Don’t worry. They’re worried about damage. Not scratches. I went to pick up my trailer yesterday morning. What did I find? Everybody was there at 3am. Wonder why? He figured he’d take a shortcut parking the trailer. Definite Darwin Award... Yes that’s railroad tracks the tandems are caught in. Thank God he never got the trailer that far.
So if I back into your car and only put a 4 inch scratch in it it’s ok with you? Do the right thing and admit it and take responsibility for it.
Trailers are getting scratched all the time it's not right and it is simple carelessness. Your right, you should have got out. However as much as it makes me want to scream I think I would have gave you the same advice the old school driver did. If you turn it in, in most cases the results and the blow back is about the same as throwing a rock at a hornets nest. Another tractor and/or personal property is a bit different. I bet if you looked around on that trailer you would have found more scratches. I'm not trying to justify doing damage. I'm just saying when you do you are going to get hit with a preventable if your carrier has to pay to get that scratch fixed. Also you are opening your company to other things that you had nothing to do with that all the sudden was found. Hand, start getting out next time.
A lot of customers have cameras pointed out at the parked trailers. They can see when contact is made along with all your company logo and tractor number, date time and stamped.
If it does stop the motion of the rig its not really an accident, Going in and fessing up will ony serve to cost you your job, yard trailers, lots of dings, save confessing for somewhere good like when you take the hood off a 370 or w9 at a truckstop, now thats an accident.
It is really sad I have to agree with you. This is what makes it so hard to stay consistent when advising a green driver to stay honest. However there is one primary danger to this. Just about every person today has a video camera on them. I personally have sent maybe 100 smartphone videos in on drivers. Not for something petty like this is however. BUT there are some people out there that will drop a dime on a driver even if it looks like they passed gas. I tell drivers all the time. If it is possible good chance it will happen. I try to tell all drivers this ----
The yard jockeys are the worst offenders when it comes to shaving off the rub rails on trailers. Don't do it again, but don't worry about it either.
If, like the yard trailers, the car already had 8000 scratches, dents and dings in it, then yeah, it's ok. One more isn't going to make a difference.