Do you work plaintiff or defense?

Both. Bill's opinions are based on what the records show and what the FMCSA regulations require — not on the theory the retaining attorney is advancing. He has been retained by plaintiff and defense counsel on commercial vehicle cases and approaches each engagement the same way. That independence is not a limitation — it is what makes his testimony credible when the other side challenges it.

What does your initial case review involve?

Contact Bill by email or phone to arrange a video consultation. He reviews every case personally, no intake screener, no associate. In the consultation he gives you a direct read: whether he can help, what the regulatory analysis would involve, what records would strengthen the case, and his rates. There's no obligation to retain and every conversation is confidential.

Have you been qualified as an expert witness and deposed?

Yes. Bill has been retained and provided testimony in multiple commercial vehicle litigation cases. His background — Over 50 years of class A driving, 28 years FMCSA instructor, fleet management experience, and a perfect safety record — has withstood Daubert scrutiny and cross-examination. His CV is available upon request.

Are you available for cases outside of Minnesota?

Yes. Bill is based in West St. Paul, MN and serves attorneys throughout the Midwest (MN, WI, IA, IL, MO, ND, SD, NE, KS) and Southwest (TX, OK, NM, AZ, CO, UT, NV). He is available to travel for depositions, site visits, and trial testimony. Remote case review and consultation are available for attorneys in any location.

What happens if the facts don't support the case theory?

Bill says so — and he says so early. His practice of declining involvement when the evidence does not support a defensible opinion is part of what makes his analysis credible when he does engage. If the records don't hold up the theory, you will know before you have committed resources to expert work — not after. That is a feature, not a limitation.

What types of cases do you handle?

Fatigue and Hours of Service cases, FMCSA regulatory violation cases, logbook and ELD falsification cases, carrier liability cases, and driver qualification failures. Many commercial vehicle matters involve overlapping issues across more than one of these categories. If you are not sure whether your case fits, submit it for review — Bill will tell you directly what the analysis can and cannot support.

Trucking Expert Witness | W.S. Bill Collins

Trucking expert witness

What a trucking expert witness does for your case.

A trucking expert witness connects the records in a commercial vehicle case to the specific federal requirement that governs them. Duty status, driver qualification, dispatch decisions, maintenance history, and carrier safety management each sit under a defined section of 49 CFR Parts 350 through 399. Bill Collins states the standard, states what the records show, and states the distance between the two. That is the analysis attorneys retain him for, whether they represent the plaintiff or the carrier.

FMCSA instructor background

Bill spent 28 years as an FMCSA instructor teaching 49 CFR Parts 350 through 399 to commercial drivers, including every significant regulatory revision during that period. He taught Hours of Service under Part 395, driver qualification under Part 391, driving conduct under Part 392, and inspection and maintenance under Part 396. That instruction record matters in litigation for a practical reason. An expert who has spent three decades explaining a regulation to the people bound by it can explain it to a jury without simplifying it into error.

The instruction sits on top of more than 50 years of Class A commercial driving experience and management of a 24 vehicle fleet under FMCSA compliance requirements. Bill has operated under these rules, taught them, and audited against them. The full record is set out on the about page.

Services available to retaining counsel

Engagements begin with a case review and consultation that gives a direct read on whether the regulatory theory holds. Where the records support an opinion, Bill produces written expert reports tied to the operative rule, performs forensic Hours of Service and log analysis reconciling ELD data against supporting records, and provides deposition and trial testimony.

How Bill helps attorneys build the case

Most attorneys come to a commercial vehicle matter with a police report, a complaint, and an incomplete production. Bill identifies which records still exist, which are already at risk, and which will decide the case. He drafts the regulatory theory early enough to shape discovery rather than late enough to react to it, and he says so plainly when the records do not support the theory. Time sensitive material is addressed in the post-crash evidence preservation checklist.

Cases involving tractor-trailer and other heavy commercial units are covered in more depth on the semi truck expert witness page. Bill reviews every inquiry personally and is available Monday through Friday. For a step-by-step look at the engagement itself, see how a trucking expert witness works in a case.

Expert Witness Services

Attorneys retain Bill for the full range of work commercial vehicle litigation requires — from the initial evaluation that tells you whether the regulatory theory holds, through a written opinion built on a documented, evidence-based methodology, to deposition and trial testimony a jury can actually follow. Every engagement draws on more than 50 years of Class A commercial driving experience, which no amount of regulatory study produces. If the records support a defensible opinion, he delivers it. If they don't, he tells you before you commit resources.

Explore services

Case Types Bill Handles

Commercial vehicle litigation follows patterns: HOS violations that caused driver fatigue, carriers that overlooked their own qualification failures, ELD data that contradicts what the paper logs show. Bill has worked on fatigue and Hours of Service cases, FMCSA regulatory violations, logbook and electronic falsification cases, carrier liability, and driver qualification failures. Many cases involve overlapping issues across more than one category — submit your case and he will tell you what the records support.

See case types

Trucking Expert WitnessFMCSA Instructor

A trucking expert witness who taught the federal regulations for 28 years.

What a trucking expert witness does for your case.

FMCSA instructor background

Services available to retaining counsel

How Bill helps attorneys build the case

Four parts of the background behind his analysis.

Experience Behind the Analysis

He Taught the Regulations. He Didn't Just Read Them.

Retained for Both Sides — Because His Opinions Are Actually Objective

Driver. Instructor. Fleet Manager. He Has Operated on Every Side.

Expert Witness Services

Case Types Bill Handles

What you get when you retain Bill.

Forensic HOS & Log Analysis

Case Review & Consultation

Expert Reports

Deposition & Trial Testimony

W.S. "Bill" Collins

What attorneys ask before retaining Bill.

Discuss Your Case With Bill