Had Minor Fender Bender Today.

While I'm sure that others may chime in as well, I would not post any statements about an accident on a public forum.

I know what you mean. I doubt this happens today due to all of the cameras around but there used to be some people who made a pretty good living getting hit by commercial vehicles. It didn't happen a lot but it happened often enough that most companies didn't want their drivers to admit fault, not even in private with the boss because they never knew if there would be a lawsuit and people put under oath. In 11 years it happened to me twice. In the same neighborhood. That's why I really hope that Raptor doesn't get a call in a couple of days informing him that the other driver has developed a case of back and neck pain.

Rainy D.

I read the Its Not My Fault thread and understand the importance of taking responsibility. In fact, the more I learn about trucking the more encouraged I become about changing careers. What appeals to me most about trucking, is you really need the attitude of personal responsibility: its just you and the truck out on the road. You either drive safe and drop your load on time or you don't. I realize that you have to deal with management, dispatch, shippers, mechanics, and other drivers to some extent, but its seems like most of the time its on you.

Raptor, at least it was very minor and you got the dumb mistake out of the way early in your career.

Now onto your millions of safe miles. :)

Rainy D.

I read the Its Not My Fault thread and understand the importance of taking responsibility. In fact, the more I learn about trucking the more encouraged I become about changing careers. What appeals to me most about trucking, is you really need the attitude of personal responsibility: its just you and the truck out on the road. You either drive safe and drop your load on time or you don't. I realize that you have to deal with management, dispatch, shippers, mechanics, and other drivers to some extent, but its seems like most of the time its on you.

Rob it’s almost never “just you and the truck”.

Much of the time you are surrounded by other motorists driving cars, SUVs, and light trucks who will stop at nothing, risking life and limb to get in front of you and around you.

Big Rigs are “idiot magnets”. We must drive them constantly vigilant, focused on space management, anticipating the stupidity of others.

A word of advice on GPS directions. Whether it is Qualcomm , Garmin, Rand, etc. If you have gone out of route, it will do its job to get you back. With one BIG exception!!! It does not care if you are in a truck, bicycle or on roller skates. It will immediately say "turn right at 128th street" or "make a u turn". Best practice is pull over, set the brakes, turn on your 4 ways, and breathe for a minute. The further you travel, the more trouble you are likely to create for yourself. Turn down the volume on the qualcomm. She will continue to pester you. Get an overhead satellite view on Google maps to see where you are,where you need to be and how to get there. Is there a safe place to turn around up ahead? Maybe a big parking lot or warehouse. Get out and walk up the road a piece to see if a turn around really exists. Pull out your atlas. Look for any restricted roads or bridges in your vicinity! You may need to drive for several miles or more to turn around. Be patient. Did I say Breathe?

Do not ask me how I know any of this information.

Raptor I’m very sorry to hear of this. I’m not going to repeat everything Rainy posted, but I totally, 100% agree with her.

You have prior experience, yet seem to have forgotten the fundamentals of proactive trip-planning, especially considering the QC having issues. Use your Rand McNally Truckers Road Atlas.

Be safe and be smart!

Rainy

Thanks for the articles they were inspiring to read and to keep tucked away.

Rob

If a person doesn't own up to his mistakes then he is not only lying to his boss, co-workers and himself/herself. You didn't learn anything and you can not keep the mistakes at the center of your being.

I'm writing this as I wait for clock to let me drive and going over in my mind what I should have done was to GOAL. I didn't and can not undue what is done but because of it press on keep my head clear to get unloaded and back to the terminal to repair the brake chamber on the trailer and then go get loaded for next trip .

Raptor

G-Town

As you might guess from my profile picture, I ride motorcycles so I have some experience with looking out for idiot drivers. As a motorcyclist I also know that you can't ride with the attitude "I have the right of way." Doesn't matter who had the right of way, it's my *ss on the ground. So I have learned to drive with the expectation that I need to anticipate bad drivers to avoid accidents. Idiot drivers don't stress me out, I just wave and smile. The big differences that I see with a truck is 1) way bigger and heavier vehicle and 2) I can't just twist the throttle and leave the idiot behind.

Despite the idiot drivers, I love riding my motorcycle. It's probably my most relaxing hobby. And even when I'm traveling in a car, I like driving. So let me ask you this: Even with the idiot drivers, when you get out of a city and you're just rolling down four-lane interstate , do you enjoy it?

Raptor,

I completely agree with you about honesty and integrity. It just doesn't work in my corporate world. I also think that it shows a person's character when then have integrity even when its may cause them problems.

I like to tell a joke about honesty in a job interview:

Interviewer: "What are you negative traits?" Applicant: "I think that I'm too honest." Interviewer: "I don't think that most people consider honesty a negative trait." Applicant: "I don't give a s**t what you think!"

I hope it all works out for you.

Rob.

Also be aware your trailer may now off-track more to the side where it was “curbed”.

Please...don’t rely solely on the NavGo GPS. Tractor’s points are spot-on. Due to the nature of running Walmart loads, I am frequently out-of-route between store stops and focus on written directions when I’m off the Interstates and Highways. Some of the roads the QC suggests to travel between stops is laughable. At least it is now...

I blindly followed it once (during my first week on the account) leaving the store in Union NJ headed to Tropicana in Jersey City for a juice backhaul. It put me on a narrow tree lined, residential street, cars parallel parked on each curb. I had inches of clearance on either side (including the treees) as I proceeded down the middle of the street at a snail’s pace. I lost count of the number of times I stopped and G.O.A.L.’d during the 1/4 mile gauntlet and again in making the LHT to get back to a truck friendly road. Fortunately it was midnight and no one was out.

Fortunately I came out of that situation unscathed. Never again did I make that mistake, never forget it...never.