A commercial-truck crash can involve evidence held by the driver, motor carrier, trailer owner, shipper, broker, maintenance contractor, device vendor, and public agencies. Some records are routinely overwritten or retained for limited periods. This guide explains what may exist and why prompt, targeted preservation matters.
Video: Why Truck Accident Evidence Must Be Preserved Quickly
Jeremiah Jaspon explains why acting quickly after a Florida truck crash matters when important evidence may be controlled by the trucking company.
Identify the people, companies, and equipment
- Driver’s name, license information, employer, and contact details
- Power unit and trailer license plates
- USDOT and motor-carrier numbers displayed on the vehicle
- Carrier, vehicle owner, trailer owner, shipper, broker, and cargo owner
- Insurance information provided at the scene
- Truck make, model, unit number, VIN, and trailer number
- Cargo type, placards, seals, bills of lading, and load information visible or exchanged
- Investigating agencies and whether a specialized commercial-vehicle inspection occurred
Driver and electronic records
- Electronic logging device records: An ELD can record driving time, duty status, date, time, approximate location, engine hours, vehicle miles, and driver, vehicle, and carrier identifiers. FMCSA notes that ELDs are not required to capture braking, steering, or speed-performance data.
- Records of duty status and supporting documents: Logs can be compared with dispatch records, trip records, bills of lading, receipts, payroll or settlement records, and electronic communications.
- Dispatch and communications: Messages may show assignments, route changes, delivery pressure, delays, mechanical reports, and driver-carrier communications.
- Qualification and safety records: Depending on the issues, relevant materials may include the driver qualification file, licensing, medical certification, training, prior violations, drug-and-alcohol testing, and carrier safety procedures.
- Personal devices: Phone evidence must be obtained lawfully and with a defined connection to the crash; assumptions are not a substitute for records.
Truck, trailer, maintenance, and inspection evidence
- Engine-control or event-data modules and other onboard systems
- Telematics, GPS, camera, collision-warning, and fleet-management data
- Post-crash downloads and inspection photographs
- Annual and roadside inspection records
- Driver vehicle-inspection reports and defect reports
- Repair orders, maintenance schedules, recalls, and parts records
- Tire condition, age, pressure, tread, and replacement history
- Brake inspection, adjustment, repair, and component records
- Lighting, conspicuity tape, underride protection, steering, and suspension records when relevant
- Truck and trailer condition before any repair, salvage, or destructive testing
Cargo and loading evidence
- Bills of lading, manifests, weights, scale tickets, and seal records
- Loading diagrams, securement methods, photographs, and inspection records
- Shipper, loader, broker, and receiver communications
- Hazardous-material classifications and required documents
- Reefer or temperature data when it relates to scheduling or equipment issues
Independent crash evidence
- Full scene and vehicle photographs, including company markings and unit numbers
- Dashcam, business, residential, traffic, and fleet video
- Witness identities and recorded recollections obtained appropriately
- 911, dispatch, body-camera, and agency photographs
- Road geometry, construction, signs, signals, weather, lighting, and sight distance
- Tow, recovery, cargo-transfer, storage, and salvage records
- Measurements, scans, reconstruction data, and physical evidence collected by investigators
Why preservation should be targeted
A preservation request should identify the crash, relevant vehicles and people, date range, systems, and categories of information with enough precision that the recipient can act on it. A vague demand for “everything” may miss the most important device or custodian. A serious case may require prompt inspection protocols and qualified experts before equipment is repaired or released.
Florida law requires a long-form crash report when a commercial motor vehicle is involved. That report is a starting point, not a substitute for carrier and vehicle evidence. Some evidence is controlled by the carrier or another third party and may require a timely, properly directed preservation request.