Need a 2nd chance

Well, your story sounds very interesting to say the least.

1. Moving forward, this is my advice, take it or leave it......If that truck isn't up to safety standards, and something is keeping you from driving safe in it....park it and demand the repairs. It is your license, your CSA score, and your DAC report, not your employers.....too many companies rely on those reports, it's not worth taking a ding to them just to make someone else a dollar while you make a dime.

2. You need to quit solely relying on the GPS, its a tool, but often will make mistakes. Get yourself the most recent Rand Mcnally Motor Carrier Atlas, and use that to plan your route, it won't have all the info in it, like if there are recent road closures and construction.....but you can cross-reference the physical map with truckers maps on the internet, so when your GPS flunks out.....and it will.....you at least have an understanding of where you need to go. Also, use the satellite view on google maps to check out your pick up and dropoff locations, this will give you an advance notice of anything difficult that could be waiting for you.....blindside dock, obstacles in the way, busy streets etc etc

3. an accident is an accident whether you damaged something or not..... if a tow truck gets involved, they will mark it down

4. You need a company that will send you out with a trainer for a month or so, and maybe a refresher course. I am usually not in the habit of recommending a particular training company over another, but I do know Roehl, Western Express and SRT all offer a 3-5 day refresher course, and at least a month out with a trainer. I would start there......and then go to Schneider, Stevens, KLLM, CRST, England and so forth till you find one that will bring you on......and plan on staying for at least a year.....a year of safe driving will help you immensely with your situation

 

oh.....and if you dont want to, or you are not comfortable driving at night.....this isnt the career for you.....you have to drive whenever, wherever, all hours day and night to get the job done and make the money.

 

No one gives endless support and help in trucking. Sure they tell you that come on line, but all the trucking companies are looking for a driver that can handle the issues without help.

Conquering mechanical issues is part of the job. They all routinely ignore issue if you let them.

You need to learn to overcome the deficiencies of any company you work, they all have deficiencies. The training companies are some of the worst.

Schooling + mentorship + 3 months driving experience should be more then enough training to master basic trucking, yet it does not feel you are yet up to speed.

2 cornering preventables in 3 months is not a good sign.

Will there be another company that is interested in hiring a driver with two preventables? Sure just not this time of year.

 

Yep, you were trapped.

Here is my suggestion,

Never drive with the dome light on. If it doesn't turn off, break it. Seriously. Get a good flashlight if you need a light in the cab.

More important write the directions down, put them in a form you can understand and don't depend on a gps other than to write them down.

I wish you luck, you should not have to put up with crap equipment.

 

Abilene Motor Express might hire you. This company has an excellent reputation for mentoring inexperienced drivers. Submit an online application before calling.
I don't see the big deal; you damaged nothing and had one tow.
Submit some more applications, then follow up with phone calls.
Covenant Transport
Quest Global
Britton Transport
USA Truck
TransAm
Butler Transport
Super Service
Gray Transportation - Waterloo,IA
Western Express
Panther Premium Logistics - driving cargo vans

 

Like others have said you need to protect yourself from unsafe equipment. Yes you're an employee but in trucking you're more like a contractor in that you're responsible for inspecting equipment, legal hours of service, paying tickets etc. While only making money on miles.

A company with 500 driver's sees you as a potential minor blemish... But like you experienced 100% of those issues are yours to keep and represent you to all future employers. The law protects you in that if you don't have hours, or your tractor/trailer isn't safe or needs repairs, and the company says run... Make them tell you on Qualcomm and report them. If they fire you then you have a whistleblower claim for good bucks.

But most importantly your reputation and record is clean. A future employer can't see the difference between a bad, unsafe company or lazy, ignorant driver... they just see you got tagged for unsafe equipment that you chose to take on the road.

 

TransAm:
Qualification Requirements

• Class A CDL
• Excellent driving record (you're qualified;keep reading)
• Minimum 21 years old
• No DUI convictions in the last two years
• No more than two preventable accidents in the last 36 months
• DOT physical and drug screen required

 

Your story is very interesting. A gripping page turner. It's awesome.

Now that we got that out of the way... Consider this.

If Dispatch says you go somewhere NOW, but NAOWWW against your fatique unsafe being tired etc or better yet breaking your HOS etc etc etc DO NOT DO IT. There are anti corection laws in effect since 2012 I think to protect you.

The truck... heh...

ANY time something is the matter with it. Do not take a load until she is FIXED. I just took my own vehicle out of the shop today where the mechanic sweated 5 seperate issue, two related to the central computer output codes for faults. Those problems were traced, and the affected sensors replaced and so on. She started purring again. Revealed that the alternator is not really charging well and that's about to be replaced. Everything else is zeroed, oil, coolant fresh for winter that's ongoing here etc etc. Frankly I don't have but two or three more things left to do to completely get my truck back to 100% factory. (Not in apprearence, that rust and other things is just cosmetic. Im talking about mechanical and electrical etc)

BECAUSE I KNOW that alternator is DYING and we are in the worst cold so far this winter.. I DO NOT drive that truck anywhere. I have access to another vehicle for this time until that alternator is fixed. Until then that truck stays parked period.

If it was a 18 wheeler loaded, that alternator is fixed within the hour. Usually when they burn out the batteries are dead in a few hours and that's that. You don't want that in today's computer trucks. They go dark and there you are in -30 cold blizzard tonight freezing.

If something breaks, no matter how big or small. Find a shop today or tonight or whenever that minute. It's very important to have a mechanic take care of the broken light, burnt wire or whatever. It's the smallest things that land you into trouble and breaks the camels back.

That qualcomm should have been fixed, replaced or reinstalled to proper 100% flawless working order for you. The failure to do so landed you in a dark situation and got stuck for a tow problem. Follow me? That qualcomm should have been fixed before you took anything with that truck.

Either that or buy your own laptop and gps and do your own tracking like we did. To hell with that stupid satellite your company isnt interested in fixing.

You seem to be a great driver. Accumulating stories.

I share this...

Every incident has a ROOT CAUSE. usually within the previous 72 hours exactly prior to that incident. For EXAMPLE.

WIFE YELLS AT ME ON PHONE... I YELL BACK. STOMP out of the lunch counter in a rage.

Obviously being in the really dangerous unsafe frame of mind, I should not drive. But here I went Im gone onto the big road.

Something is going to happen. And it's NOT going to be good. I can tell you that.

Because in every situation that applies or affects a driver's ability to professionally drive a 18 wheeler safely, on time, quickly and waltz like a ballerina through the rush hour traffic that wants to kill that driver... depends on that driver's state of being to be good.

That wife yelling is not good, so we are fixing to have a problem.

In your case, the root cause is the busted satellite. And a secondary factor might be lack of documentation, maps, confirmation from whoever you were trying to get to load or unload for the exact routing etc. Basically old school between your ears NO GPS days.

I ACTUALLY followed my GPS in the fog one morning in Delaware. It ended up inside a fenced cell phone tower facility. I had a hell of a time getting out. What happened was the GPS never updated that road turn off is CUT and then relocated half a mile further east with a new connection to the old route around the cell faciliy.

What I should have done was stopped and checked to see why there was so many fences at that corner. That fog was thick.

To us that was a ultimate example of don't blindly follow the machine. Do you own thinking.

 

I have been out here for 7 years now, and I disagree.

I plan my trips so that I can run during the hours I prefer. If the next load assignment doesn't allow for that it is turned down.
And that is how I've done it from day one.

Sure, there have been exceptions over the years.
But they have been a very few.


It is not my company that has power over me and my loads.
I always have a choice, and a say, in the matter.
And that is simply because I won't be intimidated.