Trailer backing

I have never caused damage and not reported it. The thought has never even crossed my mind. I work hard for what I have, and I respect the hard work others have put in to acquire what they have. To cause damage and knowingly leave without accepting responsibility is irresponsible, selfish, and immature. I don't know what you may or may not have, but how would you feel if you came back to your car/house/truck/etc only to see that some careless donkeyhole had damaged it and fled the scene? That's the exact advice you and others are giving. Part of being an adult is accepting responsibility for your actions. If you hit something and cause damage, that means going through the proper channels to report the damage so that the owner of the property knows where to send the repair bill. If the owner of the property says "no big deal...don't worry about it", that is his right. If the damage is in fact minor, that may very well be what happens...ESPECIALLY if you did the right thing and accepted responsibility for your screw-up. I don't care how "minor" the damage might be, though, if you flee and there are any cameras or witnesses that come forward, I'll go out of my way to make sure your company gets the bill AND deals with you appropriately. Cameras are everywhere these days, so the likelihood that there is evidence floating around are better today than a decade or two ago. If you're scared you might be fired for hitting something and reporting it, just wait until they find out you hit something and DIDN'T report it! At that point, termination of your employment is a sure thing.

 

If every single driver on the road today reported every contact this system would be so overloaded as to paralyze it. You can (correctly) go on and on about this but that is the one simple fact those of us that live in realville live with. 90% of this damage is done by yard dog's. Simple facts, sorry if that don't fit inside your morality.

 

Or the equipment would be in a lot better shape.

 

Nope, the average company will write off these trailers.

 

I was thinking people make take a little more care if they were responsible enough to own up.

 

Not counting reefers what do you think is the most kinds of damage to a trailer? bad and/or flat tires is one. The other that always used to piss me off was tandems out of line. Sometimes this was so bad the tandem locking pins did not line up. Bent king pins. Followed by actual holes in the sides made by fork lifts. NONE of this is going to get fixed because someone turns a scratch in. Most of the megas have their trailers on a service schedule and if a serious problem sent to a trailer shop. Like I have tried to say now several times. I am more concerned that this kind of stuff be prevented. However it is a fact that general abuse during their life does a heck of a lot more damage to a trailer then a simple scratch. Castrating a driver will not stop this.