Why we don't regularly park at truck stops!!!

[Streakn1]

Petro, San Antonio,TX. Park there for the night Sunday so we can visit with our son and daughter in law who both are stationed here at the base. Backed into three times during the night by trucks backing into the space behind us and hitting our trailer. Unfortunately for us there were no perimeter spaces available so we had to park in an interior back to back space which we rarely do, and NEVER when loaded with a jet engine or aircraft landing gear that could be hit and damaged.

Last idiot was an over sized and over length load that extended six feet past the end of his trailer, thus six feet over the rear deck of our trailer. The load actually drug along the surface of our deck and marked it. We (all four) were standing in our sleeper visiting and were all almost thrown down when he hit us.

Adding insult to injury, stupid Mexican driver of the oversized load that spoke very little english denied hitting us, and then wanted to stay parked like that for the night.

MORON!!!

I told him H E L L NO and if he didn't leave the space immediately I was calling the cops and putting in a claim. He promptly moved to another space.

 

[purgoose10]

Almost the exact same thing happened to me when I had a D unit with L/S. Flying J in Indy, I went in to eat and a Werner driver backed into my truck taring off the drivers side mirror. He saw what he did and took off. Another driver parked across from me got his truck number and license and came into the TS and told me what happened and gave me the info. A total of two drivers witnessed the event. I called his company and when I was on the phone the driver came back. He said he didn't hit me. Well you got two witnesses that said you did but if you didn't why did you come back?? DA! I called the cops because I was about the kill the guy (rookee driver). Cops came and told me if it didn't total $200 they could not do anything about it. Well guess what. He makes out his report, LandStar insurance picks it up on their report and they charge me with an Accident. It's still on my Dak report. That's when I left L/Star and still have an attorney sending them letters to remove it. That was 2003. If I can't park out front I will park on the street.
By the way I called L/Star when it happened and they told me not to worry about it because I was parked.

 

[Monty]

That is the ONE thing I do not like about Landstar. Their "safety" department is a bit anal!

I was with them, the first time, for 11 months and a few weeks, when I had a "fender bender". Was rush hour traffic ... stop and go .. he stopped, I went.

They terminated my lease .. (3 months after the fact), and sent me all the safety awards for one year safe driving.

When I attempted to contest it, I was informed there was no one to appeal it to! "An accident in your first year with us, is an automatic cancellation, no appeal is offered"

Otherwise, I love landstar .. no complaints

 

[greg334]

I told him H E L L NO and if he didn't leave the space immediately I was calling the cops and putting in a claim. He promptly moved to another space.

Really?

Didn't call the cops or anything - I just posted something about how it is our fault that we have lower standards in this industry and this is a perfect example.

 

[xiggi]

Really?

Didn't call the cops or anything - I just posted something about how it is our fault that we have lower standards in this industry and this is a perfect example.

Really?

What is the right standard for you does not mean it is the right standard for another. Sorry but you don't get to decide for everyone.

 

[greg334]

Really?

What is the right standard for you does not mean it is the right standard for another. Sorry but you don't get to decide for everyone.

It is the same standard that people used to have when they saw something happen to other's equipment, they didn't sit there with a finger up their *** and do nothing. He did nothing to correct the poor driving of the driver, so he shouldn't complain about it here.

IF it was you with your van in a spot and someone took out the door or ripped off the bumper, wouldn't you want some of your fellow professional drivers who saw it to step up and be part of the solution?

It is a standard that used to be in this profession but people who don't care, like this driver are part but not the whole part of the problem, the other part of the problem are the ones who don't care to call the cops or to make sure their company is involved with correcting bad behavior.

I am not deciding anything there bucko, I am fed up with the crying that goes on when something happens and no one seems to see it or lets it go as the norm in this industry.

 

[jjoerger]

That's why we call it the 53 foot demolition derby.

 

[cheri1122]

It is the same standard that people used to have when they saw something happen to other's equipment, they didn't sit there with a finger up their *** and do nothing. He did nothing to correct the poor driving of the driver, so he shouldn't complain about it here.

Um, which 'he' are you referring to - the OP, or NAN? And what, exactly, should he have done to 'correct the poor driving'?

IF it was you with your van in a spot and someone took out the door or ripped off the bumper, wouldn't you want some of your fellow professional drivers who saw it to step up and be part of the solution?

Yes, and I would do the same for them.

It is a standard that used to be in this profession but people who don't care, like this driver are part but not the whole part of the problem, the other part of the problem are the ones who don't care to call the cops or to make sure their company is involved with correcting bad behavior.

Maybe Landstar isn't the only carrier that responds by terminating the contract of their O/O, no matter who was at fault - that'd discourage a lot of people from reporting minor fender benders, right?

