DOT Reportable Accident, No Citation, Terminated, Looking For Work

First time posting here. I've been scouring the trucking forums for advice and information for the last week but haven't been able to find anything specific to my particular situation. So, I apologize if this topic has been covered at length in other threads and I happened to miss them in my searches.

Long story short - and painfully honest - I'd had a rough night already and was pushing to make my destination when I dozed off and ended up putting my tail pup on its side on the WV turnpike. No injuries, no citations issued, tail pup had to be towed, and I was fired.

I have 14 years experience that doesn't mean a thing now as far as I can tell. I've spoken with several carriers in the last week and no one can hire me, it seems. Does anyone out there have any advice about what I can do to move past this and continue my career? I need to get back to work soon. Money is running out and I'm going crazy just sitting at the house trying to figure it all out.

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Besides using this link to apply for lots of trucking jobs all at once, there isn't much advice I have. I don't want to beat you over the head over what you did, since hopefully you learned your lesson. You are very lucky it wasn't much, much worse. I will say this...if you aren't 150% determined to never ever let something like that happen again, please don't pursue another truck driving job. Please.

I guess I do have one recommendation. I just recently started yard hostling and I love it. It's not driving like you're used to, but you can still make decent money and your experience as a driver should count for something.

Besides that, do you have any other skills you can fall back on? IT? A skilled trade? Teaching? I do sympathize with you to some extent as a driver, but I also have to advise you honestly that I think the best thing you can do for yourself and your family right now is to take a step back from trucking for a while and re-evaluate your entire approach. If you were a brand-new driver, it wouldn't change the fact that you fell asleep at the wheel and there are obvious serious consequences for that, but it might make a little more sense. I remember times I drove too tired when I was first out. It was wrong and I shouldn't have done it no matter what, but I was also really new and was afraid of being penalized for not delivering on time, etc. Not an excuse by any means. With your amount of experience, knowing as much as you do about trucking and understanding the seriousness of what we do (how many accidents have you witnessed over the last fourteen years?), the fact that this happened indicates, to me, you've lost your focus on what is the most important aspect of trucking--getting the load there no matter what so you can get home to your family! No, rather....SAFETY.

Again, I don't mean to roast you. But that is my advice. Good luck and be safe.

I would think with ONE ACCIDENT ONLY - and no other safety of ticket issues in FOURTEEN YEARS - that you wouldn't have an issue getting a hire.

Assuming that there isn't anything else you aren't telling us - then it is ALL AN INSURANCE RISK ISSUE.

Did the company give you the reason for termination IN WRITING? Did they invite you back after a certain period, where you would be insurable again?

I just get the feeling we're missing something here. We've heard of newbies wrecking trucks during training (or very recently after), and being rolled back through training - versus just being CUT LOOSE.

How OLD are you? And while AGE isn't supposed to mean anything - I have a good friend who's 72, has a DOT Med Card, has been O/O & Lease the last 30 years - and he can't get a hire because no one wants to insure and old man.

I just have the feeling there is more going on here, than just dozing off and rolling a pup. OTOH - if it was clear weather, no snow/ice/adverse conditions and you just nodded and rolled (and that's what it got written up as) - then there really is no excuse - even though "feces occurs". After the Tracy Morgan thing - drivers that drive while fatigued and crash (even if it's a single vehicle crash) just aren't being smiled upon.

As Paul suggests - apply your butt off EVERYWHERE. Maybe looking for a "non-road" Yard Jostler gig, might be the ticket.

Rick

Paul, you're absolutely right. I let dispatch get in my head and tried to push for my destination when I could have easily relayed the shipment at a closer location. I lost my focus and I did know better. And I was EXTREMELY lucky. My entire career has been based on safety and gone quite well as a result. This is an excellent lesson for any new drivers reading this. It only takes one lapse in judgement to create a situation you may never recover from.

Rick, that's the whole, embarrassing truth. I wasn't texting or talking on my phone or being distracted in any other way. One miniutye I felt pretty okay, the next I'm looking at road signs heading right at me at 67 miles per hour. I appreciate your suspicion that there may be more to it, but I'm afraid there isn't. To be honest, I was a little shocked at being terminated. It's possible it's because the trailer had to be towed and/or because my length of service was under a year. I know of other drivers in the company who have done things just as bad, or worse, and kept their positions.

As far as I can tell, a vast majority of companies consider it too risky to hire someone who has been terminated for a DOT reportable accident.

I appreciate the feedback from you both. Thanks for taking the time.

Its not that it was an accident but "my pup trailer was on its side". That is treated as a roll over and considered much worse than an accident. As rick stated it is indeed an insurance issue. I've seen people at my company who jack knifed or used the run away ramps.and went back in training and kept their jobs. But a roll over is a big deal cause it means total loss of control. Even using a runaway ramp can show someone was thinking clearly enough to respond and could control the rig to use the ramp. But rolling over shows no control.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I wish you luck and hope you keep us updated.

There's a guy on youtube (Jim Davis) who was posting his videos as he trained with Maverick. Within a week or two he rolled his trailer. Took pics and videos which are still on YouTube. A few weeks later he was hired on by G&P trucking, also had an interview with Pepsi. I'd say look there.