Well I'm Screwed.

I just got out of company sponsored CDL school NADTA and finished my 4 day orientation with CRST.

Very-long long long story short.

I hit some guys driver side mirror with my passenger side mirror not even 10 hours out on the road. Was fired shortly afterwards.

Now I am back at home looking for a company to take me in for training and no one will give it to me because of me getting fired so recently.

My DAC is clean, no citation was issued that day, no CSA points given ect. I would just lie and say, someone let me use there truck to get my CDL, but thats not going to fly. They ask if I had a company sponsor me which I say yes "CRST" did, and then results in asking why did you leave, and then its pretty much over from there. I'm not going to lie either, people always find out in the end.

Any companies out there that would take me or am I pretty much sitting on a useless CDL now? Besides the ones I called, :Melton, Maverick, Schneider, J.B Hunt, Swift, and Prime?

========================================================================================================================= If you want to hear the long-ish version here it is:

I picked up my first load in Des Moines Iowa. We had to go to Charlotte, North Carolina with 39,000 pound load. As soon as I hit the Iowa border there was a detour taking us off the highway into the city streets. (Keep in mind this is my first day driving and my Lead Trainer needs to be sitting next to me for at least 3 days giving tips and guidance where I need it or taking over if need be). So I woke up my LT and told him about the detour he said follow the other truckers and pay attention to your signs and went back to bed. I thought ok simple enough i'll follow the trucks and keep an eye out for any signs. As I drove down the road it quickly turned into city streets and it was jam packed with bumper to bumper traffic and construction going on both sides with caution cones all over the road. I thought ok no big, this is the longest line. I'm already in it i'll just slowly ride it out till we get back on the highway. My LT wasn't having it though, he woke up when he felt the truck not moving and said "What are you doing bruh?", "Get this truck moving follow those other trucks in the left lane.". I told him that no I feel comfortable here and we are moving so there is no issue we will eventually get where we are going. He got angry and smacked his lips and said "Really bruh? Really? Lets go man you wasting time we got places to be." (The load did not have to be in NC till monday and it was Thursday.) (I also failed to mention this LT wanted to go home and on top of that wanted to quit CRST and join another company, the only reason he was at CRST was to finish out the renaming time on his contract so he could go to another company that required him to finish out that contract.) So I felt pressured even more than I was now, and more stressed out. I preceded to move my truck out the right lane and got into the left lane. (It was all history from there). I'll make this long-ish story even shorter at this point.

So I came around this turn and realized I need to be back in the lane I just got out of, after further arguing with my LT and asking him, why did you make me get over if we were almost at the turn dood? He kept saying follow your signs and put the blinker on get back in the right lane. I was stressed out at this point, did not know what to do. I don't know where I'm going and all the other vehicles are blocking road signs. At that point I knew I couldn't just stop in the road. I tried to go around another tractor-trailer and I made sure my tractor could clear the cones and his truck on both sides, but I did not account for my passenger side mirror and his driver side mirror and I whacked it. Long-ish story even shorter, we exchanged insurance information, yet he called the cops anyways which resulted in us waiting in traffic for 4 hours for a police officer to show up. He told us to pull past the exit I was trying to get on by 4 blocks, and I would have to tough it out and find a way to turn back around to get back. (Freaking awesome). The entire time I'm thinking this is all because I did not listen to myself and listened to this idiot who is supposed to be my teacher, all cus he wanted to "save time". Now we just wasted 4 hours. Not to mention the guys mirror I waked, he lied to the cops and said he had to get his truck towed because he was out of service. Soon as the cop left he bent his mirror back in place and took off.

My LT was asleep in the sleeper the entire rest of the trip, did not give me any help when I drove through 5% grades in the West Virginia mountains on E35, E/I 64. Pretty much had to remember what my CDL manual said and things I watched in Ice Road Truckers to climb and descend mountains. At one point when I needed him to help me out badly, he just said "Bruh I can not get any sleep with you asking me questions". Another time when I wanted to re-afirm I had to be in 8th gear for 35 mph he said "Bruh how many times I gotta tell you the same ****", all I can think now is what a lazy sack. This is our lives and I'm trying to take it seriously and he is not.

Soon as I got back home I got a call and I was fired. They consider the mirror bump a critical accident. I feel like they set me up to fail with that LT. I really hate trucking companys now, but unfortunately I need them to get my 1 month student training and 1 year OTR experience.

I'd like to be the first one to say "you aren't telling us everything". LOL just kidding.

But, it was my understanding that companies wouldn't fire someone from a couple of mistakes in the first year. Is there no room for error?

Ezcore, I wish I could help you - that is a bizarre story, and it concerns me. I hope you are giving us the full scoop, but it sounds really strange that you would get fired for that as a brand new driver. There may be more going on here than you are aware of. It sounds to me like your trainer may have had a few things to say that pushed this decision in the way it went.

