Do I have to report animal strikes to companies I’m applying for?

There is no one size fits all answer to this question. If everything goes as it SHOULD that answer is a firm NO! However, in life some things don't go as they should. Most carriers maintenance people will make reports when they see damage to company equipment. It is always best to make a trip to see your friendly safety critter to make sure the incident is filed properly. I remember discussing a deer strike a fellow company driver had while eating dinner at the West Memphis Petro. He did not report the strike, the strike had knocked loose his right idiot stick and damaged the fender mirror. He said that he had been told to forget about it because carriers don't hold drivers responsible for deer strikes. When he had his next PM service they took note of the damage and turned in a report. A while later he was directed in to a terminal and was warned about reporting strikes, then the failure to make the report was made part of his record. It's been years since I last spoke to that driver and a larger carrier bought that carrier.

You should not be reporting these strikes to a carrier during the application process, however you need to report said strike to the current carrier if there is noticeable damage. Then make a brief check to make sure all is OK with safety.

Here is a tip for you green drivers. This is something I have learned over the years. That company mechanic you think is your friend in most situations is far from it. Some even take delight in reporting anything they see during a PM to safety.

This leads me to my last tip, make sure you have a working camera when operating your truck. I am NOT talking about a gopro type camera recording the road. I am talking about a camera that can take photo's of damage to your truck. Have a strike, take photo's and send them in fully explaining the cause. In this business the name of the game is cover your rear! Leave nothing to chance.

 

Animal collisions are typically recorded as "non preventable" by the carrier, even if the wreck is DOT reportable, usually meaning it requires a wrecker and police assistance.
The exceptions to that could be if a driver was being careless at the time of the collision i.e. speeding etc.
I would report it to another company ONLY if there was damage to the equipment, but I would make it clear that it was recorded as non preventable. That shouldn't have any effect on the hiring process.