Trucks / Trucking Transportation Expert Witnesses

Donald L. Hess, President of DLH Associates, Inc., has been providing expert witness services to attorneys and other clients, including Analysis of Vehicle Crashes since 1996. His specialty is crashes involving Commercial Motor Vehicles, including trucks, tractor-trailers, and buses.

With two million miles of safe cross-country trucking experience, followed by over 25 years as a driver trainer and creator / administrator of commercial driving programs, Mr. Hess is well-qualified to provide analysis of what drivers are trained to do in specific situations and circumstances, what federal and state regulations call for and require, and all aspects of the safe and proper operation of commercial motor vehicles. As a motorcyclist with over 45 years of riding and training experience, he is also qualified to comment on accidents involving motorcycles.

Mr. Hess has been nationally recognized as a leader in safety and training issues, is a winner of the American Trucking Associations Million Mile Driving award,and was a recipient of the Truckload Carriers Association Lee Crittenden award. Over his long and successful career in trucking and education, he has held numerous national board and officer positions in trucking and education.

Litigation Support - Mr. Hess is uniquely qualified to analyze and comment on driver behavior in virtually any situation,and has established a solid reputation as an expert witness in crashes involving trucks and commercial vehicles for both Plaintiff and Defense in over 500 hundred cases across the country since 1996. His experience includes significant deposition and trial testimony.

He possesses a unique combination of training, hands-on experience, and education that combine to position him as a leading expert in all facets of trucking. Mr. Hess still maintains a valid, current Commercial Driver License fully endorsed for Combination Vehicles, Doubles-Triples, Tankers, Hazardous Materials, Motorcycles, and Buses. He also holds a USDOT Medical Exam Certificate. His CDL and medical certificate have been maintained without interruption or fault since 1971.

Areas of Expertise:

Commercial Driver Training Truck Driver Training Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Commercial Driver Theory Commercial Driver Backing City Driving Federal Hours of Service Requirements Tankers

Highway Driving Extreme Weather Operations Live Skid Pad / Skid Prevention and Recovery Emergency Driving Skills Warehouse Issues Loading Dock Issues Forklifts Hazardous Materials

View Donald L. Hess' Consulting Profile.

Scott L. Turner is a highly qualified Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Transportation Expert, FMCSR Regulatory and PHMSA-HMR Expert with approximately 30-years experience in the highly specialized field of CMV crashes and incidents, and 16 years as the CEO of a nationwide CMV crash & HazMat disaster response corporation. 

Mr. Turner's career includes personal response and/or investigation of over 1,000 CMV crashes, 200 cargo-tank truck crashes/incidents and a multitude of industrial setting incidents including fixed facilities, loading docks and loading rack disasters. His FMCSR and PHMSA knowledge (Federal Enforcement Training), detailed reporting and testimony can be a focal point of any civil litigation, where commercial motor vehicle crashes and/or transit incidents are at issue, with or without hazmat involvement. Mr. Turner is qualified in both the Federal Court system as well as multiple States throughout the United States and testifies on an approximate 50/50 average of Defense to Plaintiff ratio.

Areas of Expertise:

• Level 1 FMCSA Inspections
• Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Post-Crash Inspection
• CMV Post-Crash Investigation
• Driver Qualifications
• HOS / Fatigue Driving
• Motor Carrier Fitness Standards
• Safety Programs
• Trucking Industry Standards
• Cargo-Tank Truck Incidents / Crashes
• CMV loading/Off-loading Cases (van, cargo-tank, flatbed)
• Flatbed, Cargo Securement Failure
• Loading Dock Incidents w/ CMV
• Forklift Incidents w/ CMV
• CMV Crash Involving Hazmats
• Loading Rack Explosions / Disasters
• Pedestrian v. CMV Incidents

Services Include:

• Litigation Support
• Trial Preparation Consulting
• Courtroom Testimony
• Commerical Vehicle Accident Investigations
• CMV, Highway Construction Zone Crashes
• CMV Loading and Offloading Investigation
• Level 1 FMCSA Audits
• Load Securement Incidents

Jo-Anne Daniels has been a International Trade and Transportation Industry consultant for over 25 years. She is the principal and founder of Trade Resources & Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in cross-border transactions, trade compliance, and transportation management.

Ms. Daniels has been a Licensed Customs Broker since 1987 and has experience leading global trade compliance and transportation for multinational corporations, such as, Micron Technology, Aviza, Inc., Flextronics (formerly Solectron), and Applied Materials. She is a frequent invited speaker for trade associations and logistics organizations. Ms. Daniels authored several industry publications and is the past President of the Professional Association of Exporters and Importers.

Litigation Support - Ms. Daniels is an experienced expert witness and has provided expert witness litigation services to both corporations and individuals. She is qualified to provide independent expert opinions, expert reports and declarations, and expert witness testimony at deposition in the matters of International Trade, U.S. Customs laws, U.S. Export Administration, and International Traffic in Arms Regulation and practice.

Areas of Expertise:

Customs and Export Compliance Transportation Management Cargo and Shipping Freight Forwarding Ocean Cargo Logistics

Reverse Logistics and Warehousing Planning and Execution of the Movement of Goods (Domestic / International) Movement of Goods via Trucking and other Transportation Modalities Supply Chain Security Review

View Trade Resources & Associates' Consulting Profile.

