Had a minor accident. My fault. Scared I'm gonna get fired.

It's not hit and run if you don't know.

Hit-and-Run Charges

While proving ignorance could be difficult, I believe a good defense attorney could make the argument that given the slow speeds, dark conditions and heavy vehicles involved, with as little damage as was done, that you could say the driver may not have known he hit anything. Also it appears the damage was done on the passengers side, the side of the trailer the driver never has to see in order to get out, disconnect, and leave.

I was actually at a shipper once and the lady told me to go to the end and turn around and go to dock whatever. I go to the end and it's so tight I can't really turn around and I can't back out. I cut it as hard as I could and someone flagged me down and said I hit the back of a trailer with my trailer swing. He and I went and looked and saw no damage to either trailer. He said you might have hit it dead center in the back and that's why there is no damage at all. We both shrugged our shoulders and went our separate ways. I never knew I hit the trailer and it was a bright sunny day.

 

Yeah just a little tip, when these trucks/trailers make contact they do damage, doesn't matter how gentle you are stuff with bend and scratch. This is why it's so important to get out and look if you are at all questioning your position. Better to take that extra 30 seconds than have to deal with safety for the next week. Fortunately that fender you bent is relatively cheap. Most likely a repair shop will be able to just bend it back into shape. Unfortunately that doesn't really make a difference since you will still be reported for the accident.

But keep your head up. This is what happens when you are new at this game. It shouldn't happen, to be fair, because you should be paying every bit of attention you can, but it happens to us all. I doubt you will be fired for this, but if you are I'm sure any other starter company will give you a chance. Just keep this mishap in the back of your head so you don't become a repeat offender and good luck!

 

He said he heard it make contact

 

Thanks for the answers guys. I still have the job appearantly so far. Haven't heard anything back except a call to give a statement to determine the fault. Been a few days since then and they're still giving me work so thats a good thing. Seems like the work loads change though, it was all local loads, now they're sending me on 400 mile runs. Fine with me at least I still have a job. But if they send me on those runs too often, more than twice a week, I may have to think about what I should do. I was originally hired for local dedicated, then my dispatch just took me off the account without warning and gave it to another guy. Didn't give me a reason.
But anyways I'm still happy I have the job atleast so thanks alot for the answers guys

 

You shouldn't get fired for that but if you do, there are plenty of opportunities out there. I've done worse things: when I was new I cut my truck too much and hit a trailer, dragged it and hit another trailer. I've also made a u-turn, damaging my cab extender. I've also hit a parked car while backing and caused a 7k claim. Well, that happened several years ago and I've had to be extra careful in every thing I touch.

 

Wow that's some real experience. Where you a company driver at the time? Yeah it's true the best teacher is experience

 

That’s a tight place

I would have just refused to park there .

you can’t even walk between the trailers

 

As long as he wouldn't tell the responding officer this, he could get off.