After spending 15 years in warehouses, an opportunity came up for me last year to go to school to get a CDL with my employer paying 90% of the cost.
I had always liked trucks and thought it could be my ticket out of warehouse work. Make money, buy my own truck, live happily driving around the country.

Had no problems getting it at all.
Started working for Schneider in August last year, had no trouble going through orientation at all. Shifting, backing, road driving, etc all fine.

Got an OTR position and went out at the start of September.
All was fine and dandy for a while.

Then while driving through Mississippi in November I had an accident.
I had spent the night at a small gas station off the hiway. At 4:30 AM I was heading out. It was foggy, dark, the roads were empty. I was about to make my left turn onto the divided hiway, I saw a vehicle in the far off distance, no big deal I thought. Started pulling out across the hiway with my 42k load. Entrance to the highway from the gas station was an incline so it was slow going, my nose was just about across the East bound lanes when there was a bang and sparks across the front of my truck. Looked over just in time to see an SUV rolling in the grass center median. The guy admitted to the cops that he was doing 90 and tried to go around the front of me as I was pulling out. I bumped his passenger side as a result and sent him spinning. He was uninjured and although my bumper was a mangled, the truck was still drivable. I didn't get any citations from the police for it and after the officer got my info I was free to go. Safety department yelled at me, saying it was preventable because I could have stopped to let him pass, which I agreed with.

Then in January I had another accident. Had been running for about 4 weeks and was running recaps. I was a bit burnt out, even planning to take a 34 after completing my load to play it safe. But, I didn't make it that long. Was driving though a construction zone, there was no shoulder and the lane was narrow with the guard rail was right against the line. I drifted a few inches to the right and brushed the guard rail. I recovered but the steering was messed up. Was able to continue a mile down the road to an emergency pull off, leaving skid marks the whole way from my front tires. The tie rod got bent when the lugs on the passenger side steer caught the guardrail. When the drivers side tire was pointing straight, the passenger side would point towards 1 o'clock. Tires on the passenger side of the truck and trailer had gauges in the sidewalls as a result of the guard rail and the skirting on the side of the cab was scraped. Heard the officer talking on the phone saying the guard rail didn't need to be replaced, it was just 'chewed up'

I got terminated for safety violations.
Can't get unemployment either due to 'disregarding company safety rules'

Now, I live in South East PA in an area with dozens of major warehouses 15 mins away so finding a job wont be hard (yes, I know it's already been 2 months, lol).
I really hate the thought of going back to a warehouse. I was hoping to get out of that kind of work.

But, if there even any chance of me getting back into rig with 2 accidents in such a short time?
Or do I have to wait a few years before even attempting?

 

The longer you wait the harder it will be. With 2 accidents and limited experience it will be an uphill battle and your not really going to have much if any choice. About all you can do is apply apply APPLY! Start right here with with a generic app. and send it out to ALL the companies then follow that up with a hand picked list and go to the web sites and apply again. Your going to be starting over again and at the bottom, keep your record clean and you can work your way out of this.

 

Ugh, agree with repete, your facing an uphill battle.......a big uphill. Within 6 months of starting out, you had 2 crashes/incidents, 1 being rather serious even though per the police you weren't faulted. You might find a small outfit running around your area that would take you on. If so, keep your nose clean for a few years, your chances go up of finding better drives then.

 

Look at small companies that don't deal with DAC reporting. If the first one isn't on your driving record forget it happened. Be CAREFUL out there!

 

Wow! I remember when I first started driving. Every mile was challenging shifting, backing, getting enough rest, not knowing what to do at every vendor. The list goes on but I am sure you know what I mean. If you really want something fight for it keep trying. I decided at 54 I wanted to become a truck driver (Childhood dream). I am doing it now for 2 1/2 years and loving each mile. The money is great now I am home almost every day. It is a great career but not for the weak or lazy. Wish you luck.

Scott

 

Welcome to CAD donotpissontheseat!

I know what you mean.
I started my preventable accident training at an early age, too.

I remember some days I was lucky to crawl out of those accidents, with just poo in my shorts.

 

I would start by getting a copy of your MVR and DAC to see what is in your file. Having two accidents is serious, but won't necessarily prevent you from working. It depends on what is on your record. If both are on your record, it might be difficult. If you were not cited, then things will be easier. With little experience it will be more challenging to find another carrier. Depending on what is on your driving record, things might not be as bad as you think. If you have less than 6-12 months experience you may need to go with a training carrier. Smaller carriers might be more willing to give you a chance if they can get you past the insurance company due to lack of experience or your record. Like I stated earlier, I would start with your DAC and MVR.

 

Thanks for the welcoming. Plan on making time to participate in this forum. Hope to learn more about this industry from this group. Having limited experience I am not sure I will be informative.

Scott

 

Scott, 2.5 years is 2.5 years more than others looking to break into the industry have! While you may not be very informative yourself, we have more than a few here who do have plenty of info! Be a sponge at times! I'm not OTR but I've learned a lot of general info over the last 11 years on here that if I ever had to go OTR, I would feel very comfortable immediately. Welcome on board here. psst.......watch out for that one called Roadhog and his buddy Mitchno! Couple of laugh factories they are if you haven't already noticed by Hog's post just above!

 

People can tell right away I'm a truck driver, you know, from all that shifting and steering I do, and one side of my face is sunburnt.

I don't know, this just kinda takes me back to when I first came to CAD. Like most guys, after aboot 2 years of driving, I've run completely out of excuses, and was having trouble using some I've worn out, like, "well... it wasn't there before" "it came out of no where" "it's not my fault, that was on my blind side"

I needed help, and I found endless excuses here from more seasoned drivers. This place rocks!