YouTube video (Anthony LaFazia, Apr 24, 2025) giving practical safety steps for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators: pre-trip vehicle inspections (brakes, tires, lights, reflective devices, emergency equipment, load securement) and guidance on when crashes must be reported to FMCSA and state authorities. Emphasizes that even with precautions accidents can occur and describes FMCSA reportable-crash criteria (vehicle types and outcomes such as fatality, injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from scene, or vehicle towed/disabled).
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You have the information you need to control your wheels, but are those wheels safe? Before going on the road, make sure safety inspections have been completed. Pay particular attention to the brakes and tires. You should also check that all directional brake and hazard lights are in working order and reflective devices are in place. Check that you have all required emergency equipment too. You should have a functioning fire extinguisher, spare fuses and warning devices such as reflective triangles and flares. And finally, make sure your load is well balanced and secure so it can't shift when you're moving. A shifting load can cause you to lose control or roll over. No matter how many precautions you take, you may still end up in an accident. FMCSA requires that you report any accident if your vehicle and the result of the accident meet certain criteria. Truck and bus Crashes Reportable to FMCSA states that you must report if your vehicle is one of the A truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds or a gross combination weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds used on public highways or any motor vehicle with seating to transport nine or more people, including the driver's seat or any motor vehicle displaying a hazardous materials placard, regardless of weight and the accident results in one of the a fatality Any person killed in or outside of the vehicle, truck, bus, car, etc. Involved in the crash or who dies within 30 days of the crash as a result of an injury sustained in the crash or an injury Any persons injured as a result of the crash who immediately receives medical treatment away from the crash scene or a tow away Any motor vehicle, truck, bus, car, etc. Disabled as a result of the crash and transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other vehicle. You'll likely also need to report on the state's crash report.
