Trailer, cargo, and equipment records can identify a question after a crash, but they do not by themselves establish a rule violation, fault, or a claim outcome.

Record the physical details and source

  • Trailer type, plate, unit or container number, cargo description, visible placement, tie-downs, tarps, gates, lights, debris, and equipment
  • Photographs, video, report entries, tow records, repair records, and the date each item was created or received
  • What was observed at the scene versus information shown later in a record or reported by another person
  • Unknown cargo, loading, custody, maintenance, and inspection information left unresolved

Keep the regulatory question separate

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Cargo Securement Rules describe requirements for many cargo-carrying commercial-motor-vehicle operations. Applicability and compliance depend on the operation, vehicle, cargo, date, records, and other facts.

Questions involving a commercial-vehicle collision may be considered in a North Carolina trucking-accident claim, which requires a fact-specific review.

Source