Another Accident Thread

I will start this out with saying I do not have my CDL.

About 1 year ago, I went on a ride along with G-Town. I learned a lot that day. I took a lot of what I learned and applied it to my day to day.

One of the things I learned was how much money I should have saved up before going to school. So, I've been taking ridiculous amounts of overtime ( that's why I haven't posted here, but I've been reading) to invest in my employers stock purchase plan. They contribute 15%, so it grew pretty quickly. From that ride along to now, I managed to save what I needed to go to school and be comfortable.

From then to now, I start to wonder if truck company training is the right move for me. The reason being, what if I get there and some time later I'm told I'm not a good fit? Or even worse, I can't pass that road test. I don't want to leave a good job and end up unemployed. So, I decide I'll pay for school and move to a part time schedule at work.

I transferred the money from my stock purchase plan to bank account and I'm ready to enroll. 2 days later I'm traveling southbound on a state road with 2 lanes of traffic. A vehicle traveling northbound turns left right in front of me and I hit it.

Here comes the frustration. I've had to use the money I've saved to cover days my wife and I missed from work, insurance deductable and a rental car. I figure, it's ok. I'll get most of it back once I get the accident report and I have the insurance information. I get the accident report and the other driver received 3 citations.

1) improper left turn 2) expired inspection 3) no insurance

My chances of recouping any financial losses are slim at best, but I'm remaining optimistic. I'll have to put school off a little longer and it sucks, but it's not the end of the world.

Do you guys think that this collision will affect whether or not I'm hirable? I'm not sure because technically I hit the other car. I don't want to pay for school, get my hopes up and then be told that I have to wait X amount of months before I can be hired.

My last collision was in December of 2013. I hydroplaned and hit a car and a divider. I haven't had a moving violation since October 2015. That was for blocking an intersection in New York. Both of those have fallen off of my record.

Thank you for your time.

You weren't determined to be at fault, correct? I don't think it will affect your chances however, talk to a recruiter(s) and let them determine that before you even have your CDL. They will pull your records and be able to tell you yes or no within a day or two. Goodluck and glad you and your wife are ok!

I start to wonder if truck company training is the right move for me. The reason being, what if I get there and some time later I'm told I'm not a good fit? Or even worse, I can't pass that road test. I don't want to leave a good job and end up unemployed. So, I decide I'll pay for school and move to a part time schedule at work.

Banks, those are some silly reasons to go out and pay for school. First off you'd have to be a real whacko to be told you're not a good fit. Then, if you're so concerned that you're not a good fit how in the world is wasting your money on school gonna change that? Then you come up with "What if I can't pass the road test?" Well, if you can't pass the road test why waste your money and pay for school? By every account you've given, I'd say you are not committed to this, nor are you ready for the challenges this career has.

Paid CDL Training Programs are ideal ways to get started at this. Here's some information you should look into before you hand over your tuition fees.

Why I Prefer Paid CDL Training Programs Over Private Training

Busting The Free Agent Myth

You weren't determined to be at fault, correct? I don't think it will affect your chances however, talk to a recruiter(s) and let them determine that before you even have your CDL. They will pull your records and be able to tell you yes or no within a day or two. Goodluck and glad you and your wife are ok!

Thank you for the well wishes. My insurance company has me not at fault. The Accident report doesn't claim anybody is at fault (I'm assuming for civil reasons), but they unofficially have the other driver at fault. It says she made a negligent turn and she received a citation for it. I'll reach out to my Swift recruiter to see what he says and I'll reach out to some others to test the waters.

You weren't determined to be at fault, correct? I don't think it will affect your chances however, talk to a recruiter(s) and let them determine that before you even have your CDL. They will pull your records and be able to tell you yes or no within a day or two. Goodluck and glad you and your wife are ok!

Thank you for the well wishes. My insurance company has me not at fault. The Accident report doesn't claim anybody is at fault (I'm assuming for civil reasons), but they unofficially have the other driver at fault. It says she made a negligent turn and she received a citation for it. I'll reach out to my Swift recruiter to see what he says and I'll reach out to some others to test the waters.

Test the waters? Do you want to do it or not?

I’m not sure how LE can issue a citation and not find the other driver at fault. Some states do crazy things. A recruiter will probably want too see the accident report. Each company has their own view of the weight and severity. You need to decide how badly you want this. Drive and determination set the proffesdionals apart from the ones coming out here without a clue. And I don’t just mean toward the career. IF this is something you really want, then go after it. IF its just a thought, your better off staying put awhile. Company sponsored school is the way too go for sure. It’s the smarter business decision, in my opinion. Best wishes too you.

