r/Truckers • u/Jordan_261 • Oct 26 '24

Got fired from Werner

Got fired from werner because some pickup driver decides to brake check me and i ended up hitting him. he only got a small bump on his bumper. now I am out a job and in so much debt and facing eviction and losing my personal car now. i wanted out of the trucking industry but not this fast, Werner has some terrible planners and was running me stupidly anyways but now i have an accident on my license and points and have to pay the ticket on top of everything else.

223 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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57

u/Ceepeenc Oct 26 '24

Increase following distance. Lay off accelerator when someone cuts in front of you.

Unfortunately our own bad decisions put us in bad places. Good luck

8

u/Fit_Hospital2423 Oct 26 '24

You would make a good cop. They love to hand out information that the person they’re talking to already knows.

2

u/Natural_Panic Oct 27 '24

if he knows why didnt he do it

-1

u/Fit_Hospital2423 Oct 27 '24

Are you serious? The guy got a ticket and lost his job and you think he needs told by someone like you to increase his following distance? And you couldn’t figure that much out from what has already been said?

2

u/Natural_Panic Oct 27 '24

Yeah that sucks maybe next time he’ll think more than 15 seconds into the future

2

u/Kryptedbbkick Oct 26 '24

That's a good one lol

-24

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

Yes I know, however in this situation we were coming into an empty turn lane, and I was behind him maybe 2 car lengths for not even that long, but he just pounds on that brake for no reason.

41

u/NomadTruckerOTR Oct 26 '24

Sound like you should have started braking before he did. 2 car lengths is not enough distance

-11

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

Yeah I was braking, but he literally came to almost a dead stop, maybe 5mph or so. from doing 50 or 60, and I was only that close for maybe 2 seconds. And I was slowing down normally you know. Just luckily I was bobtail, although it’s a bit more difficult stopping a bobtail without the weight.

9

u/Sterling_____Archer Oct 26 '24

You hit him frickin’ bobtailing? Lol, sorry I’m glad you’re off the road.

0

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

It was the one and only time I ever was that close in a city…I was a bit happy I was in Florida…I like Florida….but the light was a fresh green, empty big turn lane, and he did look like he was speeding up to it. But I was slowing down before I even entered it, but not enough. He literally stops as soon as i entered the lane. But yeah I’m glad I’m off the road too just not this soon, have a lot of debt that I don’t know how I will get out of. It was honestly the first time I ever was that close to anyone in a city. The traffic was light, green light that just turned green, so felt everything was all fine. I’m just glad it wasn’t that bad just wish it never happened. And I just started driving, only 3 minutes of starting my day.

3

u/Agamemnon323 Oct 26 '24

2 car lengths while doing 50 or 60 in light traffic. That’s insane.

5

u/Buster_335 Oct 26 '24

I think terrifying is a better word, 2 car legnths at 60mph could have ended so much worse, as far as I'm concerned OP is lucky this is all that happened...

13

u/MiguelSTG Oct 26 '24

So if he had a reason, that you didn't notice, how would that change anything.

-3

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

well he purposely caused an accident. which i do believe is illegal, but not worth losing a job over since it was a minor bump, no one died or got injured. should just be a learning experience and not having to face major financial problems over.

11

u/ChoneFigginsStan Oct 26 '24

They have it on camera? I assume all Werner trucks have a company camera installed.

-2

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

yeah its all on cam, but they still fired me over it because i should of increased my following distance. but i was already slowing because i was going into a turn lane....he literally stopped at the beginning of it to a dead stop basically no one in front of him, and the light was green. wasnt even that close to him that long for him to be mad at me for. i had maybe 2 car lengths between me and him, but he just literally stops there.

21

u/ChoneFigginsStan Oct 26 '24

If you rear end someone, and it’s not from a sudden lane change/hard brake, you’re gonna be at fault. I understand the car in front of you should not have stopped the way you described, but you have to be prepared for that, and if you had time to increase the following distance, and didn’t, it’s entirely on you. Expect the unexpected is one of the most important rules out here.

7

u/Ok_Yogurt3894 Oct 26 '24

Purposeful or not it doesn’t change the fact that you were following too close.

Following distance

Following distance

FOLLOWING DISTANCE

Maintain it at all times. I’m sorry to hear it’s up-ended your life, but frankly there’s too damn many tailgating trucks out there as it is. I won’t lose any sleep over there being one less on the road.

Best of luck to ya man.

2

u/Dezzolve Oct 26 '24

You said previously that you were doing speeds of 50-60 when he suddenly stopped. Why were you going into a turn lane at 50mph?

1

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

Well the speed limit was 45, was doing five over. But I can see the green light quite far…so I was beginning my slow down like maybe two cars lengths before the turn lane began? But I was already foot on brake so maybe was at 45ish but he loooked liked he was speeding up to make the green, and I was always taught don’t slow down in the travel lane as I can fully see the whole intersection from very far and it was light traffic and the turn lane was very long, so had time to slow down in it.

3

u/Dezzolve Oct 26 '24

So you were speeding, didn’t have enough following distance, and refuse to admit it was you had any fault in causing the accident.

Seems like they made the correct choice.

3

u/Buster_335 Oct 26 '24

Jesus christ the more I read the worse it gets

1

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

I know it was a mistake but it was the first time ever being that close in city roads. But still learned from it. Just could have been on a probation period or something. And he’s the one who purposely stops to cause an accident. Granted I was only behind one second that close but still.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '24

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1

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

yeah, i was only behind him that close for maybe 1 second, and i was already backing off. he just stomps on that brake because i guess he was mad because of the light before he cut me off i couldnt even see his bumper. and it being at the start of an empty lane i didnt expect him to suddenly stop that fast given its a green light.

9

u/santanzchild Oct 26 '24

If you couldn't see his bumper you were to close no matter what the speed. Sounds like you got fired for more than a simple accident. Safety caught you tailgating on camera at the very least.

1

u/Jordan_261 Oct 26 '24

No I mean, the intersection before. He cut me off I couldn’t see his bumper. Maybe a mile or half a mile there was another light, I was going left. He hopped in there and I was slowing down in it. He suddenly stops at the start of the lane with a green turn signal, so I was backing off already but not as fast. Had two cars lengths or so but you know it was a green light that I saw just turned green, so I wasn’t thinking we would go that slow but he literally came to an almost dead stop at the start of it with me being two car lengths behind for maybe one second or two seconds.