Do you owe CRST any funds for the training? If you do then just about your only option is to get that paid off and then proceed, but if you are free from the contract then you may just have a chance. I've seen a new driver rip open the top of his tractor and trailer like a sardine can on a low bridge and still keep his job at Western Express - you might give it a try with them.

I wish I was leaving stuff out of the story for you fellas but I'm not. "Theres gotta be more to it", there really isn't.

The only parts i'm leaving out of the story were parts I was arguing with my LT or parts of anxiety, and just small parts driving down the road and whats going on in-between the situation.

I just called everyone on TruckingTruths page, and they all said getting terminated for safety issue I will not get hired on for at least 1 year to 5 years.

Looks like my CDL career is indeed killed before it even started. Only option now is to fight it out with CRST safety I guess, and the odds of them giving me a job is as good as calling another company.

Yes I am under the contract to pay them back of a total of 7,000 dollars.

As if I'm paying that when they fired me, I was willing to work for 10 months with them.

It really seems like in CRST there is no room for error.

Ezcore, I feel for you, but I just don't know how to advise you. It sounds like your anxiety level was just too much for your trainer to feel comfortable dealing with. I seriously think that is what got you canned. Although, it seems odd that he would be trying to sleep if he were nervous about your driving. This whole scenario is baffling to me.

I wish you the best, but it sounds like you are going to have to look elsewhere for employment. If you could find someone on Craig's List to hire you, it might be an option, but I'm a little concerned about you not having any real world experience yet. That could be an even bigger disaster than what you are experiencing now, especially if someone gets hurt seriously.

For other newbies reading this stuff, I want you to realize how important that one piece of advice that we try to always give folks is: Don't Hit Anything!

I don't like using poor Ezcore here as an example. but he has illustrated a sober truth for us all - Please try your best to not hit anything - it is very important for your first year - not always as critical as it was in Ezcore's case, but very important for your future.

Ezcore, I think you have got to get on the phone with CRST and speak with their safety department. Stay calm and professional, don't whine and complain - just stick to the facts, and try your best to get re-hired with them. I know you don't like the sound of that, but it seems to me your only viable option. Explain to them that you intend to keep your obligation to them, and at this point it is the only way you can do that - you just need a second chance to prove yourself.

Those last two words in that paragraph above are critical to your success out here. You have got to understand that is what this is all about. It has nothing to do with CRST proving themselves to you. When you are a driver, you are on trial - I don't care if you are a rank beginner, or a seasoned and savvy veteran. When you hire on to a place that you are new at you must prove yourself. Unfortunately you didn't get that far along, but it may be that the only way you can do that is to humble yourself, beg for a second chance and then get in there with a whole new attitude that you are going to show them what an awesome driver you can be.

I hear what you are saying, but I was not anxious the entire time I was in that truck, it was just during the moments when I asked for help from my LT and he denied any. I could count the number of times I asked him for help on one of my hands.

This guy was a sorry excuse for a LT. No way in hell should I have been given the boot for one accident let alone mirror rubbing. I had people pull up next to me in other trucks and ask me what happened and they could not believe the situation. Hell you guys can hardly believe it yourselves.

He was asleep the entire time because I guess he trusted my driving skills. I have no problem driving that truck, its just when I get into a situation I dont understand I ask my LT, and my LT was no help and offered no way to get out of the horrible situation which left me to just act on the fly without thinking about the situation instead of trying to take control, because i'm in "you are just a student" mode still.

Oh well, with this no competition clause thing I signed until I pay off CRST the full amount and with the safety termination thing both going against me I guess I'm done trucking.

I left a message with CRST just right now before I posted this but I'm not getting my hopes up with that one. Oh well this kind of **** has been happening to me my entire life, was a cool 3 days OTR in the truck at least I can say that.

"For other newbies reading this stuff, I want you to realize how important that one piece of advice that we try to always give folks is: Don't Hit Anything!"

And another good one you forgot to mention was,

"Don't let ANYONE force you to do ANYTHING you are not COMFORTABLE with".

If I would have listened to my own gut maybe I would stay have a job/career right now.

Wow. If that is indeed the whole story, I would be inclined to request a meeting with some "Higher Ups" within the company and explain to them the scenario you put forth in this post. It sounds to me like your Trainer dropped the ball big time and threw you under the bus. If this was your first ten hours of training, why was he in the sleeper berth. I would assume that he should have been in the passenger seat. (Not sure how CRST works on that). Did your truck have a front facing camera that would show the snarled traffic situation? I wouldn't be inclined to let this one go so easily. I would assume since you owe them $7000.00 (that seems like a lot), that they owe you some consideration. Good luck!