FMCSA Seeks Comment on Fuel Hauler's Bid to Use Pulsing Brake Lights

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is taking public comment on a carrier's request to run trucks with brake lights that pulse when the driver brakes, something federal lighting rules don't allow today.

The notice, published in the Federal Register on October 26, 2026, covers an application from R.B. Stewart Petroleum Products, Inc. (USDOT No. 1290158). Comments are due by November 25, 2026, under docket FMCSA-2026-3730.

What the carrier wants

R.B. Stewart is asking for a five-year exemption from 49 CFR 393.25(e), which requires all exterior lamps on a commercial motor vehicle to be steady burning. The rule carves out turn signals, hazard warning lamps, school bus warning lamps, amber warning lamps on tow trucks and oversize-load vehicles, and warning lamps on authorized emergency and service vehicles. Brake lamps are not on that list.

The exemption would let the company use a module made by Intellistop, Inc. When the brakes are applied, the module pulses the rear clearance, identification and brake lamps from low to high intensity four times in two seconds. The lamps then stay steady for as long as the brakes are held.

The safety argument

According to FMCSA's summary, R.B. Stewart says the module would make its trucks more visible and help following drivers recognize a braking event sooner. The company says that matters most for its cargo tank trailers, where an earlier warning could give motorists behind more time to react and help prevent rear-end crashes.

The carrier points to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on enhanced rear lighting and signaling. It argues that pulsating brake lamps may increase visibility and reduce rear-end crashes, giving a level of safety equal to or better than the current rule.

Industry-wide request was denied in 2022

This is a carrier-specific request. On October 7, 2022, FMCSA denied Intellistop's application for an exemption that would have covered all motor carriers. In that decision, the agency said individual carriers could still apply to install and use the device, under terms that would let FMCSA monitor its use. The new notice says the agency is following that path with R.B. Stewart's application.

What happens next

Under federal law, FMCSA can grant an exemption only if it finds the carrier would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than what the regulation provides. After the comment period closes, the agency must publish its decision in the Federal Register. A grant would list the terms, conditions and length of the exemption. A denial must explain why.

The application and supporting materials are in the regulations.gov docket, where comments can also be filed.