First off I'd like to say hi to everyone here, I'm happy that I found a place where I can talk to other truck drivers and so forth. To tell you a little about myself, I have had my CDL for just over 2 years, just over a year of that is class a driving (3-4 months OTR, and 10 mos. local).

Anyways, I went to truck driving school at CR England back in December of '05, I got my CDL but they wouldnt hire me after I was out on the road with a trainer. So I went down the street to Central Refrigerated Service and was hired by them in March of '06. I worked for them for a few months until I found a job with more consistent pay in June of that year. I thought that job was worth it, but little did I know, I was gonna be laid off 3 months down the road. With me not having much experience, I was unable to find any class a cdl work for 7 months or so (until March of '07). In March '07 I was asked to come back and I did. I got alot of hours and was consistent for the 9-10 month stretch until in October I was involved in an accident while on duty with the local company.

A little about the accident, I was driving NB I-5 in Downtown Seattle getting on to the Express Lanes when slowing down because of traffic, an SUV driven by a hispanic male cut me off. :x I couldnt stop in time because they took my stopping/slowing space. It all happened so quickly. Anyways, I was the unlucky reciepent of a "Speed too fast to avoid a collision" ticket for $175. :evil: So now thats my first ever moving violation and my first accident, ever. So what I'm asking, is do I still have a chance at doing what I really like doing? Or should I just give it all up? :?:

I have applied to several companies and havent gotten any responses at all. So now I've come here to see the advice of my fellow drivers out there. Any suggestions would be most helpful.


-Charles

No, don't give up. Just be extra cautious, bvecause these things happen in the blink of an eye.

Ever since it happened, I have found myself being more cautious of everything. No matter where it is at. The crappy part about the whole thing is, the company let me go because of it, and on most applications I have filled out, they ask for damage amount and I dont know that figure. I've got an application at Gordon Trucking, hopefully they are a good company.

Unfortunately, having such little driving experience, then an accident where you did have it, tells plenty of potential employers "Beware"!! I know lot's of trucks love the Express Lanes....but then ...lot's of trucks have accidents either right at the entrance to the NB Express Ramp, or in the 300 feet leading into the ramp. The 4-wheelers love running up the exit lane for "downtown" then hopping into the ramp for the Express.
Lot's of the Canadian trucks love doing that to.

If your going to drive "local" in Western Washington, you have to have a full truck load of patience. From the Nisqually Delta to Arlington, the only thing a "fast" truck driver has to look forward to is an accident.

You didn't say who you were driving for, at the time of the accident. Was it Haney Truck Lines, Puget Sound Truck Lines, or one of the smaller operations?


(don't let my location fool ya into thinkin I don't know the area....I have 20 years of driving in the Seattle market)

It was for Taylor Shellfish Farms out of Shelton, WA. Here are a couple pics I took with my camera phone..


I'm just hoping I didnt throw away money for Truck Driving school for nothing.

I would have fought the ticket ...simply stating to responding officer that the person cut you off and hit his breaks causing the collision, And that's all I would have stated to the office ...I wouldn't have given him any facts such as speed and distance ...Then when I went to court I would have asked the officer if making a sudden un announced (turn signal) lane change in between two moving vehicles at X amount of speed with only X amount of room ,And then abruptly slowing down is a safe lane change ...then I would ask him if this unsafe lang change could cause a rear ending ,and if this outcome would be at fault by the driver performing the un-safe lane change ...most likely he would say yes ...then you ask him if he witnessed the incident that took place ,and then ask him simply having not witnessed the incident is the scenario of a driver making an un safe lane change the possible cause of this accident ,and not following to close ? He will have say yes it's possible ,because he after all did not witness the incident ...There's you reasonable dout ,and your charges would most likely be dismissed .

When it happened, it happened so quick. I didnt even have time to react. The only thing I could do was say, "Oh Fu****************k!" and then the first imact with the SUV, then the Jersey barrier. The cop wasnt even there long enough to get my story, he said that I'd be mailed a ticket. And since I relcoated across the state a week after the accident, I didnt have the money to fight it. But my fiance paid the ticket for me. I was going to fight it, but either way, I'd be spending time and money I didnt have. Plus I didnt want to spend money to go the 300 miles to the courthouse and have the case not be dismissed. Then I would have been out more money. But now, I'm just hoping I can leave my crappy job as a cart pusher at walmart and get back out on the road where I belong.

Don't show those pictures to anybody you apply to!! They give the impression that it was you squeezing into the express ramp...not the suv!!

If you have a decent background, with out any record of accidents in your personal record, Gordon may give you a chance.....doubtful..but the possability is there.

Taylor didn't have an option. I'm certain their Insurance carrier told them to dump you asap. To much risk involved with their product. A trailer load of clams, mussels, crabs & oysters, makes for one expensive insurance claim, especially since the bulk of the load is "Live" product. Even processed shellfish can ruin Taylor quick.

You may have better luck talking with Puget Sound Truck Lines or Haney. Puget used to be fairly loose with their hiring practices, even though they are union.

I see you have Omak listed as where you are located...is that right?

There are a couple different outfits over there, that hire drivers, that might be willing to give you an opportunity to redeem yourself. For the life of me, I can not remember their names..but they might come to me while I am sleeping. If I do remember their names..I'll put them out here.

Best of Luck

Taylor was a self insured company, so I think that is one of the reasons why they let me go. As for my load at the time, I didnt have any live shellfish on the truck at all. Just empty steel tubs for the live stuff which I was headed to pick up.

And yes, I am in Omak, WA