Steven S. Paul – Automotive, Commercial Vehicle, RV & Vehicle Appraisal Expert Witness

Steven S. Paul is an automotive and commercial vehicle expert witness with more than 30 years of experience in vehicle inspection, diagnostics, repair, appraisal, failure analysis, and litigation support. As owner and principal of TDT Vehicle Inspection Services, Inc., he provides expert witness and consulting services throughout the United States.

Mr. Paul has personally inspected more than 5,000 automobiles, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, specialty vehicles, and pieces of equipment. He has prepared more than 1,000 expert reports, technical evaluations, appraisals, and litigation analyses.

His case experience includes automotive repair negligence and improper repairs; mechanical and component failures; dealer and repair facility misrepresentation; lemon law and breach of warranty claims; vehicle condition disputes; diminished value and vehicle valuation; classic, collector, and restored vehicles; commercial trucks and fleet maintenance; recreational vehicle defects; collision and structural repair; vehicle safety and roadworthiness; diagnostic procedures; and repair documentation.

Mr. Paul holds ASE Master Automobile Technician and ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician credentials, along with additional training in recreational vehicle inspection, structural collision repair, automotive appraisal, and vehicle inspection. His background includes extensive experience in automotive and heavy-duty vehicle repair and diagnostics, as well as instruction in automotive and heavy-duty diesel technology.

He assists attorneys with vehicle inspections, technical analysis, document and repair-invoice review, deposition preparation, expert reports, rebuttal analysis, and testimony.

Primary Areas of Expertise

Automotive and Vehicle Expert Witness
Automotive Repair and Mechanical Failure
Vehicle Failure Analysis and Diagnostics
Commercial Truck and Fleet Maintenance
RV Inspection and Defect Analysis
Lemon Law and Breach of Warranty
Dealer Misrepresentation
Vehicle Appraisal and Diminished Value
Fair Market and Actual Cash Value
Classic, Collector, and Restored Vehicles
Collision and Structural Repair
Repair Facility Standards
Vehicle Safety and Roadworthiness

Joel Beal is an expert in Truck Technology with a focus on electronic logging devices (ELDs), telematics, regulatory compliance, and accident analysis. He is a nationally recognized expert with over 35 years of experience.

Mr. Beal's clients have included Alphabet, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, FedEx Corporation, Matheson, Inc., Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Petco, Inc., Sysco Corporation, and many others.

Litigation Support: Mr. Beal provides expert testimony for legal proceedings, grievance hearings, depositions, and trials. He also assists in patent and intellectual property cases. Mr. Beal provides services to attorneys representing trucking companies, private fleets, and commercial drivers, as well as for-hire trucking companies, private fleets, and transportation trade associations.

Mr. Beal delivers clear, data-driven insights to support causation and liability arguments. He has provided expert testimony in both state and federal courts.

Areas of Expertise:

Fleet Technologies FMCSA Hours-of-Service Rules Accident / Crash Reconstruction GPS  Engine Control Module (ECM)

Vehicle Camera System Data Telematics Design Regulatory Compliance Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandates Transportation Management Systems

Background Experience: Mr. Beal experience includes leadership in system design, regulatory advisory roles, and extensive involvement with commercial fleet operations. His education includes US, Canadian, State, and Provincial Commercial Motor Vehicles, legislation, regulations, and requirements.

From 2016-2020, Mr. Beal worked with North American Dispatch Systems, LLC, dba LoadTrek Software. LoadTrek, which provided TMS and telematics to specialized fleets in the postal and parcel sectors. In his role as General Manager and VP/Sales he was responsible for sales, training, and support of the LoadTrek TMS, which included dispatch software and ELD.

From 1994-2007, Mr. Beal served as Senior VP for Tripmaster Corporation, which invented Onboard Computers for trucks in 1978. Tripmaster provided systems for most of the US Fortune 500 companies who had private fleets.

View Rockwell Technology's Consulting Profile.

Peter J. Sullivan is a World Class Certified ASE Technician and ASE Certified Master Technician in Heavy Duty Truck, Passenger Car / Light Truck, Collision Repair, and Machinist, (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence). He has over 35 years of technical, academic, operational, and managerial experience in the private and commercial transportation, heavy equipment, marine, and recreational vehicle industries.

Mr. Sullivan has extensive experience performing vehicle inspections and downloads of event data recorders and electronically stored information (ESI), including analysis, validation, testing, and preservation on almost all makes and models of vehicles and equipment.

Litigation Support - Mr. Sullivan utilizes his comprehensive legal, technical, and FMCSA / DOT knowledge to specialize in:

Product Defect Cases Driver or Motor Carrier Compliance Electronic Engine Control (ECM) Electronic Throttle Control Electronic Power Steering

Anti-Lock Brake Supplemental Restraint Computerized Systems Closed-loop Systems Hydraulics

He and his team perform accident site and vehicle inspections, perform data downloads, including analysis, on most all makes and models of vehicles and equipment, reconstruct accidents, perform exemplar and product testing, metallurgical testing, fluid analysis, and CMV driver and motor carrier compliance analysis. His primary areas of expertise include medium duty / heavy duty truck, hy-rail, light duty car / truck, motorcycle, ATV, marine, heavy equipment, machinery, tire, bicycle, commercial motor carrier safety and DOT compliance, and commercial motor vehicle driver / operator qualification and compliance, and job site safety.

Mr. Sullivan's services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense. His litigation support services also include expert reports, depositions, and testimony for trial, OSHA, and governmental hearings.

View Peter Sullivan's Consulting Profile.