New Driver Accidents

Definitely sucks. I can't believe your Mentor wasn't able to help you avoid the trailer at the Loves (as he should be out watching for you if you get close to the other truck). As said, it's a numbers game. Apply everywhere. Explain what happened. See if you can get the pay outs for damage caused (if it's in the few hundred to a few thousand, it might help to show them as proof). Explain to them everything.

Aside from that, take the advice of learning how to back better. I know as a green rookie, I backed horribly, but you need a little more training in that area. You also need to not be afraid to get out and look, even if you think it looks easy. Those are the spots you mess up.

 

I have gotten a ton better at backing since I went solo and I have to do ALL the backings now, I do still worry at times during the night or when im really tired, for those times I look for a rest area or pullout over a truck stop, half the time late at night you wont find a spot at a truck stop or its the last space left no other driver wanted to fight for.

I choose truck stops as last resort when im stopping for a night unless its during the day, a lot of drivers have no patience for newer drivers either and they will try and cut you off and zoom right past you when your trying to back in, I even had a truck in the beginning who pulled into the spot I was about to back into, talk about me being angry and I was only pulled up for seconds

 

Well I guess I will be the one to be the bad guy here ..... There is no excuse for either one of these so called accidents . Both could have been avoided by getting out and looking .

Lesson 1 never count on anyone ever !!! Lesson 2 get off your butt and look !

The only people that say its no big deal are the ones that have crashed stuff themselves. The rest of us will say it is a big deal because it shows that your not doing your job .

2 crashes in training tell me your trainer didn't do his job . You should have been tought right off that it is your job not to hit anything big or even more important small !

Good luck and for gods sake stop hitting things !!!

 

well im glad you said it

 

I still have those moments about backing. Today was one of them. 1:30 am delivery, was 4 am before they get me to a door, I know I am tired and not 100%, took me 10 minutes and I got out more times than I can count to do it right. At the end of the day the only thing that matters is that I am doing my job without damaging anything. My skill at backing is irrelevent if I go slow, get out and check, dont get flustered, and just do my job.

 

Your "mentor" (I am using that term loosely) should also have those two accidents on his DAC.

 

Posts like this are just giving special interest groups reasons to want to impose stricter regulations. Too many newbies are getting into accidents. This tells me and others that new drivers need more training b4 going solo. If you can't even finish your training period without racking up a few accidents, it's time to re-evaluate your career move.

 

Telling you the facts and not sugar coating it is not being a super trucker or even jollier than tough . The facts are the facts and not hitting crap is your job !! I don't care what you try to push the blame onto you hit the things end of story ! There are no excuses to hit anything ever !!!

I am not bragging or telling stories here or trying be a super trucker but dang near 4 million accident free miles does my talking for me . In all those miles and 33 years I have not let my truck or trailer ever hit smash run over or even touch something that I was not supposed to hit so if it makes me a super trucker in your book then I guess I am !

I am old but I am not bitter about you new drivers heck I was new at one time too ! But you need to earn respect and you won't get mine by whining about how mean the old drivers are and how we should tell you it ok to crash into crap and that everyone does it but I won't hold your hand and tell you it is ok because it is not ok ! So if you want respect then stop hitting crap and blaming others for it and start manning up and earn the respect you think you deserve .

The only thing I don't like about trucking is you new guys have no respect for the job . You think because you learned how to pass a state test that you are a truck driver . You are not a truck driver because backed into the spot on the test pad and answered a few questions that you can do what I can do with 4 million miles . But you have already proved that you will never be the driver I am because you have already had more crashes than me .

So how is that for holier than though ? Super trucker enough for ya yet ? Like I said before good luck and stop hitting things . Oh and you will a lot further in trucking without .... Never mind you got it figured out . Good luck

 

now tell us how ya really feel?? !!!! LOL good post