Trucking & Warehousing Articles

Cargo that shifts during transit presents a potentially serious struck-by hazard when the trailer doors are opened. The danger of falling freight is well recognized in the commercial trucking industry and has been addressed by regulations and industry standards.

This article explores the regulations that govern trucks and their cargo from the site of the shipper, the truck and driver on the road, and the destination receiver, as well as the standards of care that must be followed in order to prevent injuries.

A large segment of the truck driving population is composed of drivers who work locally and are home most nights. In this article, Commercial Trucking Expert Michael O’Dell explores the unique challenges that LTL delivery drivers regularly face.

LTL truck companies often employ drivers with diverse experiences and abilities, including over-the-road drivers, regional drivers, shuttle drivers, and local drivers. LTL, (Less than Truckload) drivers make multiple small deliveries and freight pickups within a local area. Because of the multi-stop nature of their deliveries, these drivers (especially if untrained or inexperienced) are at risk for vehicle accidents: injuries from unloading/loading and moving product from truck to truck; slips, trips, or falls in the ordinary course of work; and being struck by equipment while working in various shipping and receiving locations.

In this webinar, experts from our trucking operations practice discuss processes and procedures for identifying problem drivers, including pre-hire screening and on-going processes relevant to both CDL and non-CDL drivers.

The trucking industry often uses the vernacular “DOT Regulations,” when in fact they are referring to the FMCSA regulations. The 39 sections of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Interpretations, if printed, would comprise over 1000 pages. Some of the sections only address a narrow segment of the industry (i.e. household goods, hazardous materials) while other sections address administrative issues like insurance requirements and cargo claims.

In this article, Commercial Trucking Expert, Brooks Rugemer provides an overview of the core FMSCA regulations that are referenced most frequently in forensic trucking investigations.

Illegal maneuvers such as U-turns are among the top 10 causes of crashes involving trucks and cars each year. Trucking industry standards state that it’s almost never acceptable for a truck or tractor-trailer to perform a U-turn, and that is should be seen as a last resort. Many of the major motor carriers in the U.S. forbid U-turns entirely.

In this article, trucking operations expert Timothy Bussard shares one of this previous investigations, where a truck making a U-turn crashed into an oncoming van.

Parking or stopping a tractor trailer on the shoulder of a roadway creates a hazard for the motoring public, and is generally prohibited by trucking company safety policies. In this article, trucking operations expert, Brooks Rugemer discusses the dangers of shoulder parking, and issues that should be considered when investigating these incidents.

In today’s economy there are many companies that provide transportation vehicles to their employees, or utilize an employee’s personal vehicle to provide various services to the public, such as plumbing and electrical services, passenger or public transportation services, and food delivery. Non-CDL drivers use vehicles for commercial purposes on a daily basis, sharing streets and roadways with other motorists and pedestrians.

In this article, commercial trucking expert Tim Bussard describes the responsibility that companies have to properly vet, train, supervise, and monitor their drivers as well as the vehicles they will be using to ensure safety to the public.

The flatbed segment of the trucking industry has a unique set of challenges and hazards that, if not properly managed, can lead to worker injuries or deaths. In this article, commercial trucking expert Brooks Rugemer discusses the hazards that exist in hauling and loading/unloading cargo from a flatbed truck, and provides examples of what can go wrong.

Commercial transportation expert, Brooks Rugemer was interviewed on NPR’s Houston Matters to discuss the fatal bus crash involving Houston high school students. Brooks discusses the early stages of investigating such incidents, the safety of charter bus operations, and relevant regulations.

Many of the systems and components that record incident and crash data on heavy trucks are different than those found on conventional passenger vehicles. In this article, vehicle engineer Marcus Mazza, P.E. provides an overview of Heavy Truck Event Data Recorders (Black Boxes), including how they are different from automotive systems, what information is typically available, and other useful information for anyone investigating a heavy truck crash incident.


The experts at Robson Forensic investigate the full range of issues related to heavy truck incidents. We offer experts specializing in trucking operations, crash reconstruction, repair and inspection, vehicle and component design, and the download and analysis of HTEDR data. Please contact us for help determining which of our experts is best suited to address the technical issues in your case.

Studies suggest that fatigue and/or sleep deprivation may be a contributing factor in at least 30 to 40 percent of all heavy truck crashes. This article explores the effects of sleep deprivation and how the trucking industry works to improve safety on the roadways.

In this article, Mechanical Engineer, Stanley Jaworski, P.E., provides an introduction to industrial truck inspection and repair, including some of the relevant standards.

In this investigation, a heavy vehicle engineer at Robson Forensic constructed a cardboard analog to prove her theory of how and why a semi-trailer collapsed under the weight of a forklift.

In this article, one of our automotive engineering experts explains some of the engineering solutions that are used to improve safety for those entering and exiting large trucks. This includes a discussion of the three point rule and other safety procedures that should be followed to prevent potentially serious injuries.

Commercial trucking expert, Brooks Rugemer, was retained on behalf of the plaintiff in a case where a federal jury awarded nearly $3.5 million related to a fatal tractor-trailer accident. The victim in this case, a mechanic, was killed instantly when the tractor-trailer he was repairing lurched forward because the driver allegedly pressed the ignition button while it was still in gear