I'm a new driver. Got my CDL in July,07 and wnet to work for Werner. Have Hazmat and tanker endorsements. Have always been a safe driver. Last week I broke through a concrete retainer wall and rolled over. I came to a stop 300' later. Had to be extricated from my truck. No sitations were given. I have no memory of what happened just prior to rolling over. The State Trooper told me that it would be a good idea to get an attorney, based on his experience of how large companies have treated drivers in accidents similar to mine. Needless to say, my wife and I are going through a lot of anxiety as to my driving future. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Your's truly, Sidetrack.

Anytime you leave the road you are out of control. A roll over is a very bad mark in trucking. Might be wise to follow up on his advice.

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

You have absolutely no idea why this happened? Did you maybe fall asleep?

I'd definitely hire an attorney if you can.

boy if your screen handle is spot on

sorry to hear about the accident

As everyone else has said, you should most definitely get an attorney.

A roll over is a HUGE black mark. In theory, it could happen to any of us in a big truck. In practice however, it should never happen. As jagged of a pill as it may be for some to swallow, there is nothing that should take you by surprise while you're driving that big truck. It's my opinion that you had to have something take you by surprise to cause your accident. Of course, we're all human and we will make mistakes. But, when those mistakes happen there has to be some sort of repercussions. Whether those seem to be fair or not to the person receiving said repercussions is irrelevant.

It's a sad state of affairs for anyone, especially a family man, to lose his career (which may or may not happen to you) just because of a mistake, but that is the cold hard truth of this industry.

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Keep that diesel burnin' and those tires turnin', but get there safe to keep on earnin'!!

Hey, look at the bright side: You didn't kill yourself or anyone else. People saying you should be ready for anything are ridiculous. There are going to be situations NO one would have control over, and that's the way of life. That, of course, doesn't mean you shouldn't try to account for everything you possibly can. If you get fired just be happy you're alive and the death of others isn't on your shoulders.

I think you might be able to still get a job .try swift
sorry i had to say it lol

Just asking not saying that it happened but do you feel you may have fallen asleep?

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2004 Kenworth T800
Red 60" aerodyne flat top sleeper

Any chance of a heart condition or anything of the sort? I would say at least consult an attorney if not hire one altogether! Good luck!

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Junior

Thanks to all of you for your council. As you know, Werner runs paperless logs. They push you to drive the most miles feasibly possible. With my govenor set at 65 I averaged 600 miles a day. You drive your 11 hours, supposedly sleep for 10 and repeat the cycle. They say drive safe but also offer bonus pay for the most miles driven. I averaged my pay over a six month period and broke it down into an hourly rate. I was averaging a little over $6 an hour. Hence, if the wheel's ain't turnin you ain't earnin. My trainer at Werner would always say, "we have no time to stop.' If you have to pee, do it in a bottle. I averaged one or two showers a week with that jerk. At the same time I was being indoctrinated into the Werner Culture. If you are late for a delivery, or late in picking up or refuse a load because your tired, then they start to dog you and you'll have to wait a day or two for your next load. So you are left with no alternative but to drive 11, sleep 10, drive 11, sleep 10, run out your 70 clock and keep going. Most of the drivers are exhausted.
I wasn't sleepy when I fliped over. It happened in a split second. Thanks