Question for all Experienced Drivers

Can you imagine if companies was as forgiving as some of the post here?Lord help us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That all depends upon the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A few years ago, I came #### close to killing somebody. I don't even think he knows how close he came to biting it, either. I was getting ready to pull out of the yard. I had already loaded (80,000 pounds), and swung into the yard to drop off some paperwork...just a quick stop. When I was getting ready to make my left turn back out of the yard onto a 2-lane highway, I looked left, looked right, and looked back to the left as I started easing out the clutch.

That's when I noticed an approaching motorcycle...probably 250 yards off to the left. I probably could have safely completed the turn...but he might have had to roll out of the throttle to wait for me to finish clearing his lane. Being a motorcyclist myself, I decided I could wait for him to pass...and so I pushed in the clutch and stopped.

Then I noticed the second motorcycle. It was about 100 yards ahead of the first...up on it's rear wheel...with the rider standing on the seat. If I had tried to make it out before the motorcycle I had seen reached me, the one I HADN'T seen would have hit me somewhere between my drives and the middle of the trailer. He wouldn't have had a chance to miss me, either....would have had to set the front wheel back down on the ground and get his butt back on the seat before he could've even begun to think about taking any evasive actions, and even then there wasn't anyplace for him to have gone.

It wouldn't have been pretty, but it would have been my ticket (failure to yield). Would it have mattered that the motorcyclist was operating in an unsafe manner? Not really. I wouldn't have had any proof unless his buddy ratted him out. Fat chance of that happening.

If it wasn't for his buddy on the bike behind him, I never would've seen him. Should my career have ended because of somebody else chose to ride their motorcycle on one wheel at an excessive speed while standing on the seat? It's kind of hard to see that headlight when it's pointed up at the sky...

We both got lucky that day. He got to live, and I didn't have to pee in a cup.

Now we don't know all of the details of the OP's situation...but any one of us could have something similar happen tomorrow. It only takes a split second of imperfection for bad things to happen. NOBODY is perfect. If you've been driving for any length of time and claim to have never had a close call, either you are lying or you are both oblivious and lucky. The guy came in here asking for advise...not judgement. Yes, his options will be somewhat limited with the recent fatality on his record...but his career is not necessarily over. There are plenty of drivers on the road today who have been involved in wrecks. Some of them involved fatalities. Some were even at fault in those wrecks.

 

PFFT.....who are you kidding!! This is TTR!! All our drivers here are PERFECT!! None of them make mistakes; don't believe me just read the "Experienced Truckers Advice" or the "Ask An O/O" section!! They all haul $3pm freight and get 18MPG!!

Every driver up here runs 100% legal NEVER violating ANY of the 6million laws!!

We have doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, railroad engineers, and if not, they're all ex-military who ran secret missions!! And for you to think someone would dare to make a mistake is ludacris!!

 

Only thing that comes to mind that might pay while you wait 5 years would be running a yard dog. Dont think the insurance would matter as much as you wouldnt be on apublic highway so no insurance needed.

 

thats the thing....i have driven for 22 yrs...and can recall NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS....

people passing me and coming over in my lane BEFORE they are by me..big trucks and 4 wheelers alike..

a 4 wheeler GOING THE WRONG WAY ON the interstate....

someone passing me in bad weather, only to lose control after they get back over in front of me ...

cars pass only to jump in front of you and slam on the brakes for no apparent reason

4 wheelers drag racing on the highway...and i could go on and on.

i have never had an accident, or a claim...speeding tickets, yes..THINGS HAPPEN...so is it my fault that these other things i mentioned happened??? NO.. does that mean i am not a professional?? NO....

we dont know what the OP is thinking or not thinking..i know myself if i had taken a life, i would NEVER be able to drive again...but thats just me, but he does have a family to provide for.

i am NOT taking his side...i am just saying..sometimes things happen that are out of our control

saying that we dont have close calls in this profession is JUST NOT TRUE...sometimes we ARE able to control HOW MANY close calls we have, but we cant control all of them..PERIOD

 

It's easy for us to all sit back and assign blame without knowing the exact circumstances surrounding the event but the fact is none of us really know what happened. Was the van traveling 70+ in a 35 zone or 65 zone with a blind spot hill? Pretty suspect that the company or their insurance did not represent him in some way. Classic, I also have to wonder why you would just "accept the ticket" and not try to fight it in any way, weather you could afford a lawyer or not. You can probably get hired somewhere but your gonna have to pound the pavement more than your average joe. What I find sad about this besides the fact that someone is dead, is your "apparent" lack of remorse but maybe that's just the way you come across when typing.

 

The bike rider was an Idiot. No one can stop stupid.

 

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...here lies the heart of the problem; I like you kid, but you were a fool to trust your boss' lawyer. Do you really think they could possibly have your interests in mind?
You're going to flip burgers double-shift for a long time to support your family, no big deal really; I've done it myself. Take care kid.


Peace.

 

True,NEVER trust the Company Lawyer....they will hang the driver out to dry to cover the Company....
Any situation like this and i would hire my own Attorney.

 

The exact point i was making!........See we do agree on things....