Am I Screwed?
Topic 34162 | Page 2
BK, I was hit from the side rear as the lady attempted to swerve. I unfortunately wasn't pushed into the car in front of me.
Hi. Jersey Girl here... and former auto body shop manager. New Jersey is a "no fault state". Meaning, each person gets fixed by their own insurance, then the companies fight it out. My car was parked and no one in it. A guy came around the corner, slammed into it pushing it into a tree... then fled the scene. They hunted his drugged butt down, only to find him under the influence of Ambien... a Rx sleeping pill. It took 14 months for my insurance company to get reimbursed.
It is possible that the most rear car would be liable for pushing the other cars into each other. But then, if they are "underinsured", your company wouldn't get reimbursed. Please tell me you have full coverage?
My advice... forget Smith & Solomon (just a guess), save yourself $7000+ and go through a company sponsored program. That way you know that you are hireable before even going to school. It would be worse to pay for school, then search for months trying to find a job.
Now... the tort laws for injury are really complicated.
Be honest, apply everywhere. Accidents used to be 5 points on your license... but that was a ticketed accident. I hit someone once, no ticket, and it never appeared on my license at all. Even though insurance paid out.
I would stay away from the local CDL school with or without an accident though. Less certainty than the other way.
Good luck.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Pete,
One step at a time. Get a copy of your MVR and also a copy of the police incident report. The police report will show the details of "fault" or "no fault," citations issued (or not), injuries etc., etc.
Contact your local DMV/ DOT for clarification related to the MVR results; do the same of the responding police department responsible for filing the collision incident report. Coordinate with your car insurance company because it, too, will have a copy of the police report at some point.
Once you know what's what in terms of the MVR and police incident report, then get in contact with the DMV , CDL school and potential employers, to get official answers as to how this will affect the CLP , a potential CDL and potential employment down the line.
Based on the narrative and information you've provided, thus far, my opinion is that you should be okay so long as no further blemishes are added to your MVR.
Good journey and God bless.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
CLP:
Commercial Learner's Permit
Before getting their CDL, commercial drivers will receive their commercial learner's permit (CLP) upon passing the written portion of the CDL exam. They will not have to retake the written exam to get their CDL.
H44 I hope you are right. I've been absolutely devastated over this. And thank you EVERYONE for your input.
And if I should get lucky enough, does anyone know if companies that pay for cdl school offer local jobs? My intention was never to be over the road/cross country. Thank you again to everyone. I appreciate everyone's good demeanor as well.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
No worries, Pete.
Don't panic. What's done is done; it happened. Try not to put unnecessary stress to yourself. Gather the information, the documents, make the phone calls to the proper entities to ask the questions for the answers; get the facts and then proceed from that point.
By the way, I second Kearsey's sentiment, in that a company sponsorship CDL driver training is the way to go. This way, you earn a CDL and secure employment on successful completion of the program. Yes, an employment contract will have to be signed, but the upside is that your admissions, enrollment and employment are secured from day #1.
Good journey and God bless.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
H44, Do you know if companies cover cdl schools for local jobs? I'm assuming being a school bus driver is out for three years off the bat as well?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
H44, Do you know if companies cover cdl schools for local jobs? I'm assuming being a school bus driver is out for three years off the bat as well?
Pete, regardless of the ticket situation, there are no companies that I am aware of that will train you for a local job. Most companies that offer paid CDL training are looking for OTR drivers. That’s kinda how it works in the industry. Go OTR or Regional , then after gaining experience and a good track record, local opportunities open up to you.
You can possibly find a dock-to-driver program that might train you for local, but going local right out of the gate is not easy to do.
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CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
I was set to go to cdl school in the fall. No tickets and no accident in over twenty years. A few days ago I got in a multi car collision on the Garden State Parkway. No ticket but I was one of four or five cars to rear end eachother. Should I scrap the whole idea now? Thanks.
I rear ended someone once in my personal vehicle through no fault of my own. Other guy received three tickets and I got none. I was already driving trucks at this point. I’m sure there’s a record of the accident somewhere but it doesn’t show at all on my MVR (this was in Colorado with a Colorado CDL).
Check out your MVR and apply for companies that offer CDL training. The companies will let you know if you meet their requirements or not
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
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BK, It's my understanding hitting someone from behind even in a pile up, is reckless merely for the fact I hit someone from behind no? Seems to be what I read everywhere on trucking sites and online trucking discussions.