Trucking industry expert witness Robert R. Reed writes on Truck/tractor-trailer crashes:
3. Equipment inspection – Severe accidents and fatalities warrant a complete inspection of units involved. If equipped with “ECM” modules and “ABS” modules this data should be retrieved for use in reconstruction. This can be done using truck manufacturers dealers or third parties in your area after the at-scene investigation to acquire printout reports for review. The most modern”OBC” systems on trucks can send this data to the trucking company computers which then can be retrieved from the trucking company. Also both hydraulic and air brake “ABS” systems have warning lights for drivers indicating proper operation.”ECM” and “ABS” systems may provide data on multiple systems of the truck including speed, overspeed of governor, distance, cruise control usage, engine brake and hard braking “ABS” events, transmission usage and engine system faults. This data along with mechanical systems inspections gives complete information on the vehicles operation and maintenance factors. “ECM” and “ABS” modules are standard equipment on most large trucks.