Truck Driving Jobs

CharismaticEvil · #1 03-07-2007, 03:33 AM

Well, it's been a while since I posted, I left Swift and went to Werner. Werner hired me on 10/20/06 and fired me on 03/02/07 when I had an accident. I don't have the money or the credit to go to school again to learn a new trade. I love driving big trucks, and have 3 months verifyable experiance, what should I do now that I have a ticket that is in the process of being fought in court?

edit: I guess what I'm asking is, will anybody hire me now?

-Nicole

jnk2001 · #2 03-07-2007, 03:47 AM

what kind of accident was it?

CharismaticEvil · #3 03-07-2007, 04:18 AM

Well, I was in West Memphis Arkansas, at the busy street and intersection between I-40 and I-55, the one with all those truck stops. Well, as usual, the 4 wheelers were being anything but considerate to the big trucks, and the only way any of us were getting out of there was to time it and make a run for it. Well I waited, I watched, and I thought I was good to go. Well I start to pull out, and here comes this pretty little brand new pick up truck from a good ways off. I'm thinking he's gotta see me! It's hard to miss a tractor trailer for pete sake. Well I'm already pulling out of the truck stop, and am just begining to start my turn to go left so I can get on I-40. I'm grabbing as many gears as I can as quickly as I can, trying to speed shift since I see this pick up coming, and he doesn't even slow down. He didn't swerve to avoid me either, no effort whatsoever to avoid the collision on his part, and pow! Right into the middle of my trailer he smacks. I hear his windshield shatter, and see his entire front end crumple. I immeadiately threw on my hazard lights, and went to check on him, expecting the worst and thinking oh god what have I done?!! Thinking if I would have just waited... even if I would have had to wait an hour! Well the cops come out, and tell me to stay in my cab, I call and qualcom Werner, and expect the worst, hoping for the best. The pickup driver was uninjured and refused an ambulence. I got ticketed for "Failure to maintain control of the CMV safely". But the thing is, I never lost control of the truck, so I paid a lawyer $250 to fight the ticket in the hopes she can get it off my record. I'm really worried though, since Werner fired me, I have no way to get to another state to appear in court! So I'm in a hell of a bind. I don't know what to do, and I need another job fast. Anyhow, the driver got his pickup towed, a big rig wrecker had to come out and do a temporary fix on my rig too because of where the pickup impacted. It pinched the brake lines, and the trailer brake (red valve) would not push in. So I get into one of the truck stops, he gets to working on my rig, and I get him some information, and before he finishes, Werner has me leave to go take a breathalizer and a urinalysis which I passed with flying colors. It was at the very begining of my day too, I'd been driving maybe 2 hours, so I was well rested. The thing is, Werner had me deliver the load I had, and then take another load to get me closer to a terminal. Then they tell me to take a road test to determine weather or not I still have a job. Well they wouldn't give me a straight answer if I passed the road test, and then they canned me after making me sit in the terminal for 3 days, I couldn't even pull an advance or get out to get anything to eat! Then, they tell me I'm being fired for "unsatisfactory safety record". If I'm such an unsafe driver, why not just dead head me from the point I made my delivery after the accident to the terminal? Or hell, for that matter, why not fire me on the spot insted of getting me another load? I don't know if I have a leg to stand on here, but they were pretty mean about things. They wouldn't let me park near the gate either to clean my truck out, so I had to park in the back with hte other bobtails and walk about half a mile, and make 3 trips to bring all my crap up to the gate. I was not happy... I am trying to fight that ticket though, so what'cha think? Can I get another trucking job?

Twilight Flyer · #4 03-07-2007, 01:12 PM

Werner could not or would not fire you on the spot until they had a chance to review the accident. In addition, had they fired you on the spot, you would not have been able to drive or deadhead to the yard and would have been pretty much on your own.

As far as the accident goes, that's a pretty serious one. I'm surprised you got the failure to maintain control when it probably should have been a failure to yield, which would have been much worse. But the accident was your fault, from what you are indicating...you did pull out in front of him and whether he could see you or not, the blame still falls on you unfortunately.

Not much you're going to be able to do. 3 months with major preventable accident...not many companies will hire you with that. You might try a local mom & pop joint, but that'd probably be about it.

Good luck to you.

Rev.Vassago · #5 03-07-2007, 01:26 PM

Unfortunately, the accident and the citation are two completely different things. Even if you get out of the citation, the accident is still going to be on your record, and is likely (almost a guarantee) a preventable accident. Getting out of the citation will not change this fact.

CharismaticEvil · #6 03-07-2007, 07:24 PM

Thanks everyone, it's looking more and more like my hubby's about to go off to trucking school by the sounds of it, and I'm about to wind u pa stay at home mom for at least a while...