Preventable Accident/DAC Report

I’ve actually wondered about six’s age myself from time to time. I’m pretty sure he’s immortal.

 

I had a non-DOT incident when I first started solo. Reported it myself and took my talkin to at the terminal. Not long after, I went to a customer whose lot looked exactly like what the OP described. It looked more like a junk yard than a shipper. Debris everywhere, burned-out cars parked all over, employee vehicles right next to the dock I was supposed to use etc...

My mind went back to that preventable. I went back inside, returned their paperwork, called my manager and told him the lot was unsafe and left.

Lesson learned.

 

What about the people that make the products we haul? Or the diesel mechanics that keep our trucks and trailers going? Or the people that work at the truck stop so we can get fuel? Everyone has to do their job to make the supply chain work.

 

I'm not even sure what to think of all of this. Other than I would not want someone working for me that can't even fess up to an honest mistake. #### happens on the road. Equipment breaks, bumpers get ripped off, trucks get stuck in jobsites... the ones that make good drivers are the ones that own up to it and find a solution rather than blame everybody else and play the victim...

 

One. Of the things I always tried to get my trainees to understand was the need to plan in advance, survey every place your truck will be long before it gets there. Basically sometimes your goal starts long before you think about using Reverse!
Hitting something stationary that was there before you ever started your backing on a pull up tells me you didn't look around at the hole picture and failed to plan properly.
Having been in safety as well I would not put this on anything besides company record but would consider it as preventable! Being you reported it to who knows what type of person and didn't discuss that it was a simple fix and you are able and willing to fix it is where the questions and issues arise.
Once reported to insurance company policy may force them but with your description I doubt it was reported as many minor things are going to cost much less for them to fix themselves and not have listed on the insurance.

 

Something you fail to comprehend is why others offer a bit more advice, criticism and points of view.

You see most of us have been there, done that or seen it before and many times with different outcomes dependant on company policy, people in charge.
So they offer more than you asked for hoping to save you from having to deal with an issue of the same or similar again.

These words "knew I messed up, but this is not all my fault considering it’s literally trash left in their lot and it wasn’t a stationary" clearly define your attitude and understanding of preventable BUT you need to drop the its not all my fault part and take complete ownership if you want to grow and truly learn from it.
Why didn't you see them before starting your maneuver?
If they were not stationary or permanent why didn't you move them before starting?
Why didn't you see them?

 

As stated your GOAL sometimes starts before ever putting it in reverse. If you couldn’t see and the lot was dark you should have pulled your flashlight out and looked over the approximate path you intend to drive.

 

I don't see any way out of it. You messed up, then you told them you messed up. You can't unring a bell. I doubt fixing it yourself would make anything better, it might even make it worse since your employer knows there was an incident. That truck is their asset. Now that they know you damaged it, they're gonna want it looked at by their own shop. If they have to unfix anything you fixed, they could add that to the total repair cost.