DOT Reflective Tape Requirements for Trucks & Trailers
Trucks exceeding 10,000 pounds and over 80 inches wide must mark their trailers with 2″ wide DOT C2 reflective tape that alternates white and red. (white looks silvery in the daytime). A 6/6 (6″ red and 6″ white) or a 7/11 (7″ white and 11″ red) pattern can be used. 50% of each side must be covered. (even distribution) In the rear, two strips of reflective trailer tape must be used in the lower rear and an inverted L using solid white must mark the top corners of the trailer. Due to these strict DOT reflective tape requirements for trucks, all vehicles must be marked with this high-visibility red and white reflective tape in a similar fashion to comply with all safety standards.
2021 FRA 224 Retro Reflective Tape Requirements according to Federal Law
FRA 224 Railroad Reflective Tape – in 2005 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) required all railroad cars and locomotives to have reflective tape installed on the sides of them. This was to reduce side collisions at railroad crossings, especially at unmarked crossings. It is noteworthy that many railcars are painted a naturally dark color, and that they have no lighting on them. Thus, a parked train at a country road crossing without gates, after dark, presents a serious hazard to other road traffic approaching the crossing. This retro-reflective tape must bear the FRA-224 mark imprinted every 18” on the tape and be must be 4” in width. Either yellow or white can be used, but yellow is by far the most popular color. All reflective tape must be retro-reflective meaning it must reflect light back directly to the light source and not be scattered. The FRA requires that a vertical 36” piece of rail car reflective tape, or 2 consecutive pieces of 18” tape be installed as close to each end of the railroad car as possible. In between these end pieces there shall be additional pieces of tape applied in a size of 4”x18” with no more than 12 feet between individual pieces. Additionally, the rail car reflective tape shall not be installed below the bottom sill of any railcar. And the bottom edge of all pieces of tape shall be as close as possible to 42” above the rails. Tape shall be installed on both sides of every rail car. Passenger trains are exempt from reflective tape requirements.
SEE THE DOWNLOAD ON THIS PAGE FOR MORE EXACT DRAWINGS OF ALL TYPES OF RAILROAD CARS WITH REFLECTIVE TAPE INSTALLED.
2021 DOT Conspicuity Tape (Reflective Tape) requirements according to Federal Law
In 1992 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a federal guideline requiring that all trailers from manufactured from 1993, and that have a width of 80” or greater and have a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 or more must have 2” retro reflective red and white reflective tape installed according to guidelines. This reflective trailer tape is known across the industry as DOT-C2 reflective tape which stands for Department of Transportation 2” tape. It is also commonly known as conspicuity tape. Due to these strict DOT trailer regulations, a solid line of this reflective DOT tape must be installed on the lower rear of every truck trailer, and 50% of each side of every truck trailer must be covered. These lengths of reflective trailer tape must be between 15” and 60” above road surface to provide ultimate nighttime visibility. At the top rear corners of every truck trailer, there must be 2 inverted “L” shapes of red and white reflective tape with each leg being 12” in length. As an increasingly popular marketing strategy, Federal Law allows trucking company logos to be imprinted within the reflective trailer tape. See our reflective logo product page for more info.
SEE THE DOWNLOAD ON THIS PAGE FOR MORE EXACT DRAWINGS OF ALL TYPES OF TRUCKS- TRAILERS WITH REFLECTIVE TAPE INSTALLED.
If you need reflective tape for your industry, look no further than the professionals at Briargate Supply for all of your reflective tape needs. No matter how big or small your needs are, we’re here to help find what you’re looking for. Contact us today to get started!
