what do you do when a company blackballs you from other jobs

Crete is a self-insured company. That at least partly explains why they're so anal about DACcidents and are DACklisting you.

Also, they're still recovering from the big accident in Florida, an accident that got them sued, no doubt. They're still skittish over this one, and understandably so.

I wonder about your situation, though. Did these three DACcidents happen fairly close together time-wise? If so, that would be a pattern and you probably deserve what you're getting. Believe me, if you can't back properly, you'll find grief at ANY company you work for and will get DAClisted at the other DAC outifits just like you're getting that treatment now. Yeah, if these incidents have happened within weeks of each other, this problem you're having would not be CCC's fault. That would make it YOUR fault.

Also....did you get "suspended" or did you get fired? I know CCC will merely suspend a driver's safety clearance when he becomes a problem. After the suspension is up, he can return to the fold. Maybe that's what your situation is. If you have been suspended, go back to Crete when the period is up. Crete is about the best TL company one can hire on with. They don't get much better, unless one moves to the LTL sector and goes union. When you go back, you'll know that you gotta be careful on backing. Go get some review lessons if you need to. Do whatever it takes to become a pro at backing up. You'll #### sure keep your job a lot longer at Crete next time 'round.

When I drove for Crete, I had a minor DACcident while backing. The company then sent me to the Marietta terminal for three days of safety training, meaning I had to listen to speeches and watch safety videos. The class had about 25 students in it, which tells me DACcidents are pretty common.

This is a good lesson for those going to expensive training schools--be sure you get your backing down cold before heading to orientation at a company like Crete.

No matter if CCC would bust me hard for a DACcident, I'd still work for 'em. At least I know they're serious about safety. But know DACcidents and firings are the reason CCC can have so many openings for new hires. Just be sure to get out and look while backing. I know that for the three DACcidents I had while driving for the companies I drove for, I didn't do this. Only one of those got me in trouble, but the other two could have as well. I was lucky, I guess.

I worked for Swift once, and they bust people's DAC reports for DACcidents just like CCC does. When one works for Swift though, he doesn't care if he has to walk away. He'd just better walk away before he gets fired and DAClisted because of DACcidents. With Crete, you learn quickly to get out and look on every back. A Crete job is worth keeping, after all. It's also worth going back to if your safety clearance has been suspended.

 

sounds like we should start a site only for review of trucking companies

 

I know that VP of Safety and he is unresponsive to a drivers explaination. He just likes to hand out the points! I have tried talking to him also and he just turned away from me and ignored my legitimate complaint. Driving behind Wal-Mart stores that do nothing but PILE C*** in the swing area for truckers is an accident waiting to happen. And for heaven's sake don't bend a wing because the directions the company gave you get you into a DEAD END ALLEY in the middle of the night and you have to cut so sharp to get out you bend a wing. You get more accident reports for that! As far as Wal-Mart trailers and bald tires...good luck on getting Acklie maintenance change them! But the mechanic will say the truck is safe and tell you it is an inside tire so if it blows you will not have too big of a problem!! I quit...the terminal I was working out of has issues and Lincoln is not interested. I reported the tires to my Fleet Manager and he just shook his head.
I had 7 seven different trucks in my 7 months there. They are short on decent used trucks and I had so many break downs that I was not making any money.
I quit...but I am sure they have f****** my DAC even though I gave them notice.

 

Hey Tip,

You sure sound like you are very knowledgable in this area. Here's my story! Yes, the 3 DACidents were fairly close together, but through the Crete Accident Review Board, 1 DACident was removed because they say there was no evidence to prove I did it, and they were right. That was the only one that involved backing, but I was not even there on the day accused. By the way, this was on 1/21/07. It took until 4/17/07 to get an accident review board on this. This is the DACident which Crete gave me 10 safety points on (just enough to get me fired per their policy, I had 8 safety points which was going to 6 for a clean log audit), 5 points for leaving the scene of the accident and 5 points for a preventable accident. There was no discussion regarding remedial training or anything. You are right, they are extremely anal in all areas, and I think especially with new drivers.

