No, I will be back in a CMV quickly enough, I did not invest all my me into it to just walk away from it, not going to happen, especially after 6 months of doing it and loving it completely. And I am sorry to see that you obviously think I am an unsafe driver, but I really do not care what you think, because I know I am, I made a mistake, learned from it, and it will never happen again, simple. Again, as I said to the other poster, it is people like you that take what is already tough enough, and make it tougher, by forming opinions on things without all the facts, and personal bias, the same attitude is what nailed Jesus to a cross.

Yes.... you are an unsafe driver, especially from the tone of your posts.

Go find another job and let us professionals drive, own and operate a CMV.

There is not a place in this business for an inattentive newbie who was fired after an at fault rear end collision with less than 6 months experience....

:lol: :wink:

People like you just make my drive to get back into it even stronger :)

So..... who will hire someone with less than six months experience, that was fired by Swift for an at fault rear-end collision ????? Or what insurance company will insure you ?????

Sorry, but your big rig driving dreams will not happen any time soon.

Yet, he's been driving for 30 years without an at-fault accident and you had a major rear-ender 6 months into it.

Just sayin'...

In the end, you're going to take a lot of heat over that accident and I think rightfully so. If it makes you a better, more attentive driver in the future, then I'm all for the roasting. I said it before...I'll say it again. You got lucky. You hit a truck, when you could have just as easily hit a mini-van with a family in it. Had it been the latter, your gadgeting would get torn apart in court.

My advice stands with everyone elses. If you are lucky enough to get in with another company, put the gadgets away and concentrate on the driving.

As far as Swift goes, their job reference will show that you were terminated for an accident and your work record will be listed as an "unsatisfactory safety record." Most companies will therefore take a pass on you.

Keep at it and be up front.
Once a driving opportunity comes up, take it right then and there.
Just make sure you've fully learned your lesson and keep that in your head.
In fact, place pictures of crashes all over the steering wheel if you have to.
Right now, I'm working my old job and constantly hounding the local distribution centers for different companies.
I've already ran across quite a few that I might be able to get on with.

Well I know I myself would never judge anyone over a single accident (With the exceptions of DUI/Reckless driving/Just plain stupidity), I believe that people can learn from their mistakes and move on, not that one should be damned forever if they make a mistake, but that is how the cooperate world is, they don't care about circumstances, they don't care about facts, they dont care about people, so be it.

If you were a safety director in any company, you would be singing a different tune, guaranteed.

True, but there are consequences for mistakes. A termination for a rear-end accident is a pretty serious issues, so the consequences are going to be serious. Deal with it.

See, this is where you apparently just don't get it. Yes, it IS how the corporate world is and rightfully so. The only people that disagree with that are the people that have the accidents.

Companies care about circumstances...you were driving too fast in fog! Pretty serious circumstance. They care about facts...you were terminated for a rear end accident. How is that not a fact? They care about people...they don't want you killing Joe Cool and his family the next time you do it!

:?

Try this scenario on for size. Let's say Swift didn't fire you or that they did and another company picked you up anyway. 6 months down the line, you have another rear end accident, this time pushing a minivan into the back of another truck and killing a family of five.

The outcome of that scenario, being that 6 months prior you had another serious rear-ender, would be the following:


1. You would do jail-time for negligent manslaughter.

2. You would be sued successfully for so many millions of dollars that your wages will be garnished for the rest of your life.

3. The company that you were driving for might as well give the estate of the victims a blank check and say fill in the blanks.

4. CRASH and PATT would have yet another head to stake on their front lawn to rally around in their crusade against truckers.

You see, most of the people around here and other boards are trying desperately to get the trucking image out of the gutter. Yes, you seem to accept responsibility for your mistake, but go right back into saying you're good enough to be a gadget driver and thinking you don't deserve any consequences.

Do you really wonder why people on this board are busting your chops over this? Open your eyes and visit reality. You might just learn something.

:roll:

Firstly, your scenario of 6 months down the line, another rear ender, is it possible? Of course, anything could happen, but that is like saying that once a person has an accident (Circumstances around it mean nothing), they are sure to repeat it, and that is bologna! I don't deny its possible, but it's also possible with a driver driving for 30 years with a perfect record too, hell it's possible that every single truck in the country could get in a rear ender all tonight! Anything is possible. But the reality is, the chance of my doing it again is extremely low now, because I learned my lesson from it, where is in the eye of that safety coordinator, or that insurance agent, it's a 100% sure fire bet it's going to happen, that is how they see it, they don't care that it was foggy, they don't care that I say I learned my lesson. And yes, I honestly I would probably feel somewhat similarly to them if in their shoes, I just don't feel its right! That a mistake can completely shut you down, for pretty much good! I could probably get a local job tomorrow if I lied on my application, but I won't do it. Now I'm stuck probably going to have to take a non-driving job, and then when enough time has past, reguardless of the fact that I have my CDL, I will end up having to redo schooling all over again to drive, therefor making an entire 6 months of my life, plus the time and work to get my CDL in the first place, useless and for nothing. You know I was a computer programmer before I got into this, I got out of it because I landed my dream job in computers, did it for 6 months, and got laid off, I felt like my world was torn from me, so after way too long a time of sitting around doing absolutely nothing and feeling rather rotten, I decided to try something I had thought about before, driving a truck. From the time I made my decision to the time I was driving was less then a month! I was very determined, even after researching and reading all of the negativity, the crap that goes on in the industry, the poor image, the rather crappy pay. I made it through all the crap to get my CDL, got with a trainer, and did it, then went solo. I loved every damn minute of it, from the second I woke up, till the second I fell asleep, I loved every bit of it from the crap on the CB, to arguing with my DM on the QC. Hell I even loved the chalanges of hooking/unhooking a damn trailer on the ice, why? Because it was a chalange, something new every day. Working for swift you know my pay sure as hell wasn't very good, and you know I listened to a lot of crap on the CB all day long, but you know what, I didn't care because I loved what I was doing. Even when I was working my dream job I didnt have the drive, ambition, or the love for the work as I did driving that truck. If I could take back that accident in any shape way or form, believe me I would, not to get rid of the damn consequences, but so I could continue doing something I finally found in life that I actually enjoyed doing. While driving I tried to keep myself from doing anything stupid to loose what I had, and you know what, I managed to find a way to make a mistake despite my efforts, so maybe now you will understand why I am defending myself so hard, because believe me on the other side of your computer screen, I am kicking myself in the ass all day long over it. just yesterday I drove over into an industrial park (to fill out an application), after I was down and came outside, sat in my mini-van for a few minutes watching the various trucks going by, and when I went to go pull out, I actually went to release the air brakes, my mind had slipped back into the mindset like I was in a truck again, watching all the trucks going in and out, and you know what, I about broke down and cried right then and there, cause I knew )(and know) I probably won't be driving one again any time soon, and you know what, it sucks, it feels worse then when I lost that programming job that had been my dream job since I was about 8 years old. So go ahead anyone else who wants to speak sh|t.