Evidence after a truck crash
This is a table of retention rules, not a day-by-day timer. Enter the crash date to see each record against the federal minimum retention period. Practical risk is listed separately from what the rule requires.
The date stays in your browser. It is not stored on this site. Last reviewed against eCFR on 2026-08-19.
A preservation letter changes this analysis. Once a party knows evidence is relevant to a claim, the duty to preserve it can attach regardless of the minimum retention period. The table below shows what the rules require, not what a company is permitted to destroy after it has been put on notice.
| Evidence | Who holds it | Federal minimum retention | Practical risk | Against this crash date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records of duty status and supporting documents | Motor carrier | 6 months after receipt49 CFR 395.8(k) | Often destroyed at the minimum | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| Driver qualification file | Motor carrier | Duration of employment plus 3 years49 CFR 391.51 | Document-specific rules inside that window | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| Accident register | Motor carrier | 3 years after the crash49 CFR 390.15(b) | Reliably kept | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| ELD data | Carrier and ELD vendor | No single universal period49 CFR 395.22 | Vendor retention policies vary | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| ECM / engine control module | Carrier, or wherever the truck went | NoneNo federal minimum | Overwritten by continued operation or lost at salvage | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| Dashcam and forward-facing video | Carrier or telematics vendor | NoneNo federal minimum | Frequently a 30 to 90 day loop | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| Dispatch messages and GPS history | Carrier or telematics vendor | NoneNo federal minimum | Vendor-dependent | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
| Nearby business surveillance video | Third parties | NoneNo federal minimum | Often 7 to 30 days | Enter a crash date to compare against the minimum. |
Three ideas stay separate: what the regulation requires, what happens operationally, and whether a preservation letter has been sent. Download the letter template.
If the crash was in Minnesota, call or text. There is no form on this page.