Are These New LED Flares Legal Instead Of Triangles?
Topic 28428 | Page 1
Mike those have been around for several years. They are a replacement for road flares. They work great, but do not replace the triangles.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Reflective triangles never burn out or need batteries. LEDs are ok as an addition, but triangles are a must.
Oh good, I guessed right. (I just completed day 3 of truck driving school. I'm still a bit overwhelmed. It's nice to be 61 years old and be a newbie at something again. 
Now reading in the FMCSR, a driver can have either 3 reflective triangles or 6 flares or (this is the BEST!) 3 smudge pots.
How many of you know what a smudge pot is, or have ever heard of one?
How long ago do you think this directive was written?
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Now reading in the FMCSR, a driver can have either 3 reflective triangles or 6 flares or (this is the BEST!) 3 smudge pots.
How many of you know what a smudge pot is, or have ever heard of one?
How long ago do you think this directive was written?
I have heard of a smudge pot, never seen one or used one lol. I think that is a leftover reg from the very beginning and IMO one of the reasons the people who want to write the rules, should go through and read the rules and clean that stuff up before they worry about making new ones.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Smudgers are COOL! They look like cannon balls, have a visible flame, and give off a decent column of smoke. I remember seeing them in construction areas, long before the solar recharged lamps on the construction horses came along.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
There is a bunch of companies making these LED, flashing orange roadside emergency flares. This is one of them:
As far as I can see, the DOT requires CMV's to carry 3 reflective triangles. Would these LED flashers be legal as an alternative to triangles? They're far more visible, (literally by miles), and likely to slow down oncoming traffic much better than a triangle, but the book says triangles? I'm in CDL school and I have never gone through a DOT inspection. I know some of the inspectors can be quite anal.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
CMV:
Commercial Motor Vehicle
A CMV is a vehicle that is used as part of a business, is involved in interstate commerce, and may fit any of these descriptions: