3RD DAY on the job, My trailer hits the back of a parked pickup

I think once you calm down, you will see things differently. Your company was not backing up the truck.

 

You should have realized from day 1 that you weren't going to get any training, and not draw that conclusion AFTER you got into an accident. YOU should not have taken the job to begin with, and you did. YOU lied on your application stating you could perform the task at hand, not the company. Your boss didn't point a gun to your head and tell you you had to drive without proper training. It is your fault, not theirs. Sorry I can't be of more help, but if you fail to accept the consequences of YOUR actions, you will never learn from them.

 

The very first accident I ever had in a truck was at the ripe old age of 18... I was in the Army and backing j to a very tight dock in Germany... I did everything I was supposed to do including having a ground guide watching my blind side. He was kind enough to tell me to stop after I contacted the German civilian trailer next to me with my right rear corner.

I went to the accident review board to plead my case and placed the blame firmly where I thought it should lie... with the ground guide. The ARB did not see it quite that way... they stated very bluntly the Ground Guide did not have his foot on the acceterator, did not have his hands on the wheel, and was in no way in control of the vehicle at the moment of impact. I was... Ruling... Driver Fault Accident.

This was in 1980... this is the way it is, was and always will be... if you are at the wheel, and you hit something, you are at fault. No its, ands, or buts.

 

So you're admitting that you would run illegal if you could. I'm pretty new to this industry myself and I wouldn't and don't have to run illegal to "attain or keep my position." Drivers with your mentality are why we have the HOS regulations we do today. And it's not your company's fault that you hit a parked vehicle. Is it crappy that they sent you out with no training? Absolutely. But if you didn't feel like you received adequate training to perform your job, then it was YOUR responsibility to speak up and say something. And there is no reason why anyone should hit anything backing up. Have you ever heard of get out and look? I'm not trying to pick on you or bust your chops, but can't place the blame on your company for having an accident that you could have very easily prevented.

 

Sorry but I disagree. You should know your gross weight and should check the weight limits in all states you're traveling through. Can't really blame the company in this instance either.

 

Yea you better know your weight your self,i puled a load out of Weaverville,all they had was a axel scale at the mill ,the guy told me i was good,when i got to a Cat scale for a certified weight i was over 83k.

 

I'm jealous, I'd love to get an 80k load heading down buckhorn. RLT? Knowles?

 

Betting the OP doesn't respond at all to this thread anymore

 

I thought Truck Drivers worked for free. Had no idea they had bills to pay. BJ & The Bear never had to pay for anything.

 

I hope he atleast comes back to tell us how the conversation went when he went back to the yard and told his boss it was the companies fault that he hit a vehicle. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that talk.