FMCSA seeks comment on Metronet's bid to run pulsating brake lamps on trailers and service pickups
The telecom contractor wants a five-year exemption from the steady-burning lamp rule. Pickups are the new piece: Grote's existing exemption does not cover them. Comments are due Dec. 4.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is asking for public comment on a request from Metronet to use an amber pulsating brake lamp on its trailers, van-body straight trucks and pickup service vehicles. Comments are due December 4, 2026 under docket FMCSA-2026-2707, according to the Federal Register notice published November 4.
The rule in question
49 CFR 393.25(e) requires all exterior lamps to be steady burning. The exceptions are turn signals, hazard warning lamps, school bus warning lamps, amber or flashing warning lamps on tow trucks and on vehicles hauling oversized loads, and warning lamps on emergency and service vehicles authorized by state or local authorities.
Metronet applied for a five-year exemption to run Grote Industries' Auxiliary Strobe & Stop Lamp in addition to the steady-burning brake lamps the regulations already require.
How the lamp would work
- When the brakes are applied, the auxiliary lamp runs as a Class II strobe for up to four seconds, then stays steady red while the brake circuit is active.
- When the brakes are off, the lamp stays off.
- It would be added to the required brake lamps, not replace them.
What is new
FMCSA already granted Grote an exemption, running to December 2, 2030, that lets motor carriers use its auxiliary pulsating brake lamps on trailers and van-body straight trucks (90 FR 51430). Metronet's request adds pickup truck service vehicles, which that exemption does not cover.
FMCSA notes that a pickup is a commercial motor vehicle under the safety regulations only if it has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more and operates in interstate commerce. The agency says Metronet did not explain whether any of its vehicles operate in interstate commerce.
What Metronet says
Metronet says pulsating auxiliary brake lamps make vehicles easier to see and may cut rear-end crashes. It reports that rear-end collisions made up 19 percent of its reportable crashes in 2025. It cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research on enhanced rear-signaling systems, and notes that FMCSA has granted similar exemptions to National Tank Truck Carriers, Grote and Waste Management.
How to comment
Submit comments at regulations.gov by clicking the notice and then "Comment." Mail, hand delivery and fax are also accepted. Include the docket number and the section of the notice your comment addresses. FMCSA says it will consider all comments received by the close of business on December 4.
If the agency grants the request, it must publish its decision in the Federal Register, with the effective period and any conditions.