I earned my CDL in June 2007. Eventually I Leased a truck from CR England. I was born and raised in southern CA. This past winter was my first experience with true winter driving. On Feb. 17, 2008 I was south bound on I-35 out of St. Paul. The highway was mostly clear, temperatures were around zero. There were patches of ice and snow. On reflection I realize what was creating the icy spots, there were points where the winds were picking up snow and blowing it across the highway, traffic running over the snow then formed the ice underneath. I was running about 25mph and feeling lots of pressure from traffic, with vehicles passing me on the left when the highway was clear. As I approached Clear Lake, IA, a gust of wind pushed my empty trailer hard enough on the ice that I lost control, the truck slid, and jackknifed. When I stopped the tractor was on the shoulder stuck in snow and ice, the trailer was still on the highway. A sheriff’s deputy was directly behind me and witnessed the whole thing, in fact she had been following me for miles. There was a towing ban in force at the time and the police were giving people rides to safety when they skidded off the road. There were lots of cars all along the route off the shoulders and in the median. The officer was concerned that a car skidding on the same ice might hit my trailer and ordered a tow for my truck before even approaching me. My vehicle did not collide with any other objects or vehicles but the tractor did sustain damage, the trailer did not. The tow truck arrived in minutes and winched my tractor back onto the roadway. I then drove to the Clear Lake Freightliner dealer. No police report was written, no citation issued, and it was not reportable under FMCSR. Seven weeks later I was routed to Salt Lake City and called into the terminal for a “safety review”. I was handed a paper to sign admitting the Accident was my fault and placing me on one years probation. I declined to sign the form which triggered a hearing on the matter. I was found “guilty”, ordered to undergo “retraining” and a road evaluation. When I reported for my retraining I was given an immediate road evaluation which I failed and was immediately fired. Technically I was decertified by safety and my lease was terminated, about one month before it would have expired.
I was hired by a building component manufacturer in my home town, Kingman, AZ, but laid off two months later in connection with the current economic slowdown. It is now becoming apparent that my record, which includes another “accident”, my truck was “hit while parked”, (damage ~$300.00), and a speeding ticket in my car in 2005, before I got my CDL, ( At the time I could have taken a class and got the ticket dismissed but I thought it was more trouble than it was woth as I often go ten years or more without a ticket), is dooming my career as a driver. I have since been rejected by dozens of companies on safety grounds. I have been licensed for over fourty years and never have been involved in an injury accident. It now seems that my $6,000.00 investment in a CDL was a complete waist of time and money. Any sugestions?