I am not deciding anything there bucko, I am fed up with the crying that goes on when something happens and no one seems to see it or lets it go as the norm in this industry.

Is how I feel about several issues - but this isn't one of them, because I don't see it happening often enough to get upset over it.

 

[paullud]

Really?

Didn't call the cops or anything - I just posted something about how it is our fault that we have lower standards in this industry and this is a perfect example.

If it is the equipment they own or are responsible for they get to determine what should be done. If there is damage that needs to be repaired then I would get a police report filled out but a mark on the deck of a trailer isn't something worth the hassle. If I saw a hit and run I would get the information I could and give it to the driver to let them determine what to do.


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[TeamCaffee]

In eleven years out here we have been hit twice in a truck stop with one being a marker light was busted on the trailer and once when a driver backing into our sleeper door. While i wish no one had ever hit us I feel as if we have not done to bad since we primarily park in truck stops.

 

[Bruno]

I told him H E L L NO and if he didn't leave the space immediately I was calling the cops and putting in a claim. He promptly moved to another space.

I would NEVER not call the police no matter how small the accident is. Drivers can change stories around and say you hit them. You have marks on the deck of the trailer and he could have said you backed into him. It's your word against theirs in a court of law. Because you didn't report the accident in the first place it can look like you left the scene of an accident.

The best thing to do is cover yourself. It can cost you thousands of dollars with a Lawyer to fight a case to defend yourself, just for not reporting an accident. Remember CYA is always the best thing to do.

 

[paullud]

In eleven years out here we have been hit twice in a truck stop with one being a marker light was busted on the trailer and once when a driver backing into our sleeper door. While i wish no one had ever hit us I feel as if we have not done to bad since we primarily park in truck stops.

Wow you guys are doing well, I hope you didn't jinx yourselves. I was hit more in 3 years than your 11. Most were minor like someone backing out of an IdleAir spot didn't look in both mirrors and backed into my trailer while I was in line to exit or some traded a little paint with my trailer while backing in. The worst and the oddest was when I was at the TA in Milesburg, PA a driver making a U turn in front of the fuel islands slammed head-on into my parked truck. I was outside talking with another driver and we both watched him hit it, he jumped out looked at the damage, jumped back in and tried to park head first in a spot in the back of the lot. I went over to his truck and he was using duct tape to try and hold the headlight and fender together so he could presumably leave without getting caught. I hope your good luck continues.

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[xiggi]

I would NEVER not call the police no matter how small the accident is. Drivers can change stories around and say you hit them. You have marks on the deck of the trailer and he could have said you backed into him. It's your word against theirs in a court of law. Because you didn't report the accident in the first place it can look like you left the scene of an accident.

The best thing to do is cover yourself. It can cost you thousands of dollars with a Lawyer to fight a case to defend yourself, just for not reporting an accident. Remember CYA is always the best thing to do.

Sometimes cya involves not reporting something minor. A report on sch thing can cause a mark on your dat or csa score, cost you wasted time, etc. Cya is not always calling the cops you have to judge the circumstances and use your gut instinct.

 

[xiggi]

It is the same standard that people used to have when they saw something happen to other's equipment, they didn't sit there with a finger up their *** and do nothing. He did nothing to correct the poor driving of the driver, so he shouldn't complain about it here.

He has every right to complain about it that is what the thread is about. Once again your trying to decide what others should or should not do. He was also not posting about not helping out another driver, did you just pull that one out of you *** when you removed your finger?

IF it was you with your van in a spot and someone took out the door or ripped off the bumper, wouldn't you want some of your fellow professional drivers who saw it to step up and be part of the solution?

Once again your changing a scrape on deck to a bashed door or ripped off bumper.

It is a standard that used to be in this profession but people who don't care, like this driver are part but not the whole part of the problem, the other part of the problem are the ones who don't care to call the cops or to make sure their company is involved with correcting bad behavior.

There you go again with exaggerations. Most people do care and it does not change the facts to claim most don't. Calling the cops is not always the correct solution.

I am not deciding anything there bucko, I am fed up with the crying that goes on when something happens and no one seems to see it or lets it go as the norm in this industry.

Just read my last response it works nicely here also little bucko.

 

[cheri1122]

Sometimes cya involves not reporting something minor. A report on sch thing can cause a mark on your dat or csa score, cost you wasted time, etc. Cya is not always calling the cops you have to judge the circumstances and use your gut instinct.

True dat! During my rookie year in a T/T, I backed into a fence at a WalMart Distribution Center [trying to get as close as possible while waiting for an open dock, because trucks moving in & out of the docks needed all the room we could give them, and I misunderestimated the rear of the truck ]. WM security said I could just pay for the damage, [fence pole pushed back about 3"] as it would be less than $100, and I would have - except I didn't have but about $15 in cash, and they wouldn't take a check or credit card, lol. Nor could I call for a ComCheck without explaining why, which would defeat the purpose of paying for it, so it went on my record as an accident. The moral? Always carry $100 cash, just in case!
On the bright side, I've never been hit in a truckstop.

