NEWS ARTICLE

Is Your Truck Fleet
In Violation of
USDOT Regulations
Fines Up To $500 Per Violation

McLean, VA - May 15, 2008
Author: Valerie Beall, President of TruckAds

Your truck fleet may be In violation of U.S. Department of Transportation Regulations and subject to fines up to $500 per violation. Although you may think you are in compliance with all USDOT commercial carrier safety regulations, you might not be if you are using metal frame systems to display vinyl banner advertising on the sides of 102” wide vehicles.

vehicles not to exceed 102.36” inches, excluding mirrors and certain safety devices. Each state is mandated to be “as stringent as” federal law and may elect to adopt more stringent requirements. In an effort to maximize the cargo space (payload area), many truck and trailer manufacturers build box trucks and trailers 102" inches wide. This leaves only .36” inches to add hazmat signage and other truck add-ons, such as frame systems permanently or temporarily affixed to truck sides for the purposes of displaying advertising media. Anything over 102.36” inches is illegal and subject to citation and fines.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Width Limits
(Graphic courtesy of USDOT)

Consider the following. In a research study conducted by TruckAds® on 102” inch wide trucks with metal frames attached to both sides, it was found that overall truck width (measured from outside edge to outside edge) ranged between 102.90” inches to 105.0” inches; clearly exceeding federal maximum width limitations of 102.36” inches by up to 2.54”. The frame and vinyl banner additions caused every truck measured (and truck owner) to be in violation of USDOT width regulations.

Researchers were unable to find a commercially produced metal banner frame installed on both sides of a 102" inch wide truck that met the USDOT width regulations. The results of this study, inspired TruckAds® CEO, Rod Harris, to design a frame system that: 1) meets the USDOT width regulations on 102” inch wide trucks and 2) has a proven highway safety record of continuous commercial use for over 5 years and 15 million miles without failure. TruckAds® proprietary, patent pending “Invisible Frame System” when attached to both sides of a 102” inch wide truck projects only 0.34375 inches, resulting in an overall width total of 102.34375 inches; slightly less than the maximum width of 102.36 inches allowed by USDOT.

Each state is responsible for enforcing width regulations on commercial vehicles and setting violation fees, which can be up to $500 per violation. If your truck is stopped for a moving violation or involved in an accident, State Highway Patrol officers are authorized to check compliance with all state and federal regulations (including width). Knowingly or unknowingly, violating federal law is illegal; can present a public safety hazard and places the truck owner, frame manufacturer and banner installation company at financial risk, in the event of an accident.

Don’t let this happen to you. Check the width of the trucks you are using to display advertising media, replace frame systems that exceed the federal width limitations of 102.36” inches and check with your State Department of Transportation regarding highway transportation safety regulations. Drive smart. Drive safe.

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