When I was in Cheyenne dropping a trailer last week I had my first preventable. :shock:

I had to drop a trailer at the Lowes Dist. Center. I was told to drop it in a certain spot, but it was taken, so I had to go to the next available spot.

This spot was a pain! The trailer to the left of the spot was 4 feet or better too far up.

I set up to back, got it cut, and HOOOONK! The yard dog said "you're about to hit that trailer to the right of you".

Sure enough, I looked at the right side, and was close! So I set up again, this time cutting my trailer so sharp it was within an inch of the trailer to the left rear. I got out and looked, made sure I was on target, and started to back some more.

Then I noticed golf carts swarming around me. It was the Lowes security team. One of the guys got out, and took a picture of the trailer to my right. Then he took a picture of my trailer, and truck. The problem was that the trailer to my right had been hit pretty good. But not by me!

It appears that someone had hit the trailer, and may not have reported it!

The yard dog told the security team that she didn't see me hit the trailer, and that I couldn't have done the damage because my trailer is too low to match the marks on the other trailer. The landing gear on the other trailer was probably fully extended, so it was about 2-3" higher than mine.

As it turns out I did "touch" the other trailer. There is a reefer indicator light on the corner. There is a plastic housing around that light. There was a chip of the housing sitting on the back of my trailer. So I did contact the other trailer, but only by half an inch or so. I didn't do the damage that they photographed. So in turn, I got out my camera, took pics of the hit trailer, my trailer, and so forth.

I focused my pics on the hinges of my trailer. Whoever hit the other trailer really gouged it up. My hinges were all dirty and rusty. So I took pics to prove it.

Now... I don't know what Lowes is going to do. The other trailer was a TransAm trailer too. I did report it to my company.

My question is... how bad is this? Is it a DAC mark?
Shouldn't TransAm contact me?
Should I send the camera in to safety, or develop the pics so I get a copy too?

 

sorry to hear about this. I hope that TA realizes that the major damage was NOT caused by you.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about Lowes--seems like the evidence for the major trailer damage is non-existent.

Talk to your safety department about what they would prefer in terms of developing the pictures. If you don't flat out trust them, then let them know you will develop the pictures ASAP and will drop the originals off to them (you keep the copies) the next time you're at the terminal.

As far as DAC...not every company will report a minor scratch/scrape.

 

I assume that if it will go down on your record as a preventable then the safety dept. will let you know, or you can contact them. Did you let them know that you took pictures also of the incident and the damage done? Safety should have let you know what to do with the camrea. Did you get the name and contact number of the hostler? I doubt if Lowes will do anything if it's not their equipment. My guess if they put anything at all on your DAC it would be an incident for hitting a stationary object, not an accident. I would contact your safety dept. and ask about the pictures you took if thats your proof (and the hostler) that you didnt do any damage other than the light.

 

Some companies don't consider it an accident unless the damage exceeds a certain dollar amount. I would focus my worry on what Lowe's tells your company. If they back you up you'll be fine. If they try to pin the other damage on you there might be trouble. Did you get the name of the yard jockey?

Trans Am most likely will not contact you until a final determination of fault is made.

 

The security team was probably documenting the scene so that if either company and calls & asks "hey what happened to our trailer on your property?" they can offer a responce. I doubt that they'd report the accident to either company first hand. But better you had reported the accident than wait for the company to find out you didn't tell them about it.

Chances are this type of accident will go under review from your safety department board, and they will decide if there was anything you could have done to prevent the accident from happening. That is all they really make determination on: could you have done anything else to stop the damage from being done. They'll most likely answer: yes.

This type of accident is not DOT reportable, and it will be marked on your DAC as such, which basically means, not a major accident with injuries or fatalities.

 

Dont worry about Lowe's , they probably forgot about it 2 mins after it happened, and they dont care anyway. I've gotten more damaged trailers that were caused by these Yard Goat drivers than from other truckers hitting them.

But you did the right thing in reporting it. Its better to report it than take the chance of not reporiting it and someone seeing do the "deed" and having them report it for you.

Companies dont like that.

 

If the company tries to hang it on you, tell them you want a "peer review" on it. Many companies have "accident review boards" that are made up of your fellow drivers. Its a specific process, but well worth the time if a company tries to shaft you.

Pictures....yep, the only way to go. If you are using a film type camera, get the film developed to a dvd in addition to hard copy, that way you'll always have access to the pictures.

This is why I have a "digital camera"....you click and its saved, download it, email it, cut a disk..... forget about taking it to get developed.

Fight it....fight it, fight it. Never let anyone hang an accident on you. Its a career killer..... Yes, you might get by with one accident, a small on if its preventable....but let something come up later, and things get trickier from then on....

Protect yourself!!

 

Buy a disposable film camera and keep it in the truck. A digital can be easily manipulated and therefore it probably wont be accepted as proof.

 

Skywalker;

You are far better versed in matters such as these than I am. I'm offering my observations for the purpose of seeking critical review; this is NOT an area where I claim any expertise, so if I'm wrong, please tell me.

You have far more time under your belt than I do.

My concern here is that I see this situation as being ripe for finding a scape goat. My concern is the sudden swarm of golf carts and scarecrows.

If they swarmed so suddenly, then it strikes me that they may have been looking to wash their skirts of potential liability, and redirect previous damage back to Trans-Am. Unless the other trailer was very badly damaged, then I can't see Trans-Am risking disenfranchising an account over such a minor issue as this.

Having the pictures may help from liability standpoint, but if Trans-Am is being as poorly managed as has been previously indicated, then in my estimation, it won't be long before the finger pointing on their part begins.Certainally, having pictures & names of people will help, at least I hope it will!!

At worst, it seems to me that Trans-Am could snag Spencerain for an off road preventavle, which, for most companies that I know of, is no big deal.

As far as fighting DAC?? It seems that doing that would be tough. Reasonable doubt, or, for that matter, preponderance of evidence, does not seem to enter into the picture when it comes to challenging DAC. Is that right?? Is that fair to the driver? Not in my opinion, but DAC has never called me soliciting my opinions on anything.
Which is a pity, I've no doubt!! :wink

Regarding Peer Review; that's great if their is such a review panel; the problem that I see is that Trans-Am seems to have no interest in retaining drivers.

So Skywalker,
What do you think?? Can he successfully challenge this without a lawyer??