TIDA Webinar: Human Factors & Trucking Safety in the Transportation Space

Thursday, May 21, 2026
1:00 pm Eastern

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This presentation examines how principles of human factors inform the evaluation of operator behavior and safety in the commercial trucking context, with a particular focus on the standard of care applicable to tractor-trailer operators. We will also address common human factors issues such as visibility, conspicuity, expectancy, distraction, and workload, and discuss how a human-factors analysis is used by experts to assess reasonableness of operator behavior and warnings in transportation-related cases. By integrating the science of driver behavior with regulatory requirements and industry practices, the presentation provides a framework for assessing whether a driver’s actions were consistent with the standard of care, and how these issues are analyzed in transportation incidents and litigation. We conclude our presentation with several real-world examples of how we can apply a human factors analysis to a tractor-trailer-related incident as well as an evaluation of an operator’s standard of care in the context of an incident investigation.

About the presenters:

Daniel Palac, Ph.D., Brillouin, Inc.
Dr. Palac specializes in the analysis of human factors and operator behavior across a wide range of incidents, including transportation accidents involving commercial trucking, workplace and industrial events, consumer-product interactions, and slips, trips, and falls. His work focuses on how perception, attention, distraction, reaction time, and information processing influence operator behavior, with particular experience evaluating drivers, pedestrians, and equipment operators in diverse transportation environments. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and a doctorate in biobehavioral kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Dr. Palac has also completed OSHA’s 30-hour certification in both General Industry and in Construction regulations and standards and is a Certified Forklift Operator.

Garret Johnson, Brillouin, Inc.
Garrett Johnson is a transportation and trucking safety expert with more than 30 years of experience in the commercial trucking industry including 12 years in senior safety and compliance leadership roles following one million plus accident-free miles driven throughout 18 states over 23 years as a CMV Driver. Garrett has gained broad safety and regulatory compliance experience throughout his career and has received all positive outcomes in various Federal and State regulatory reviews including FMCSA, PHMSA, OSHA, and CHP. He has worked solely to develop safety process management tools and training curriculum. Garrett has also successfully designed and developed modern DOT compliance and safety programs.

NOTE: TIDA webinars are complimentary and open to active TIDA members only. You will need to login to register.

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