Now the rest of the story! The remaining 2 DACidents were on 11/26/06 in a small town in GA. I was going through a small town, narrow roads, and made a left turn and there was a car at stop light where I was turning. I cut a severe buttonhook turn, went over the edge of the curb in the right lane turning into, and watched through my mirrors, stopping several times to avoid hitting the vehicle, and I observed that I had a minimum of 3 feet between the rear of trailer and the car in the lane. Upon clearly and successfully making the turn without hitting anything, I proceeded to go on out of town. About 2 miles outside of town, I was stopped by 6-8 Sheriff cars and pulled over. The officer asked if I knew that I hit a car in town. I informed him that I did not hit any vehicle. He informed me that the driver of a car called in and said that I had hit them. He now had the difficult task of trying to find a way to get me back to town. He conferred with all the Sheriff's surrounding me and I was told that there was only one place I could turn around. They led me to it! It was a semi-circle drive on private property, which had no lights and it was dark as anything. I stopped at the entrance and told the Sheriff that I was refusing to enter private property, especially since it was very dark and no lights. He ordered me to go onto the property and turnaround. I again refused to enter. He went back to the group of Sheriff's and came back and told me that if I didn't go onto property and turn around that they would take me to jail. Well,I knew that if I went to jail that I would certainly not be driving again, I felt trapped in a double blind. I got out of truck, looked around and proceeded onto property, I had to make several pullups and backups, then came the exit. It was on a very narrow 2-lane street, upon re entering the roadway, I could not go off road as it was a steep drop off, as I got through the turn, my rear tandems went over a small tree (tandems were fairly far forward), I stopped. Sheriff came back up and said after you finish in town, you are to return here and try to right the tree.

When I got to town, it was a joke, local city police were there and the lady who was driving the vehicle was in a rush to get her daughter to church(kind of funny @ 10 pm), I told local police that I must take pictures of truck and vehicle. The only suggested damage was a minor scrape on the front bumper about a 1/4" long, a minor scrape on the side mirror, and a much larger scrape on the rear quarter panel above on the rear tire. I know that I did not hit this vehicle, and I told the officer that. He said he could not see any damage to my truck and something was fishy about all this. They told me that due to the circumstances, that they would not give me a ticket, which they did not.

I then returned to the first private property site and was once again directed to go back onto the private property. I got out and looked over the situation, and upon entering the property, caught a little of another tree at entrance. The Sheriff then filled out a private property report. He then talked with me and said that they should not have ordered me onto this property, AS THERE WAS A ROAD 1/2 MILE DOWN WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME BACK TO TOWN. I told him that when I refused to enter property, why did you tell me to go there or go to jail. He said that his boss told him to do that. I said to him that his department has caused me a great deal of grief over this, and it will go on my driving record. He said he was sorry, but there was nothing he could do.

The Crete Accident Review Board did not happen while I was still employed with Crete for these two accidents. When I was scheduled originally, my truck broke down and I was in the process of being towed in when the review board called me. Therefore, it was rescheduled.

HERE'S THE IRONY W/CRETE ACCIDENT DEPT. During my comments to them, they misquoted me repeatedly of which I defended to review board, but their slant was that I had lied. I was never allowed to see the pics which I took of the alleged accident until 2 months after the review board. They kept telling me that it was company property. I kept telling them that how can I defend myself w/o the pics so that I can respond. Well when I finally got the pics, I discovered that the accident report stated it was a Ford Expedition, but in the pics it was a Nissan Pathfinder. Well, at that point I contacted the officer who wrote up the accident, I asked him for a written statement and he said that I would have to talk to the Chief of Police. I talked with the Chief of Police and he was a personal friend of the woman driving the car, and he told me that the registration given for he accident was for her husband's car, not the one she was driving. I asked if they gave her a ticket for not having proper registration and he just laughed.

Tip, this calamity has affected by ability to return to driving a truck and hopefully, you can see why. If I could find a good attorney, I would be going after Crete for wrongful discharge. I live in Western Tennessee, If anybody knows of a good trucking attorney, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Short Stack

 

You made a mistake. I hate to say it, Stack, but you made a big ol' bungle. Now what can you learn from it?

You were in a small town at a traffic light. But, given this was a small town, you didn't have much traffic behind you to worry about. If I would have been sitting at the light, I would have just waited a cycle and let the car move through and get out of the way. Yeah, I would have sat at a green light and just waited for her to clear out. In a small town at 10 pm, you should have been able to wait for that lady to move on through. I've done this before in little places. I've parked it in the middle of the road at lights and thrown on hazards while waiting a minute to make a move. I had no problems when doing this. I even did it in New York once. Again, it wasn't a problem. Waiting and being patient are key when you're big.

