Accident or incident?

I have literally dozens of photos of trailer damage from the place I just worked that I sent in to whoever was dispatching. I never noted any on pre trips, I'm not into burning other drivers, but it would cover my ### because the text sent into dispatch has a time on it, that way it's documented the damage was there before I ever moved the trailer. All of these were fresh damage, and I guarantee the culprit(s) never reported any of it. I know somebody had a real issue with dumpsters lmfao.







This bottom picture I could even match up to a bollard at the one store. DOT bumper is WTF bent. New paint on old rust. Shiny marks, scrapes, new paint ( that's the wrong color for the trailer lol ) are all signs of new damage. This was a mega carrier, everybody passes the buck, so learn to cover your ### always.

 

Werner will tell you it's a 'chargeable accident' - I've got two, won't lie (always get copies of the write up). Cost them $$$, but there's only their record that things went afoul.

I'm not perfect.......... love me?

 

Before you apply to another company, check your DAC report. If it's not on there I wouldn't say anything about it. It's no big deal anyway; just rubbed a pole. Shouldn't have even told the company.

 

Unless we were on video or someone seen us rub a post(we would just park trailer in the drop lot.Huh? Who knows...maybe the hostler or someone at a dock somewhere,rubbed the trailer? Huh?

 

If you've been driving 12 months and the ONLY "incident" you've had is rubbing a trailer lightly, you're a better driver than I am. From many other drivers I've talked to, you can expect 3-5 "incidents" (Where you only hurt your truck/trailer) in your first 2 years.

Remember that we drive 100,000+ miles per year. The average POV driver does less than 10% of that.

In your first (so I've been told) 5 years, you barely even know what you're doing. If it's not huge, if you didn't damage someone else's property, it's a very minor thing. It's just a part of learning the trade.

 

I wrecked three cars, missed other trucks by this much, needed a tow a dozen times and trashed my own truck a handful of times. No one got killed at our hand But people did die and for every one there was maybe 5 who needed medical in the worst way.

Those who attempted insurance scams by filling a car and stopping dead in front of me were a handful. My ABS in the rain was faster than they dared to stop twice.

Missed one head on with 8 teens in their yellow 72 buick lesabre convertable by a few seconds on 20 near stoneyridge OH. One July evening near the 4th. 1994 or so. I could have either been killed by my coils or gone to Ohio PRision to fry for 8 lives. These kids were so stupid. The radio early warning from number one as they passed him towards me head on in my lane saved them.

Several loads were really bad. A number of trailers should not ever have been moved. And so on etc.

Total damages over my life time? Approximately 25,000 preventable vs others property or surroundings and damage to the tractors and trailers approximately 150,000 in total. Average that over 30 years or so. Been pulled over 15 times, tickets here and there. Busted one scale. Who knows how much THAT was... and tripped OOS once, overweights three times. Inspected 6 times. Half the fines referred to company.

The rest of the stuff is not worth getting into. Best it never happened.

 

One time in my younger days, a gas station had just opened a couple miles from my company
I swung in there to check it out.
When I got back to my yard, people were staring mouth open, then laughing.
I was dragging about a hundred feet of grand opening banners.
In the dumpster
Never happened
And I never went back to that gas station.

 

Another time in NC, I needed a place to park at 2am
Saw a closed down gas station
I swung under the pump canopy that said 13'7
Liars
The whole thing came down
I looked around for witnesses.
None
Off I went.