Hi all. Just sitting here waiting recovery bricking it following an accident and wondering if I’ll get sacked.
It will be my fault as I’ve rear ended a car. Driving along and car in front slows, no brakes just one second it’s well ahead, the next it’s rather close. I see it’s hazards go on as I’m trying to force brake pedal through floor. It was on inside lane of motorway. I had option to go middle lane or hard shoulder. Could see lights in mirror so middle lane out and thought he’d pull into hard shoulder. Crash. Low speed impact. No injuries. His boot has gone as have my front bumper, lights and power steering.
No injuries his walking around talking ■■■ in hand. I’m standing there thinking wtf! Police come out take details recover his car and leave so here I am with too much time waiting recovery and thinking 4th day on job, bum time to get job hunting again!
No real point to post other than get it out my system and occupy the time…
Does your cab have dash cam would be first question?
Other than that just tell how it was, don’t embellish or make excuses, that’s when you start digging the proverbial hole for yourself.
They’ll prob be peeved but wouldn’t have thought you’d lose job over it.
I’ve managed to rip run up ramps off my unit again tonight! Second time in as many months on exact same bay I did it last time. I’m not worried I’ll just fill in accident report and see what happen.
No point stressing over what’s happened is my point
Photograph everything, include video of him walking about. If it goes rear shaped and if later claims, “he was thrown across the car from the force of the impact” then you can prove he wasn’t.
Accidents happen mate. Don’t sweat about it. If your boss sacks you for it then deal with it and see it as an escape. Bosses like that aren’t worth working for.
Be positive and you’ll be right, (sound like the worst councillor ever there.)
As has been said, be honest. Twisting the truth will get you in a big hole.
I don’t think anyone here will be able to ease your concerns
But…
One thing I can add is that it’s how your company react to it that shoukd make it break it. If they sack you then are they worth working for anyway? Moreso if it’s a first offence…
toonsy:
I don’t think anyone here will be able to ease your concerns
But…
One thing I can add is that it’s how your company react to it that shoukd make it break it. If they sack you then are they worth working for anyway? Moreso if it’s a first offence…
Exactly that, accidents happen mate. If they sack you your better off somewhere else. Just be honest and put your hands up. All you can do now
Depends on the company I guess,we had a new guy bend his tail lift after getting it caught on a wall so they got it secured and told him to drive back to the yard to change vehicle so he could carry on with his route which he did then managed to run into the back of a coach on the motorway on his way back out…2 wagons off the road in the space of a few hours,but he didn’t lose his job
Learn from it, just be thankful you were not going faster and wiped the car and occupants out. No one injured is the main thing.
It’s far easier just to leave a bigger gap then these things do not happen. You have time to to react and no worries about maybe getting the sack.
Apparently the car was just pulling onto motorway when he had some sort of mechanical failure. Hence rapid slow down but no brake lights. Just hazard lights coming on as I’m welding brake pedal to floor. As I looked at the junction going the other way in recovery truck I noticed there is a bend to the left which wouldn’t of helped but ultimately I hit him so didn’t react fast enough
For a low impact rear end I doubt you’ll be sacked (unless you’ve made a habit of them) and as others have said, if you do get sacked theyve done you a favour anyway
We’re his brake lights actually working?
Even with a mechanical failure unless his brakes jammed on then he wouldn’t of come to a sudden stop more a rolling stop,maybe he did slam his brakes on and his lights didn’t work which would work in your favour…
MisterBitter:
Apparently the car was just pulling onto motorway when he had some sort of mechanical failure. Hence rapid slow down but no brake lights. Just hazard lights coming on as I’m welding brake pedal to floor. As I looked at the junction going the other way in recovery truck I noticed there is a bend to the left which wouldn’t of helped but ultimately I hit him so didn’t react fast enough
Ok makes more sense now, thought it was either somebody trying a crash for cash job, or you didn’t see the traffic ahead of the car slow down.
Although I’d still be aware of the crash for cash potential.
xichrisxi:
Depends on the company I guess,we had a new guy bend his tail lift after getting it caught on a wall so they got it secured and told him to drive back to the yard to change vehicle so he could carry on with his route which he did then managed to run into the back of a coach on the motorway on his way back out…2 wagons off the road in the space of a few hours,but he didn’t lose his job
xichrisxi:
Depends on the company I guess,we had a new guy bend his tail lift after getting it caught on a wall so they got it secured and told him to drive back to the yard to change vehicle so he could carry on with his route which he did then managed to run into the back of a coach on the motorway on his way back out…2 wagons off the road in the space of a few hours,but he didn’t lose his job
I think he probably should have though!
A bit harsh Luke. It’s not as if he had run out of road and laid it on its side in a ditch, now is it ■■
In your defence, if the brake lights never came on I would ensure the police were made aware of this … and also note it within the accident report form for the company … they can check to see if they were working when impact happened…
I doubt you will be sacked just be honest to the boss, you were given no chance, but some will come along and say you should of avoided impact and they are right, but hey ho it happens.
Every one should have at least one crash, it knocks the cockiness out of you and really makes you reevaluate your driving. The best we can hope for is that nobody is injured. It sounds that way in this case and hopefully some major lessons will have been learned turning you into a better driver.
xichrisxi:
Depends on the company I guess,we had a new guy bend his tail lift after getting it caught on a wall so they got it secured and told him to drive back to the yard to change vehicle so he could carry on with his route which he did then managed to run into the back of a coach on the motorway on his way back out…2 wagons off the road in the space of a few hours,but he didn’t lose his job
I think he probably should have though!
A bit harsh Luke. It’s not as if he had run out of road and laid it on its side in a ditch, now is it ■■
Regards. John.
To quote Eddie Wilde from the Importance of being Stobart.
‘To crash one truck may be regarded as a misfortune; to crash 2 looks like carelessness.’