You decided to make your move (which you didn't HAVE to do--you could have waited) and a whole mess was created by that teeny-tiny decision.

Sounds like you're a "crowd pleaser". I've heard of many drivers getting into trouble by trying to please others. I guess they are afraid they'll get a ticket or even go to jail if they don't "rush rush rush" through intersections like this. Don't rush. Wait it out. If you have to get cars to back up for you or if you have to wait a cycle, do it. And the drivers behind you that get pissed off because you hold them up another thirty seconds? Screw 'em. You're not out to please those people. Let 'em honk all day /night long at you.

Don't be a pleaser. It'll get you in trouble somewhere along the line.

Now here you are. No job and no way to get a good job. Drop trucking and go learn some new skill. The government 'll pay for it.

 

Yo Tip,

I guess that you think that I am a bumbling idiot! Well, your right in this circumstance! Even though I made a mistake, I have discussed this with many other drivers, and since that date 11/26/07 I had done just what you stated. There have been many times that I just sat at a busy intersection, in big cities, through as many as 3 or 4 light changes, until a four wheeler decides to move or backup. Oh yes, Tip, I learned that lesson right away.

I believe that every NEW DRIVER as I was can make a mistake! I can't tell you how refreshing your comments are. Thank you!

 

No, I don't think you're an idiot, Stack. Everybody has crap like this happen to him when starting out. Some are lucky and some aren't so lucky. I hated this fact of trucking--you can have a pristine driving record one day and have it destroyed the next in a simple turn of events. You then go from having a good job to the unemployment office. Well, I need something a little more secure, thank you. I got out of trucking because of this fact and about three other good reasons (DAC was another reason).

Stack, you need to put this crap behind you and forget about it. Nothing is gonna change anyone's mind at CCC. You're just spinning your wheels and wasting time, not to mention being pissed off over it a lot more than you should.

Use the DACklist to your advantage. If someone like CCC wants to play games and keep you out of trucking, simply go to the local labor board and tell those guys that fact. You are being denied employment in the industry and are now "unemployable". Then kindly ask for some kind of grant money to pay for retraining. This is one way you can bite the ### of DAC. Do it up. Believe me, you do NOT want to work for a trucking company that will take you on with two DACmarks on your record. Walk away if no good company will hire you now. You gave it your best shot. #### it.

Good luck, Stackie. I hope you get retrained as a dozer driver or welder and leave trucking in the dust. I got retraining and have left trucking in a big ol' cloud. I don't miss it, either, and I never will. I come to these websites because I was ripped a lot in trucking, and I also saw a bunch of others get ripped as well. Trucking companies should learn not to screw with those who have elephant memories and can type.

Success after trucking is the best revenge. Go get your revenge. Go get that retraining and get a job making a hundred grand a year for 40 hours a week of work. I don't know what they've told you, but show all of 'em that you don't NEED trucking. Show 'em they don't have you over a barrel just to screw around.

 

So Tip, what jobs pay a hundred grand a year? Thanks again, for all the good advice. Can you accept private posts? I'd like to continue to communicate with you and let you know how it's going.

 

Drivers, drivers, DRIVERS: Trucking is NOT a contact sport! Avoid all this nonsense by staying clean and thinking about what and where and how you are driving and parking. and manuvering... I'd like to hear from drivers who have NEVER hit anything except the brakes and the dock!

Funny, you don't hear about these 'injustices" from experienced drivers. Guys with 3-4-5 or more years. Either they don't hit stuff or they are slick enough to get away with it.

I think "the big companies" have years of experience recognizing trouble before it gets big. and nipping it in the bud. If you're a rookie, get involved in a situation and do not handle it properly (ie. according to company policy), they simply don't want you around. You probably get what you deserve. I am not condoning what the companies do to some drivers (like lying on DAC), but I do believe they have the experience to protect themselves from "newbie drivatosis" and all the associated lawsuits and such.

AND, I think there are always two sides to every story and we only hear one here...

Ride hard, take chances and stay off the brakes

 

Find a small company that does not use DAC