If anyone is hurt
Call 911 immediately. Your safety comes first. Move to a safe location only if able. Everything in this kit can wait.
Nobody plans for the call. But the carriers who walk away with their CSA scores, their insurance, and their authority intact are the ones who had a kit, knew the order of operations, and stayed factual at the scene.
What follows is a step‑by‑step kit, structured by what to do now, what to capture in minutes, what to exchange and document on the scene, the DOT testing windows, and the office follow‑up.
Disclaimer
For informational purposes only — not legal, medical, or regulatory advice. In an emergency, call 911. Always follow your company’s safety policy and verify requirements with FMCSA and qualified compliance professionals.
Scene.
Protect, check, decide — in that order.
The first sixty seconds determine everything that follows. Make the scene visible, confirm everyone is okay, and stay factual. Don’t admit fault.
- ✓Protect the scene — Turn on hazard flashers. Set warning triangles per FMCSA §392.22 within 10 minutes. General rule: one ~10 ft behind on the traffic side; two more at ~100 ft behind and ~100 ft ahead (adjust for divided highways, hills, curves).
- ✓Check for injuries — Call 911. Do not move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger.
- ✓If drivable — move to shoulder or a safe location if state law permits. Otherwise stay put and make the scene visible.
- ✓Don’t admit fault — Stick to facts. Be polite. Cooperate with law enforcement.
- ✓If hauling hazmat — follow your company’s emergency plan and shipping papers; relay UN/NA number and placard to first responders.
To other parties
“Are you okay? Let’s call 911. Let’s exchange information.”
To law enforcement / insurer
Provide facts only — who, what, where, when. Avoid opinions and blame.
Capture.
Photograph everything.
Photographs win disputes, satisfy insurers, and survive DataQs challenges months later when memory has faded. Shoot wide, shoot close, shoot redundant.
- ✓Overall scene from multiple angles — show lanes, traffic signals/signs, skid marks, debris field, weather and lighting.
- ✓Each vehicle — all four sides — close‑ups of damage, license plates, VIN stickers if accessible, and USDOT/Company markings.
- ✓Positions before moving (if safe) — then again after moving to safety.
- ✓Roadway evidence — skid marks, fluid trails, gouges, guardrail/curb contact.
- ✓Cargo & securement — doors, straps, seals, load shift, fallen freight.
- ✓Injuries — only if appropriate and non‑invasive; prioritize privacy and dignity.
- ✓Nearby cameras — businesses, traffic cams — note locations for later request.
Tip
Place a familiar object (glove, cone) in close‑ups for scale.
Exchange.
Names, numbers, plates.
Capture every field — the one you skip is the one your insurer will ask for. Use the prompts below as a checklist; jot answers in your phone or on paper.
Name
Phone
Address
Driver’s license #
DL state
Vehicle year / make / model / color
Plate #
Plate state
VIN
Insurance company
Policy #
Unit #
Tractor VIN
Trailer #
Company name
USDOT
MC
Cargo / load #
Bill of lading #
Agency
Officer
Badge
Report #
Tow company
Witnesses.
Find the third party.
A neutral witness is the most valuable evidence you can collect at the scene. Get contact info before they leave — they vanish fast.
Name
Phone
Address / email
Statement (facts only)
Name
Phone
Address / email
Statement (facts only)
Notes.
Facts only. Then sketch.
While the scene is fresh, write down what you saw and did. Stick to observable facts — direction, speed, lane, signal. Sketch the rest.
Date
Time
City / state
Weather / lighting
Your direction & approx. speed
Factual timeline of events
Sketch — lanes, signals, vehicle rest positions
Test.
Post‑accident DOT testing.
Some crashes trigger mandatory drug & alcohol testing for CDL drivers. Your company or consortium coordinates collection. Stay available until you’re released.
- ✓Alcohol test window — attempt within 2 hours; stop attempts after 8 hours (document reason if delayed).
- ✓Drug test window — attempt ASAP; stop attempts after 32 hours (document reason).
- ✓No alcohol for 8 hours — after an accident that requires an alcohol test (or until tested), per FMCSA.
- ✓Law‑enforcement tests — (breath, blood, urine) can satisfy DOT if results are obtained by the employer.
Follow‑up.
Close the loop.
The office work after a crash is what protects your CSA scores and your insurance renewal. Do these — even on a no‑injury fender‑bender.
- ✓Accident Register (keep 3 years) — record date, city/state, driver, # injuries, # fatalities, hazmat release (other than fuel), and brief description.
- ✓Notify insurance & company safety — save photos, ELD logs, DVIRs, repair/tow invoices, and police report.
- ✓DataQs (if needed) — if the report contains errors, prepare supporting documents to challenge.
◆ The single rule ◆
Stay factual. Photograph everything. Don't admit fault.
What lives in the cab.
3 reflective triangles
High‑viz safety vest
Flashlight + spare batteries
Disposable gloves
Basic first‑aid kit
Glass marker / pen
Measuring tape
This reference (saved or printed)
Blank paper
Spare phone charger
Two phone numbers you cannot forget.
24/7 safety contact
C/TPA testing contact
Be ready before you ever need this kit.
Post‑accident testing requirements only work if you're already enrolled in a compliant Drug & Alcohol consortium. We help carriers set up consortium membership, query plans, and post‑accident testing protocols — so when the worst happens, the rest is handled.