Fired for driving accident in recent snow

It never fails to amaze me the number of rookies who find this site, but never do any reading. Grow up kid, find a pair, and learn who makes your safety decisions. If you aren't intelligent enough to shut down with those conditions going on despite national and world news covering then, then you don't need to be driving a truck.

 

you were NEVER pressured to drive. you had the choice to sit and wait out the storm or drive, and you chose to drive.

you are at fault.

don't blame others for your faults.

move on now, nothing more to see here.

 

If I have a job opening and two applicants I will ALWAYS hire the one with no recent accidents if everything else is equal. I consider being fired for refusing to operate in bad weather a badge of honor.

I am also going to amplify what @Ridgeline has stated. YOU are the capt of that truck! It is ON YOU to make sure EVERYTHING is legal before you put that vehicle on the road. This means making sure ALL your legals are up to date. I am close personal friends with many safety critters across many carriers. To a person, they all tell me they will intervene if a driver calls them BEFORE pulling a stupid. They all hate it when they have to terminate a driver after an accident. Make no mistake about it though, they will!!!!! I was thinking about an issue I had way back in the 90s. I was in Colorado and snow was falling and I 70 was almost closed. I was headed east after making a delivery. I remember looking at the weather maps that day. If I could get into Kansas I could beat the system. On a lark, I called home and by chance, my pop answered the phone. I asked him about it. His answer was priceless and to the day I retired I followed this advice. If in doubt don't go! I stayed in Colorado and waited till the storm passed.

 

I appreciate the responses.

People are saying I should have just said no. In hindsight, I agree. But at the same time you are hired by a company to drive and you expect that company to guide you. People say I had a choice. When the company is sending you your deliveries and saying do it by this time, you don’t know you have a choice. I was worried they would reprimand me if I refused to drive. In any other job, teachers, factory workers, etc., they tell you “hey, don’t come to work tomorrow because of the weather.” Or, “wait until ten to show up.” I don’t think it’s too high of an expectation to expect that for your DRIVING company.

“Hey, watch out for this highway, we see our other drivers are getting stuck there. Here is an automatic alert we are sending to all drivers.” Or, “Hey, this company WE ARE SENDING YOU TO is closed tomorrow. Show up at X time.” They’re the ones profiting from my work. It shouldn’t be my responsibility to call each company before I deliver to see if they are open or not.

My biggest issue with this was that I was first told it wasn’t preventable and then later told it was preventable.

And my biggest concern now, after having learned this lesson, is that this will come up on my DOC record and hinder or prevent me from getting a job in the future.

 

Again. Grow up, grow a pair. You're an adult, do they need to tell you to wipe after you drop a deuce too? You have a phone, you have a computer, you were aware of conditions and wanted somebody to hold your hand.

 

so you were "afraid of a reprimand"???????

seems to me, that reprimand was easier to swallow, than the unemployment line

again, good luck, stop making excuses

 

On the day that the 100+ pileup happened in Texas due to ice; our ceo instructed any truck in the dfw area to shut down.

Company sent out messages about the storm that dropped a lot of snow in PA a few weeks ago and also a few more about the stretching of this ice event.

CEO and director of operations routinely tell us to shut down if tired or due to the weather and to send a message. That message is supposed to absolve us.

 

I find it hard to believe that you got fired for just running off the road. After all you are a star driver

 

My contribution would only be the same thing that everyone else has already said. I will say this much: many companies require 1 year OTR experience. This is one of the reasons why. Part of the gaining experience, is sharpening your judgment skills, and trip planning. Part of trip planning is looking at conditions where you are and checking weather conditions for your route. In trucking, you always have to be aware of what you're up against. Getting behind the wheel.and going is the easy part of it. Nonetheless, this is a hard lesson, but it will improve your trucking intangibles. You'll be fine, driver. When you get your next job, remember this, and do better.

 

From what little experience I have in trucking I can tell you this.
Those trucking companies could give a hoot about your lively hood. Furthermore, they will work you like a Red headed step child. But you already know that now. Be firm, fair and friendly.