Short, plain definitions of terms you'll see in crash reports, insurance letters, FMCSA records and legal documents.

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A

Accident register
A record every motor carrier must keep of DOT-recordable crashes, retained for 3 years. Learn more

B

BASIC
Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category: one of seven areas FMCSA uses to measure a carrier's safety, such as Unsafe Driving or Vehicle Maintenance. Learn more
Bill of lading
The shipping document describing the cargo, shipper, consignee and carrier for a load.
BIPD
Bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, the coverage carriers must file with FMCSA. Learn more
Bobtail
Driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Bridge formula
A federal formula limiting weight on axle groups based on the number of axles and the distance between them. Learn more
Broker
A company that arranges transport of a load by a motor carrier for compensation but doesn't carry it itself. Learn more

C

CDL
Commercial driver's license, required to drive most heavy trucks. Learn more
CMV
Commercial motor vehicle. For many federal rules, a vehicle of 10,001 lbs or more used in commerce; for CDL purposes, generally 26,001 lbs or more.
Contingency fee
A lawyer's fee calculated as a percentage of any recovery, with no fee if there is no recovery. Learn more
CPRC
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the statute book containing most Texas personal injury rules. Learn more
CR-3
Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report, completed by law enforcement and sold through TxDOT. Learn more
CRIS
TxDOT's Crash Records Information System, the statewide database of crash reports. Learn more
CSA
Compliance, Safety, Accountability: FMCSA's enforcement program that uses SMS data to identify high-risk carriers. Learn more
CVSA
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the group that sets the North American roadside inspection standards. Learn more

D

DataQs
FMCSA's online system for challenging inspection and crash records.
Discovery
The pre-trial process where each side obtains documents, data and testimony from the other.
Disabling damage
Damage that prevents a vehicle from leaving a crash scene in its usual manner, so it must be towed. Learn more
DOT number (USDOT number)
The unique identifier FMCSA assigns to motor carriers. It's displayed on the truck's cab. Learn more
DQ file
Driver qualification file: the documents a carrier must keep for each driver. Learn more
DVIR
Driver vehicle inspection report, the daily record of a vehicle's condition and defects.

E

Economic damages
Compensation for money losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. Learn more
ECM
Engine control module, the truck's "black box", which records speed, braking and other data. Learn more
ELD
Electronic logging device, which records a driver's hours of service. Learn more
Exemplary damages
Punitive damages meant to punish fraud, malice or gross negligence; capped in Texas. Learn more

F

FMCSA
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the federal agency that regulates trucking safety.
FMCSRs
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, 49 CFR Parts 350–399. Learn more

G

Gross negligence
An extreme risk the defendant knew about but ignored with conscious indifference to others' safety. Learn more
GVWR
Gross vehicle weight rating: the maximum loaded weight set by the manufacturer.

H

HB 19
The 2021 Texas law (CPRC Chapter 72) that changed trial procedure in commercial vehicle cases. Learn more
Hours of service (HOS)
Rules limiting how long commercial drivers can drive and work. Learn more

I

Interstate commerce
Transport that crosses state lines or is part of a journey that does. Learn more
Intrastate commerce
Transport that begins and ends in one state and isn't part of an interstate journey. Learn more

J

Jackknife
A crash where the trailer swings out to form an angle with the tractor.

L

Letter of protection
A lawyer's promise to pay a medical provider from any settlement, letting a patient be treated "on lien". Learn more
Lien
A legal claim to be repaid from a settlement or judgment, for example by a hospital or health insurer. Learn more

M

MC number
The federal operating authority number for for-hire interstate carriers and brokers. Learn more
MCS-90
An insurance endorsement guaranteeing payment to the public up to the federal minimum. Learn more
MCS-150
The form carriers file to register and update their USDOT information.

N

Negligent entrustment
A claim that an owner let someone they knew, or should have known, was unfit drive their vehicle.
Non-economic damages
Compensation for pain, mental anguish, impairment, disfigurement and loss of companionship. Learn more

O

Out-of-service (OOS) order
An order at inspection that keeps a driver or vehicle off the road until a serious problem is fixed. Learn more
Owner-operator
A driver who owns their truck, often leased to a motor carrier.

P

Power unit
A truck or tractor that pulls or carries cargo.
Proportionate responsibility
Texas's system for dividing fault among the parties, including the 51% bar. Learn more

R

Respondeat superior
The rule that makes an employer liable for an employee's negligence on the job.
Responsible third party
A non-party a defendant asks the jury to assign fault to under CPRC §33.004. Learn more

S

Safety rating
FMCSA's Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating from a compliance review. Learn more
SAFER
FMCSA's public website showing carrier snapshots. Learn more
Shipper
The company that sends the goods; may be liable in some cases, for example for improper loading. Learn more
SMS
Safety Measurement System, FMCSA's ranking of carriers by BASIC percentiles. Learn more
Spoliation
The destruction or loss of evidence. Courts can sanction a party that fails to preserve relevant evidence. Learn more
Statute of limitations
The deadline to file a lawsuit: two years for most Texas injury claims. Learn more
Stowers demand
A settlement demand within policy limits that can expose an insurer to an excess judgment if unreasonably rejected. Learn more
Subrogation
An insurer's right to be repaid from your recovery for benefits it already paid. Learn more
Survival claim
A claim by the estate of someone who died for losses they suffered before death. Learn more

T

TxDMV number
The registration number for Texas intrastate motor carriers. Learn more

U

Underride
A crash where a car slides under a trailer; rear impact guards are meant to prevent it.

W

Wrongful death
A claim by a spouse, children or parents for losses caused by a death. Learn more