual inspection, as found in Appendix A to 49 CFR Part 396. The criteria include details on the condition, placement, and size of the bumper, depending on vehicle type and year of manufacture.
Sometimes called an “ICC bumper” (after the name of the agency that first required them in 1952) a rear impact guard is required by 49 CFR 393.86 as well as by DOT manufacturing standards in Part 571.
What to look for
The following bumper inspection standards must be used when performing DOT annual vehicle inspections. Refer to 393.86 for exceptions. A vehicle with any of the following conditions will FAIL its inspection and should not be on the road.
For trailers and semitrailers with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more, manufactured on or after January 26, 1998:
- Missing guard.
- Guard is not securely attached to trailer, including broken or missing fasteners, any welds or parent metal cracked, or other damage that compromises secure attachment of the guard.
- Guard horizontal member does not extend to within 4 inches of each side extremity of the vehicle, or extends beyond either side extremity of the vehicle.
- Guard horizontal member is more than 22 inches above the ground.
- Guard horizontal member is more than 12 inches forward of the rear extremity of the vehicle.
- Guard horizontal member does not have a cross sectional vertical height of at least 4 inches across its entire width.
For other commercial vehicles (1953 or newer) on which the vertical distance between the rear bottom edge of the body (or the chassis assembly if the chassis is the rearmost part of the vehicle) and the ground is greater than 30 inches when the vehicle is empty:
- Missing guard.
- Guard is not securely attached to trailer by bolts, welding, or other comparable means.
- Guard horizontal member is more than 30 inches above the ground.
- Guard horizontal member does not extend to within 18 inches of each side extremity of the vehicle.
- Guard horizontal member is more than 24 inches forward of the rear extremity of the vehicle.
What about the label?
One item missing from the annual inspection criteria is the DOT certification label that manufacturers are required to place on each bumper. A missing label will not result in a failed inspection (and in fact, the FMCSA is deciding whether to remove the labeling requirement entirely).
Note that the label can appear on either the front or back side of the bumper.
Key to remember: If you haven’t already, be sure to add rear impact guards to the list of items you need to inspect annually on your commercial vehicles, and make sure your drivers report any bumper damage.