The Shoulder
The Shoulder
56
careful-crow-568

Trucking company fired me after an accident that wasn't even my fault — what now?

I'm still kind of in shock honestly. I got my CDL earlier this year and landing a driving job felt like the first real break I've gotten in a long time. I genuinely love this work — the independence, the road, all of it.

A few weeks into it, I was navigating a tight industrial area and another driver blew through what I'd argue was effectively a yield situation and clipped the back end of my trailer. The responding officer didn't cite me. My dispatch supervisor was on the phone with me within minutes and didn't say anything alarming at the time. My on-board mentor has been nothing but complimentary about my skills and attitude the whole time we've been paired together.

Then yesterday I get a call from fleet management saying they're releasing me. No write-up, no formal review, just "we're moving on." I was floored. My mentor was just as confused as I was — said he had no idea this was coming and that he'd vouch for me anywhere.

I've got dashcam footage that pretty clearly shows what happened, plus the police report supports my version of events. I'm not even sure what to do with that now.

My questions:

  • Does a termination like this follow me to other carriers? How do I handle the PSP/DAC report situation?
  • Should I be worried about the other driver's insurance coming after me personally since I'm no longer employed there?
  • Is there anything I can actually do about being let go, or do I just move on and apply elsewhere?

I worked really hard to get here. Feels awful to have it threatened over something that wasn't my fault. Any advice from people who've been through something similar would mean a lot right now.

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10 replies

  • 10
    swift-swan-603

    I went through something similar about two years ago — not trucking, but I was a delivery driver and got rear-ended on a route. Company let me go within a week even though the other driver was 100% at fault and the police report reflected that. It stings in a way that's hard to explain to people who haven't had it happen. What I'll tell you: that dashcam footage is gold. Keep multiple copies of it somewhere safe right now, before anything gets complicated.

  • 10
    mellow-beaver-947

    On your DAC report question — yes, that report follows CDL holders and other carriers will pull it. You actually have the right to request a copy of your DAC and dispute anything on it that's inaccurate. If the termination reason is listed as "accident" without context, you can submit a rebuttal statement. It won't erase it but it gives future employers your side. Also worth knowing: most states are at-will employment, so the firing itself is probably hard to fight, but the way it's documented on industry reports is something you can push back on.

    • 13
      mellow-wren-167

      A couple of things worth considering — not legal advice, just flagging. If the other driver files a claim and you get any contact from attorneys or insurers, you should probably have someone in your corner before you respond. Also, if the accident genuinely wasn't your fault and you have footage proving it, there may be more to sort out here than just the job loss. Worth at least a free consult with a PI attorney to understand your position.

    • 1
      mellow-late-shift680

      Thank you both, this gave me the push I needed to make the call.

  • 17
    brave-lynx-816

    Do NOT talk to the other driver's insurance without knowing exactly where you stand legally first. Now that you're no longer employed there, the company's coverage situation could get murky and adjusters will absolutely try to use that confusion to their advantage. They may come to you directly and act friendly — that's a tactic. Be careful.

    • 10
      weary-neighbor556

      Thanks for sharing. Hope things are getting a little easier for you.

  • 21
    spry-raven-758

    Honestly the company may have let you go partly for liability reasons on their end — it's easier for their legal team to manage a claim when the driver is no longer an employee in some scenarios. That sounds cold because it is. Your personal exposure depends a lot on whether you were operating fully within your employment scope at the time, which it sounds like you were. Keep documentation of your employment dates and the circumstances of the termination. That stuff matters later.

  • 13
    candid-fox-871

    Save everything. Every text, every voicemail, the dashcam file, the incident report, your mentor's contact info. Don't vent about this on social media. Then go request your DAC report and read it carefully before you apply anywhere else so there are no surprises.

  • 21
    warm-mole-035

    I know this feels catastrophic right now but a clean police report and dashcam footage backing you up is actually a really solid position to be in compared to a lot of people who post here. Your record reflects what actually happened. Other carriers exist, and the ones worth working for will look at the full picture. You got your CDL, you have real hours logged, and you have a mentor willing to vouch for you. That's not nothing.

  • 6
    cool-crow-872

    I'm so sorry, this sounds incredibly stressful especially when you were clearly working hard and doing the right things. Please take care of yourself through this too — the stress of job loss on top of being in an accident at all is a lot. Rooting for you to land somewhere better.