Who can be liable after a commercial truck crash?

The driver and the motor carrier named on the door are the usual starting points. Depending on the facts, the trailer owner, a maintenance contractor, or a freight broker may also share responsibility. The USDOT number on the cab is how the carrier and its insurer are identified.

How long does a trucking company keep the driver's logs?

Federal rules require the carrier to keep hours of service records and supporting documents for six months. After that they can be lawfully destroyed. A preservation letter asks the carrier to keep them longer, and names the camera video and engine data that have no keeping rule at all.

Should I talk to the trucking company's insurance adjuster?

No. Their investigator's job is to build the carrier's defense, often starting the day of the crash. Give them our number and let the conversation happen between lawyers.

Truck Crash Checklist: Evidence Cars Do Not Have

Written and reviewed by Josh Kohanim, Esq., California Bar No. 328609 · Published September 9, 2026 · Reviewed October 1, 2026

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On the truck itself

The USDOT number on the cab door, and any MC numberThose numbers identify the motor carrier, its insurance filings, and its federal safety record. 49 CFR 390.21T requires the carrier's name and USDOT number on both sides; an MC number may appear beside them. Photograph the whole door.
The carrier name on the cab and the name on the trailerThey are often different companies. Both can be responsible.
Both plates, tractor and trailer, and the trailer numberA trailer can be owned by a third company, and a port chassis may carry its own provider's name on the curb side.
The load, the placards, the tarps, and the tiresHazmat placards, a shifted load, worn tires, or a missing underride guard can each point to a different company.

Vans and box trucks

The company name and number on both sides, including small print near the doorsCalifornia requires a vehicle that hauls other people's property for pay, and a two-axle truck over 10,000 pounds, to show the operating company's name and a USDOT or CA number on both sides under Vehicle Code 27900 and 34507.5. On a van the lettering can be small. Photograph all four sides and the rear.
A rental company's name on a box truckUnder 49 CFR 390.21T(e), a truck rented for 30 days or less may show the rental company's name and USDOT number instead of the company using it. The rental agreement carried in the truck names the renter. Ask the officer to record it.
The driver's badge, vest, or delivery company nameA van with a network's logo may be driven by an employee of a separate delivery company. Amazon says its delivery partners "as independent businesses hire and manage their own employees" (Amazon). A badge, a vest, or the officer's report may name the employer.
A unit number on the body or the bumperFederal maintenance records identify each vehicle by "company number, if so marked" under 49 CFR 396.3(b)(1), so the unit number ties this vehicle to its own repair file.
Look up the numbers you photographedOur find the company behind the vehicle tool turns a USDOT number, an MC number, or a company name into the company on record and the insurance it has filed.

From the driver and the officer

The driver's name, commercial license, and employerAsk whether the driver owns the truck or drives for the company on the door. The answer changes who pays.
Ask the officer to note the driver's hours and the electronic logbookFederal rules cap driving at 11 hours after 10 hours off under 49 CFR 395.3. The electronic logging device records it, and the carrier only has to keep the record for six months under 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1).
Ask the officer to record the carrier's insurance, not only the driver'sFor a for-hire interstate carrier of property in a truck of 10,001 pounds or more, the federal minimum is $750,000 under 49 CFR 387.9. That policy, not a personal auto policy, is the one that matters.
Time of day, weather, and how long the driver said he had been on the roadFatigue is proved with the clock. If he tells anyone “I've been driving since Phoenix,” write down the words and who heard them.

The same day

Do not talk to the trucking company's team, at the scene or afterThey are there to build the company's defense. Give them our number.
Call us so a preservation letter goes outThe letter names the dashcam, telematics, the electronic log, the driver's file, and the maintenance records, and goes to every company that holds them. If a carrier destroys evidence after receiving it, the jury can be told it may decide the evidence would have been unfavorable to the carrier (CACI No. 204).

What the preservation letter does

Driver logs must be kept six months. Camera video, telematics, and engine data have no keeping rule at all. A preservation letter names each record and each holder, so any later loss is measured against a written request. Our evidence guide lists every keeping period.

This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is formed only by a signed written fee agreement.

Checklist · at the sceneCommercial truck crash checklistWhat you capture that cars do not have.

On the truck itself

Vans and box trucks

From the driver and the officer

The same day

Questions about this tool

Get a free case review

Checklist · at the sceneCommercial truck crash checklistWhat you capture that cars do not have.

On the truck itself

Vans and box trucks

From the driver and the officer

The same day

Related pages

Questions about this tool

Get a free case review