City Horn
 

During my pre-trip I noticed that the city horn didn't work. the air horn, however, worked fine. I asked the mechanic about it and he said that it was company policy to not maintain the city horn and that you only need the air-horn.

I always thought that you needed both and in every inspection I've had the DOT always asked me to use them both.

Do you need both?

answer 1: If its on the truck- it's suppose to work. If DOT inspector wants you to blow it-- it better work.( But you already knew that )

answer 2: MY volvo only has 1 horn. air or otherwise. I would think- the city horn is more DOT "required" than the big air horn.

Right, 393.81 says "Horn" in the singular not "Horns" so that means to me only one is needed but if its on the truck it had better work is what I thought.

I always thought that the city horn was kinda useless with the air horn and a needless expense on a vehicle.

Let out a loud fart.:)

Most of the DOT inspectors I have had the pleasure of dealing with the last few years, prefer that the airhorn work more so than the city horn. Especially the CHP, but I have also found it true with units like the Houston PD, the Nashville PD, and even the Bayonne PD.

But there are always the sticklers.....like the Ontario officer out there on 401. Made me toot that city horn 3 times.......just to hear it bleep I guess. :roll: :roll:

I always heard it explained along the following.

If you lose your Air and are rolling off Grapevine or Cabbage with no Air- that Air Horn isn't gonna work anyway-- and besides you probably got more important problems/concerns on your mind in this instance.

Now the "city horn" is far more "polite" and "professional" to be blowing in "traffic"- it doesn't scare the little ol ladies and give em heart attacks.

Now if you can't get stopped and run an intersection-- they want you to blow the big air horn. Mainly, this will get the attention of any near-by Police so they will notice your infraction and can immediately issue the appropriate citation! :thumbsup:

The seat will go to the floor too, right?

Air horn is on the secondary system along with any other air operated devices. Brakes are on the primary.

I went round and round about this same issue when I was with Werner.

Werner said, the regs only require only one horn to work.

When I talked with various DOT officers I got different answers. Several said both had to be working. Couple said it doesn't matter as long as one of them works. Couple said the air horn only is required. Couple said the city horn is the only one required.

393.81
Every Bus, truck, truck tractor, and every driven motor vehicle in a driveaway-towaway operations shall be equipped with A horn and actuating elements which shall be in such condition as to give an adequate and reliable warning signal.

A- would indicate singular. You only need 1.

I agree that after reading the reg it is in the singular so means one but I've always been told that if its on your truck as original equipment it should work.

That's right. If it's on the truck, it is required to work. That also includes all fluids.
A while back, one of our drivers got an inspection, and he got a warning because the windshield washer reservoir was low.

Are you spying on me?

How did you know my washer fluid low indicator light was on?

But, I've never had a DOT EVER ask me to Wash my windows to prove I had fluid..

Just got a Level-2 "walk around" inspection done in Jefferson, SD POE I-29

He had me turn on my wipers and blow the horn. Didn't ask for two horns or to see washer fluid squirt out.

He got pulled into the rest area south of Henrietta (on hwy 287), back when they had the DOT blitz a couple months ago. He said they had him pull the hood, battery box, and had the creepers out. Got the warning on the washer fluid. I'm surprised they didn't find anything else. Bald trailer tires, trailer breaks out of adjustment.. :lol:

I always thought that if it was on the truck it had to work also but according to 393.9, that is not the case. I know this refers to lights and not horns but it applies just in the fact that we have all been told that it had to be working if on the truck and the rule plainly disputes that! The key words are "required" and "additional".




§393.9 Lamps operable, prohibition of obstructions of lamps and reflectors.

(a) All lamps required by this subpart shall be capable of being operated at all times. This paragraph shall not be construed to require that any auxiliary or additional lamp be capable of operating at all times.

So, the "factory"-required lights have to be working, but not the extra chicken lights? I always thought that all lights had to work. I didn't know that.

I remember when that light law got changed. Alot of guys were getting popped by their christmas lights and I think that one of them finally took it to court and got the rule clarified.

Washer: I've had the DOT ask "turn on your windshield wipers" about everytime a level two was performed. I've never been asked to squirt the fluid. I've always been asked to blow BOTH horns.

Regulations are fine and all, but you'll never get a big smile and a wave from a little kid for tooting your wimpy electric horn as they pass you on the highway and give the universal signal. Be sure to keep this in mind.

This is soo true, and you know-- at least for me.. there's nothing that makes a bad day better than that 1 little guy smiling after you've blown that big air horn... kinda makes YOUR day as well has putting a smile on a little one's face.

Now if just a few more drivers would just stick to blowing their horn and not throwing out their "trucker bombs"-- we might continue to be 'admired' and not looked down upon.

I know that I am a rookie and all, but it seems like a lot of kids these days don't ask for the air horn. When I was a kid we would do it to every truck we passed on a road trip.

You know that DOT regulations are the minimum requirement for the states to follow. They can (and many have) stricter requirements.
After reviewing the past 100 inspections,4 light violations (non-required DOT) in CA,MI,NE,&PA all 4 were written up on state/local laws as defective equipment. In Allen Park MI the driver was pulled over and written a ticket for a light out(defective equipment) the fine for an auto was 135.00, CMV was 270.00

Anyone notice that the national average for OOS went from 23.1 to 33.33 for equipment and 7.8 to 9.09 for drivers?

Yeah. It's the economy- they got to squeeze us poor folks out of that extra 10% in revenue to make up the short fall.