CSA and crashes

Agreed and understand, have had a couple of full blown audits in the past and always came thru with flying colors.

I knew that the accident would be reported and would show up on my record, NO PROBLEM THERE, I just don't understand their thinking that YOU get points for something that YOU had NO CONTROL OVER.

 

I think it is because "points" in and of themselves do not matter. All they can trigger is an audit which may or may not happen due to being involved in reportable crashes.

One reason the FMCSA for not making CRASH INDICATOR was the fact it is an indeterminate ranking based on all crashes are reported. A further investigation(audit) is required to determine fitness rating.

There was a guy in Ca(? Hard to remember and I'll never find the article again) invloved in like 8 reportable crashes in a year. None determined to be at fault. However I for one would want someone with that record looked at to ensure it was coincidence and not an underlying factor placing himself in bad positions.

 

Understand what you are saying, and I can see the point of looking into multiple crashes, for instance, most, well two of the three of these accidents were during delivery/pickups.

Because of the nature of our business we are usually delivering or P/U on busy roads or city streets, so yes we are to a degree more exposed than say a carrier that was a terminal to terminal drop and hook.

I guess I don't need a study to tell me this, it is just part of what we do. All I can do is continue to stress the importance of full focus of the driver when picking up or delivering and making sure that they all understand what is going on around them.

I really don't know what to say to them about getting rear ended on an interstate highway thou, I will have to think about that one some more.

 

So since no keyboard experts will answer me. I'm guessing that you can only look up a dot# and not an individual person. Unless you have a password set up as a carrier. Enjoy your keyboard I'm going riding!

 

You have no score as an individual.

 

Brace for impact

If it makes you feel better we had a guy thrown by a Tornado. Picked his 45,000 lb butt up and slung him into the ditch. Yep DOT reportable

I'll have to ask Kelvin Monday when I turn in my latest inspection if it changed our ranking.

 

LOL, I guess you could say that was an act of God, unless of course if you are an Atheist, then I guess it's just, "#### happens" ???

 

Partially true. A record of your violations, warnings, and crashes is kept, and while I don't know if the actual "score" is also reported (I've never requested the report for myself), it wouldn't be that difficult to look up the various items on the report and their corresponding point value. Your score is not rated in comparison with other drivers to be presented as a percentage, though, as it is with the motor carriers.

You can order a PSP (Pre-employment Screening Program) report to get 5 years of crash history and 3 years of inspection reports here for $10: http://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov/Pages/default.aspx

If you do not wish to pay the $10 fee, the FAQ page tells you how to get the same information for free:

 

This one if like you say wouldn't be your fault, The old lady didn't yield right of way as your vehicle was turning from a main road and lady was leaving a side road or parking lot. Unless it was a light protected intersection. I would have fought the ticket. The probelm you have in lots of cases is most people fell the need to talk to the police, I never do. I would have said old lady hit me and it's her fault and never allowed anything else. I had similar situation when I first started in Ct. they wrote the report like it was my fault. I told adjuster it wasn't my fault and sent ghoogle earth picture view of parking lot and that woman got ZERO dollars and no accident was on my record.Police generally will write a report agianst the out of stater cause theres very seldom a challenge.

Agian if facts match your story, I'd say NOT your fault. By your statements
There was a fair amount of time between getting stuck and the collision? setting out reflectors and traffic being re-routed around trailer would indicate 5-25 minutes? If the person that ran into trailer was that inatentive it would surely be his fault through distracted driving. Most states have laws agianst blocking traffic Except in a emergency or BREAKDOWN situation. The problem most people feel a compulsion to have someone else or be at fault. I never feel like that I feel like I should keep silent and think about the facts without the added pressure after an accident and then reach a conclusion. I never admitt fault at all I let it be decided later. Police have a tendecy to want to blame the truck driver just like all the 4 wheelers do.

Well at least you have one that isn't your fault according to what you state.
CSA is a piece of crap system and this is just another reason why. The people you haul for can see the same data you can, not to mention there are independent groups selling this information. A potential customer could see this and say we DON"T want to use you cause you may crash our product.
Your insurance more than likely will go up or even cancel due to this and your client base could be affected. So yes I will state if for the lahood cheering sqaud CSA SUCKS and this is another reason why.

Myself I would consider legal action in fedeeral court agianst all parties involved in these crashes, could get lucky and be able to retire on a settlement.

First thing I would do is have a meeting with my drivers if I had any and explain that you are to keep silent after a accident.
Only statements needed would be driver and insurance info and the big one "IT"S the other persons fault"...
Sort it out later not for some half wit cop to write it all down and maybe wrongly written.