 

[Bruno]

Sometimes cya involves not reporting something minor. A report on sch thing can cause a mark on your dat or csa score, cost you wasted time, etc. Cya is not always calling the cops you have to judge the circumstances and use your gut instinct.

I will agree with you on this. But if you make a call to the police most will not take a report in a truck stop. But the call is logged in their system on what is called a police man/woman call sheet. That way your CYA. Do I agree that every call needs to be made? No, but most carriers want a report filed no matter how small it is. Not worth getting a lease pulled for not making a report or trying to make one.

 

[xiggi]

Just a case in point. Last Thursday night a semi driver bumped into my daughters car at a stop light in New Castle. No cop was called and within 30 minutes the driver was no longer employed and his wife had to come pick him up at the truck stop.

 

[greg334]

He has every right to complain about it that is what the thread is about. Once again your trying to decide what others should or should not do. He was also not posting about not helping out another driver, did you just pull that one out of you *** when you removed your finger?

Nope not deciding a thing, you are making it out like that because you accept that behavior, you are defending something that is being criticizes as a problem in this industry.

No matter what, if the oversized load scraped the bed of the trailer, it is just cause to call the cops. It isn't bumping into a the truck while backing up but something serious where people were knocked about in a sleeper.

It goes back to the lack of professionalism in this industry and I wonder what your carrier would think with this idea that its ok to just forget about something like this with one of their trailers and move on? They should be concerned about the situation that their drivers put them into maybe even at a customer's location. If you or others can't see what the difference is, it is part of the overall problem we all face.

Once again your changing a scrape on deck to a bashed door or ripped off bumper.

Damage is damage. It costs money to repair, it can be a problem when you are hauling a million dollar engine or a $500 worth of steel.

If you don't document it and say there is a problem with a load that he secured at the point of the impact or structural issues with the bed, what is he going to do? It matters to him, the customer and should to those who that idiot driver may hit again.

There you go again with exaggerations. Most people do care and it does not change the facts to claim most don't. Calling the cops is not always the correct solution.

What exaggerations?

You have people p*ssing in daylight at truck stops, people hitting other trucks and people driving recklessly on the road and more and more people accept it as normal - then to call that an exaggeration seems to be that you accept all of that as the norm too.

Most people don't call, this is solid proof of that, the guy hit the deck of the trailer and then acted dumb while the owner said go away - how much more of an illustration do you want to see of what the problem is.

Calling the cops doesn't always cover the problem of the driver but because there could be damage that can affect the load, then that covers the owner/driver's a** to ensure that it is documented. Makes me wonder what your carrier does to mitigate the risk to their customers, don't you guy have any training in how to handle accidents or incidents?

Just read my last response it works nicely here also little bucko.

How does that affect your CSA score? I didn't say get your truck inspected by the cops, I said call them.

Speaking of the CSA score, so you get the trailer hit by some yahoo, and you got some unseen damage or damage that you didn't see when you were out there telling the driver to go away, now the driver is gone, the damage is there but no documentation, so what can you do? Make an insurance claim without documentation? Lie to the cops to get the documentation?

So what happens if you get inspected in at a scale, they write you up for something from the accident, you don't have any proof that it happened and no way to appeal it, pretty smart.

The bottom line is simple, you cover yourself by making sure you do the right thing and document all of it. You may not have to call the cops when a mirror gets busters but when someone does some significant damage like ripping your fender off or gouging your trailer deck, it is more about you than them while it does help all of us.

 

[moose]

Just a case in point. Last Thursday night a semi driver bumped into my daughters car at a stop light in New Castle. No cop was called and within 30 minutes the driver was no longer employed and his wife had to come pick him up at the truck stop.

Ye'p, CSA spinning the revolving door.

 

[Deville]

Years ago my truck was parked in the yard that I park in when i'm done for the day, a tractor trailer was trying to pull a u-turn but he ran out of room mid way though, he had to back up, he backed up into my truck, but he did not just back up & hit me mind you, he kep going. He clobbered my slepper & ripped the head of the box off the rails.

I wasn't there when it happened, but there were wittnesses, people saw it happen. I get there just in time to see the truck drive off after he made his drop. I get pics, call the cops who never showed up, typical NYPD. Call the company that hit me they ignore me, call my carrier & insurance company & wound up having to file the claim with protective.

The truck was fixed but I was without it for quite a while. It was like one big merry go round. Bottom line if the other driver isn't held accountable at the time of the accident chances are he won't be down the line.