Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026:
- Should FMCSA allow these radar-activated, rear-end collision warning lights to be used industry-wide?
- Fuel-haul fleet wants brake-activated pulsating lights on trailers.
- Big Ford truck recall over instrument cluster tach/speedometer accuracy.
Grote’s lighting exemption request: Comments back open
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reopened the comment period for an exemption request from Grote Industries to allow motor carriers to operate CMVs equipped with auxiliary warning lamps controlled by Grote's Rear-End Collision Warning (RCW) system.
FMCSA previously accepted comments on the request in February, but Grote provided additional information on the design and operation of the RCW system, including the color and activation sequence of the auxiliary warning lamps, the interaction between the RCW and brake-activated functionality, system operation on combination vehicles, and the operation of the radar detection system.
As originally reported, Grote’s RCW system uses rear-facing, long-range radar to calculate time-to-collision (TTC) for vehicles approaching from behind and activates auxiliary warning lamps when a collision risk threshold is reached. The system activates a signal circuit when the TTC is less than or equal to a specific safety threshold -- typically between 2.1 and 4.0 seconds -- representing the average time required for a driver and vehicle to react to a hazard.
In documents provided to FMCSA upon request, Grote clarified that when operating as part of the RCW system, the auxiliary warning lamps pulse in amber for up to four seconds with each activation of the RCW signal circuit and do not transition to a steady-burning red indication. Grote explained that the transition from amber pulsation to steady-burning red is associated with the brake-activated auxiliary pulsating lamp function, not the RCW warning function.
The RCW system uses the same auxiliary lamps as its brake-activated auxiliary pulsating lamp system. When an RCW event and a braking event occur at the same time, Grote said the brake-activated function takes precedence over the RCW function, so when the service brakes are applied during an RCW event, the auxiliary lamps would transition from the RCW warning sequence to the applicable brake-activated warning sequence.
Additionally, Grote clarified that the RCW system does not require the vehicle’s driver to activate or otherwise interact with the system and that operation of the RCW radar would not interfere with other radar-based vehicle detection systems.
FMCSA is accepting comments on the supplemental information here through Nov. 19.
Tanker fleet requests lighting exemption
Fuel distribution fleet R.B. Stewart Petroleum Products petitioned FMCSA for its own lighting exemption, which would allow the company to install Intellistop lighting modules on its vehicles.
The Intellistop modules, which have been approved by FMCSA for use by other fleets, pulses the rear clearance, identification, and brake lamps from low-level lighting intensity to high-level lighting intensity 4 times in 2 seconds when the brakes are applied, then return the lights to a steady-burning state while brakes remain engaged.
R.B. Stewart said using the modules would enhance visibility of its vehicles under braking and provide an additional layer of protection from rear-end collisions.
FMCSA is accepting comments on the request here through Nov. 25.
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Ford recalls 102K pickups for instrument cluster issue
Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 102,000 pickup trucks, most of which are of the company’s heavy-duty Super Duty variety. The recall stems from an issue with the analog cluster’s tachometer and speedometer, which may become stuck or move erratically, providing inaccurate readings to the driver.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, that causes the trucks to fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Included in the recall are 91,588 model year 2025-’26 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD and F-600 SD vehicles, along with a single 2026 F-750 SD unit. The remaining 10,570 trucks recalled are 2026 F-150 models.
Dealers will replace the instrument cluster modules, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were expected to be mailed Oct. 26. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December.
Owners can contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 with recall number 26C46. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-653.
