Pick up cab clearance lights - required?

[MechE1]

Members, I've been searching high and low for an absolute answer to this. I'm getting ready to order a new F350 SRW. Personally, I do not care for the look of the cab clearance lights. My intention was to not order them. However, after reading all kinds of posts, from all kinds of sources I think I may be required to have them. But yet, there's nothing definitive out there to answer.

Let's keep it to REQUIRED and not desired please.

Any vehicle over 80 inches wide are required to have them. This is why F150/Raptors come with them and also DRW trucks. Fine. Understood. Stock Super Duty is 80 inches wide, thus, not required.

What if:
1. I extended the wheels 1 inch out? Then it makes them required doesn't it?
2. What if I tow a boat or equipment trailer? Low profile, but wider than 80 inches. So then are they required?

This seems to be a very murky area which has no definite answer. My intentions are to tow tractor and implements in the near future so I'm only talking about an equipment trailer that will be over the requirement for clearance lights and vehicle weight. Likely also it will be a GN trailer. For size and weight reasons I'll likely, but reluctantly, choose the clearance light option. Reason, the clearance lights are supposed to alert the oncoming traffic that you are a wider/heavier vehicle. I suppose that makes sense enough for me to choose the option now.

In the future I would likely entertain a high profile RV in which case it seems logical to have them as some RV's do not have clearance lights.

Any feedback from experiences or links to sources (fed/state) would be appreciated.

 

[RickB]

There’s an active thread about CDL licensing here with commentary from a NYS DOT cop that seems to know everything. Take that however you wish.

 

[prof fate]

I've never understood why some pickups have them and some do not.

I have a SRW F350, pretty base model, and it has them. My friend has a '17 Denali and it has them (and a whole lot more toys on it too).

I thought it was based on weight rating...more so than size. My silverado 1500 didn't have them (7000 gvrw) and I pulled campers and such that are 80in and such. The F350 is GVWR of 10,500.

And it's a federal law you cannot run around with a hitch ball on the back and NO trailer..yet I don't know anyone that's ever been busted for it (crash issues is the reason)

 

[MechE1]

Thanks guys. Prof fate, is your friends '17 Denali a 1/2 ton rated truck? I have not kept up on Chevy and the Denali model. If so, from what I read, 1/2 ton in some states it is non-compliant to have cab lights. But then again, if it's over 80 inches and 1/2 ton then.....(Rapter) Murky.

 

[oosik]

You know - the answer seems sooo obvious. The poster is in Illinois - he should call DOT-Ill and get the correct answer straight from the horses mouth. It will do him NO GOOD, at all, when stopped by a state trooper - and his response - "Well, that's what I was told on TBN".

 

[RickB]

That’s good advise. He could call 3 times and get 3 different answers then do as he wishes. About the same as asking here. ��

 

[Reb954]

I can't point you to any laws but my understanding has always been the cab lights and 3 center lights in the back of a trailer are to indicate a combination vehicle. I have never heard it had anything to do with weight or size of vehicle. Most travel trailers have the 3 lights in the center, front and back, so the pulling vehicle doesn't need the cab lights.

 

[oosik]

You having a particular bad day Rick or do you just need to use the restroom.

 

[RickB]

You having a particular bad day Rick or do you just need to use the restroom.

Actually my experience trying to get an accurate interpretation of DOT regs goes a lot like that. The answer depends on who you ask, and the amount of grief you get depends on whether the guy with the badge agrees with what you were told.

 

[Ritothebull]

Clearance lights are on the sides of the truck or trailer to show the width, I think the lights on the cab roof are just to show oncoming traffic that it's a large vehicle.