Driver facts with swift issue!!

He might be scared to give us that cool story now, it cant compete with our cool responses and opinions

 

The next post will be in another forum saying how you guys didn't help him after he asked for it.

 

I know this is an old post, but we are going through this with Swift. There was an incident where the back end of the trailer hit the back end of a car, actually scraped it causing minor damage. It was on a very small, narrow bridge. Unfamiliar place in Munhall, PA. It was actually unpreventable. Once actually on the bridge, there is a sign for tractor trailors- yea smart. So there was no backing up to get off of the bridge once you are on it due to traffic. This is the only way to go. Anyways, the police gave no tickets, no citations, just wrote up a quick report and sent everyone on their way. But the police did state that this happens all the time and that something was going to be done soon about the bridge and this issue. Anyways, on the DAC report, much to our surprise, it states Swift reported it as a HEAD ON COLLISION! That is the first thing a potential employer sees. We disputed it and Swift came back stating that they are not changing it- through Driver Facts. No explanation why or anything. We are sending a rebuttal now. How can they do this to drivers? Its all in the matter of wording.

The rep from HireRight explained that Swift is currently NOT an active participant with Hire Right, as of today's date, 2/21/2017 and the report is not showing, but when we received the DAC report on 1/27/2017 Swift is on the report from HireRight showing a Head on collision. She stated that it does not mean that it cannot show up later and will stay on for 10 years. HireRight would not tell us why Swift is not currently an active participant. Driver facts, on the other hand is acitve and currently shows it.

So, if you know there is something that may be on your DAC report, especially companies that claim you to death, just because they may not be an active member now with HireRight, it may show up later when they are active.

So WTH is going on? These are peoples livelihoods they are dealing with. And fyi, We departed from Swift months after this incident happened. Head On Collision never happened.

 

Hate to break it to you, but if you were moving and strck another vehicle that's the very definition of preventable accident. Several things you could of done differently to avoid that accident. Proper trip planning and you would have never been on that bridge to begin with. Failing that the moment you saw the no tractor trailer sign you should have come to an immediate stop set your 4ways on, put your triangles out, and called the local police for assistance.


Now about the head on collision wording. That doesnt necessarily mean you hit them in the middle of the grille. It just means you were travellin in opposite directions. You could of just clipped their mirror and it would be called a head on collision. Is it right? Probably not, but it is what it is. life isn't fair and you and i aren't going to change the way insurance companies label things.

About the only way you can dispute the head on thing is if you get a copy of the police report and the officer described the accident differently. Something as simple as the other vehicle was sitting in traffic and not in motion when you struck them. That's hitting a parked car, not a head on collision. Basically ya need to think like a trial lawyer and find a way to twist the facts into something they are not.

Hope it works out in the end and you've learned to bring your A game every time you get in the truck.

 

I do appreciate the suggestions. I would like to know what you would have done if you have never been in that area to begin with, not knowing what to expect until you are in the actual situation and there was no other way but to take the load, and in only that direction? I know how to plan a trip. It was not my fault that there were no warning signs, until after you are on the bridge and not having a clue what was in front of me. Its a common occurrence the police stated, so obviously it is a problem with big rigs to be on that bridge. The occurrence happened right away, so there was no way to stop and put up triangles to get help from the police officers. It was a very congested area to do anything. The other car made an attempt and they could not make it through, that is when it swiped the trailer.

Is there a way to find out if the insurance company was sued for this? This day and age, it would not surprise me.

 

Yes, it is sad wording. Head on collision is the first statement employers see when they pull up the DAC, Some want no part of it and see you as a high risk.

 

I carry truck route maps for every state i run in, and always call the reciever for local directions. Every once in a while they are bad directions and i gotta adjust on the fly. Also a few times a year I'm calling the local police to help get me backed out. I'm on a roll 5 times so far this year I've had to back or of a street i shouldn't have turned on. That's just part of the game for jobsite deliveries in the middle of major cities like miami. Heck once in january i had to get them to block off a one way street so i could go down it the wrong way to get to the jobsite. If that sounds bad, think about this. Ten years or so ago it was a Manhattan 7 am Monday delivery and 14 ft wide.

Basically my best suggestion is when you get in these binds, you keep your head. Keep calm, don't let the stress set in. Do whatever you have to to not strike anything. Not a car. Not a pole. Not a sign. Not even a curb. Even if that means setting your brakes in the middle of a four way intersection. And get help when you need it.

 

Wanted to add. If you had come to a complete stop, and the car hit you. Then it's a good arguement for unavoidable.

 

I had zero my first year 2 my second.... Guess I got complacent or over confident... Doing better now