Are backup alarms required for DOT inspection?
 

Title about says it. I'm taking my truck in for inspection in a couple of days. I've got a mounted fire extinguisher, triangles and first aid kit. Do I need a backup alarm?

Not that I've ever been aware of. How many tractors do you see on the road with backup alarms? Maybe 1-2% at best. I've been on job sites with a dump truck where they were required, so I think it's more of an individual site that would require them. In fact, that one dump truck was the ONLY truck I've EVER been in that had the alarm. It didn't have one on it until the boss won the bid, so he installed it at that time.

Thanks Mal. Yeah I've done a little more googling since posting that and I'm thinking it's an OSHA thing. Off-road vehicles, like for instance construction equipment, are required to have them.

Since you are going to be doing your deal with a straight truck instead of a semi, you probably should consider mounting a back-up alarm. You are going to be backing quite a bit more frequently than a lot of units.

You're right Tex. And even more so because I've always had a backup alarm on semis. They were leases from Penske and Ryder and I always insisted on one - anything to avoid fender benders. The only real reason I pause (besides the fact that I still have tons of work to do to get this truck and me ready for the road), is that the feds are currently studying requiring straight trucks to have a round mirror mounted on a rear corner like ups trucks do. Maybe I should do that when I get a chance and not worry about the backup alarm.

I know around here the garbage trucks are required to have backup alarms. I am required to have one since it's a dump truck.

Both are reasonably cheap to install if you are a good mechanic!

It is more or less an OSHA thing. If you are on jobsites with laborers and what not working and running around. It does help out alot. Guys here them and get the F out of your way. Buts its no law. Not in PA anyway. I know of a few dump trucks that got kicked off jobs cuz they didnt have any.

A long time ago, when they were tearing down Gandy bridge inTampa, I worked for the company that was hauling the beams away, at the start we had to back 3 miles out onto the bridge. they had a guy with a radio who would be on the end with us and tell us when to start backing out, we backed up pretty fast because it was so far... one day, he told me to go ahead and I started back and he walked right behind me. After the ambulance picked him up, our boss called and told us all to come to the shop and have backup alarms installed. it wouldn't have helped him, he knew I was backing up, I dont know why the hell he walked behind me