I start to wonder if truck company training is the right move for me. The reason being, what if I get there and some time later I'm told I'm not a good fit? Or even worse, I can't pass that road test. I don't want to leave a good job and end up unemployed. So, I decide I'll pay for school and move to a part time schedule at work.

Banks, those are some silly reasons to go out and pay for school. First off you'd have to be a real whacko to be told you're not a good fit. Then, if you're so concerned that you're not a good fit how in the world is wasting your money on school gonna change that? Then you come up with "What if I can't pass the road test?" Well, if you can't pass the road test why waste your money and pay for school? By every account you've given, I'd say you are not committed to this, nor are you ready for the challenges this career has.

Paid CDL Training Programs are ideal ways to get started at this. Here's some information you should look into before you hand over your tuition fees.

Why I Prefer Paid CDL Training Programs Over Private Training

Busting The Free Agent Myth

I've read all of those articles, already. And they all make sense. I understand all of your points, however I have a family to think about. I can't just walk away from a job that pays very well to chase a dream. If I pay for school and it doesn't go my way then I'm out a couple of Grand. Sucks, but not the end of the world. If I quit my job and it doesn't go my way, that would be a problem. I'm being cautious.

I say I might not be a good fit because I've gotten a few rejections. Prime and TMC told me no but wouldn't give me a reason. There are also many stories of people getting a yes from a recruiter only to be told no at orientation. There are numerous companies that will hire a recent grad, but don't offer training.

That's why I've taken the route I've taken.

Your plan still doesn't make any sense. Once you get out of private school there are no guarantees that you'll find a job. Even once you do find a job you still have to go on the road with a mentor and pass their training, their company road test, and anything else they throw at you.

You have to remember that going through a private school means the company that hires you has no skin in the game. If you make a mistake and they fire you it's no skin off their back. They didn't invest the money, equipment, and personnel it took to train you. You did. So they can drop you like a rotten potato if they like and it only hurts you, not them.

So how would that make getting started in trucking less risky? New drivers tend to make some mistakes and get in a fender bender or two. You've had a couple in the past few years in your personal vehicle so chances are you're going to in a big rig, also. If the company you're working for has no vested interest in your success they're not going to tolerate much in the way of mistakes.

If you were to get fired from your first job for having an accident you'll have a hell of a time finding a second chance. I get emails from people in that situation from time to time. They struggle like mad to find work.

I can't just walk away from a job that pays very well to chase a dream

Then you shouldn't. In the end I agree with the others. You're too tentative and you're not dedicated to making this work. You see your success in this industry as being optional with a backup plan if it doesn't work. I refer to backup plans as "failure plans" because that's what they're going to lead to most of the time. If you don't believe in yourself enough to go after something 100% without giving yourself the option of backing out then you're not going to do whatever it takes to succeed. You won't go above and beyond to make it happen. You'll hit a few rough patches, get spooked or get lazy, and back down. Before you know it you'll be back home at your old job.

I would stay right where you're at until you can't stand the thought of staying where you're at any longer. When you're ready to throw caution to the wind and really go for it because you can't imagine settling for anything less then you'll know you're ready for this. Right now you're not ready for this.

Good to here from you Banks. Glad you and the occupants of your vehicle were not hurt.

I don’t think the recent accident will negatively effect your chances for hire. As previously stated, the accident report will absolve you of any fault.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the rejections...could be many reasons. Lots of players...keep trying.

But to your point about failure; if you are 100% committed to school and road training, you’ll improve your chances for success 10-fold. Usually the reason students are sent home during orientation is a positive drug/alcohol test, lied on the application (non-disclosure of a crime) and/or medical reasons. It’s the reason why we are forever advising total honesty when applying.

Unfortunately this is not one of those things you can test the water on. Trucking; either all-in or not at all. It requires commitment, dogged determination, laser focus and an ability to roll with the punches.

Maybe spending more time in the diary section will help you to see the variety is success stories...all having a common denominator; commitment.

Good luck! Protect that license.

Thanks for your reply, Brett. There are never any guarantees in anything especially when the outcome is not one you control. I've thrown caution to the wind many times. Sometimes it went my way, other times it didn't.

I don't see success in the industry as optional. On the contrary, I'm gunning for success in anything that I try and every goal I set. Sometimes, I fail so yes I have a plan B or a failure plan. If it was just me, I'd have no problem throwing caution to the wind and letting the chips fall where they may. But it's not just me. I have a family that depends on me and that I have to provide for.

Hey G-Town. I've spent a lot of time in the diary section. It's my favorite section. I get bothered when people don't complete them or disappear.

I understand that this requires commitment and determination. I'm committed and determined. I didn't wake up today and just decide to pursue this. There's a method to my madness and I have to take my logical approach to things. It's how I operate.