[coastie]

Originally Posted by dennyboy

I was hired by Swift (first truck driving job) and worked for 15mo.s, around 140,000mi, OTR, 48states. I was fired 3/23/08 for accumulating the 4 following non-DOT recordable, but preventable minor accidents.

#1) after 7mo. driving, while backing into a door at customers wharehouse; I grazed an adjoining trailer and crumpled old placard holder (no placards inside). But didn't even scratch paint on surface underneath.

#2) 2 mo.s later I took a wrong turn into residential neighbor hood, narrow street, parked cars. long story but could see what I was doing and had to run on edge of a lady's small lawn to get out of there. Didn't really do permanent damage but she was drunk and upset so had to give Swift claims number

#3) one week later, while backing into parking slot at a truck stop, hit another trucks california mirror, folding it back. Mirror unfolded back to usable original position but did damage to black plastic housing.


#4) at a customers wharehouse. I backed into (touched) a chain link fence behind a row of parked trailers. I pushed one of the posts back enough so top of post was tilted back about 6in. LOng story but was not getting out to look enough on straight backs like this and was overly concerned with getting nose of tractor out of the way.

Do you blame them for firing you? I hope not for they gave you a chance.

I pushed one of the posts back enough so top of post was tilted back about 6in

Had to do more than touched. But in every explanation I see you were not paying attention to detail nor did you get out and look (GOAL).

In todays Trucking Industry your pretty much washed out. Yes you might get lucky, but with so many Driver out of work, you'll be on the bottom of the list.

Glad Hand stated wait till the preventable drops off, but by then the Companies will require you to be re trained.

If you do get lucky Pay more attention, and GET OUT AND LOOK when Backing.

[Kevin0915]

Coastie, ill go one further....it might have been a combo of 'not paying attention' and just being plain lazy. Or maybe lack of respect for other persons property.

whenever i back into a spot at a truck stop, i think how i would feel being the guy on either side of the spot, then get backed into (pretending i own the truck), i would be a bit upset. Granted i am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to backing. But to hit something when backing, and the OP did that too many times, is just plain lazy.

Have to ask, was it raining when backing? didnt want to get out and look because you might get a little wet?? Just asking, cause i've seen that before, from drivers in our yard and at truck stops.

[Bigmon]

[QUOTE=Kevin0915;450359]At the time i took the picture it was fine, but look a bit farther down the street, you can barely see cars parked on both sides of the street.

Kevin, for practice you could try making a right turn where that pickup is.

[Uturn2001]

You have not had 4 minor incidents in 15 months. You have had 4 minor incidents in the last 8 months.

You say you went 7 months without any problems at all then you started having all of these little accidents. So what changed? What changed within you to cause or to allow all of this to happen?

Were you running too hard and not thinking straight?
Did you start to have resentment about your job or company in any way?
Did you become over confident in your developing skills?
Was it something else?

What changed?

Until you figure out what changed within you to allow this to happen you are going to be prone to making the same mistakes again and again.

The good news on this front is that you are likely to have time as you will have a difficult time finding a job for a while at least.

As far as how to list them on applications keep it short and as simple as possible. ie: backing, hit fence, preventable. If talking to a recruiter tell them like it is.

[Kevin0915]

I would have never tried a turn down a side street like that. If i had, the end of my trailer would have scraped the side of the car, then i would have taken out the stop light on the right side along with the fire hydrant. yeah....ill leave that one for Hawk.

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by Kevin0915

I would have never tried a turn down a side street like that. If i had, the end of my trailer would have scraped the side of the car, then i would have taken out the stop light on the right side along with the fire hydrant. yeah....ill leave that one for Hawk.

LOL....get a couple more years driving experience under your seat, then switch over to Tankers!

You will get plenty of opportunities to turn down "alleys" like that pic show's!

Every Chemical manufacturing plant built before 1965, has alley's that are narrow and hard to manuver through. Lot's of nasty little surprises in them! And best of all, plant equipment and personel have the "right of way" in most of them!

:smokin:

[Bigmon]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

You have not had 4 minor incidents in 15 months. You have had 4 minor incidents in the last 8 months.

You say you went 7 months without any problems at all then you started having all of these little accidents. So what changed? What changed within you to cause or to allow all of this to happen?

I think it was the thought of Obama in office.

[Uturn2001]

Originally Posted by Bigmon

I think it was the thought of Obama in office.

If that was the reason he should have just drove off a cliff. :lol:

[boneebone]

Originally Posted by koolaid89

There three kinds of people in the world... People who can count, and people who can't.

And people who can't form sentences correctly...................... (There three kinds of people in the world)

[Syncrosonix]

Originally Posted by Kevin0915

I would have never tried a turn down a side street like that. If i had, the end of my trailer would have scraped the side of the car, then i would have taken out the stop light on the right side along with the fire hydrant. yeah....ill leave that one for Hawk.

there are a couple of customers in SLC that have narrow ass alleys. both of them are within a mile and a half from the state crapitol building. i managed to (barely) make the turns into both of those places with tandems all the way back. oh yeah, they were also right-hand turns. it was one helluva button-hook turn to get into the alley. if you ever go to either place, all i gotta say is, "good luck." getting into either place is one thing. backing into the dock is something else entirely. it'll be up to you to maneuver into the spot.