Accidents on record
 

I had a backing accident back in July 2007. It was very minor, I backed into another truck next to me at a dock, I put a scratch on his side mirror, I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but the driver threw a fit, and called his company, the cops , etc.

Cops show up, and look a the damage, it was so minor it probably could have been buffed out. They didn't write a citation because it was less than $500 in damages. They did however write up a report exchanging our information etc, but no ticket on my record.


I apply for a job with Kenan Advantage Group in November. Turns out they said I had a preventable accident on my record, plus a speeding ticket, so they wouldn't hire me.

How did they find my accident? There was no citation issued from the cop. I think it's kinda retarded they would count a small backing accident against me, they probably think I'm as bad a driver as somebody who rolled a tractor trailer into a ditch. I'm real upset because its such a non-issue but it's making me look bad on my record.

Thanks
mark

What kind of 'report' did they write up?

Was it a nicely laid out multi-part form, that asked for your license numbers and the DOT number of your companies.

They just wrote something showing both of our information and we exchanged it with each other, and the cop left, there wasn't a citation issued. Then the company of the driver I hit, claimed insurance on the damage. I am not sure on what record this goes on, but I'd like to get rid of it, if there's a way. I don't know how companies know about it, but I don't need this on my file.

It's a preventable backing accident. It sounds like it's on your DAC report. Companies don't particularly like to see backing accidents on the DAC reports of applicants. I don't know that there's really much you're going to be able to do about it.


Good luck.

There are several ways the accident is showing up.

Most common is that your company is reporting it as a preventable, either to DAC or when ever anyone calls to verify your employment.

Other places it could show up:

Detailed abstract of your MVR.
Insurance company database.

What you need to do is simply list the accident on all future applications. Unless a company is very, very anal they will not really hold this against you so long as you are honest and up front about it. It is the not telling them that get most applications deep sixed in a hurry.

I had two backing accidents last year, but they involved only the rig I was driving and no law enforcement was involved.
I'm still going to order a copy of that DAC report to see if these two were added to that other accident I had.
My accident was bad enough as it was, but things tend to get even more on the downside when another vehicle is brought into the mix.
I at least want to get a few more, good years out of doing this before I fully commit myself to something else.