Not sure what to do, needing help

[Randy88]

I wasn't sure if this should go in legal, safety or here, but since its about trucks and dirvers with CDL's I decided here might give me the best answers. I'll run by something that happened and I'd like to know how you'd handle this situation, its a moral question sort of. While driving a truck loaded up hill on a no passing section of two lane road traveling the legal speed limit about to crest the top of a bilind hill, driver number two passes and almost makes it around truck number one before cresting the hill/as cresting the hill/slightly after cresting the hill, no ditches either side for anyone to take, no shoulder of the road either, makes it around and immediatly brakes hard to turn into the same place as driver number one went and just about the same time as a car was met, moments before this happened the entire works met a loaded school bus, right behind driver number one was left a third driver, also loaded and going to the same location and pulled in. Driver number three went to driver number one and asked if she had planned on pressing charges, then he try's to persuad her to do so since driver number two had done the same thing to him 20 miles before as they did meet an oncoming car and forced that car off the raod and onto the shoulder then he, driver number three stayed behind driver number two and witnessed this whole secerio. Needless to say driver three was upset beyond words and was willing to come forward and testify about what he saw, all informantion on the truck, driver and plate numbers were taken down so it could be called in, dispatch of the driver number two's truck was called to inform them of what happened, driver number one's shook up pretty badly but fine, driver three is torqued off beyond words. Now what would you do, file charges and proceed, or let it go, if let go would you feel responsible if he killed or injured someone else later on? He has a bad driving record and one more fine will put him out of the truck for about three months maybe longer, dispatch assured he'd be pulled out of truck and not allowed in agian if charges were not filed against the driver or the company, the dot got involved and wants driver one to file charges, along with the sheriffs office, stating just what I put in the last sentance or two about kiling someone else. If charges are filed he loses his job and income and probably won't be able to be picked up by anyone's insurance for two to three years, also losing his income for that long as well.

Two days pass and he's still behind the wheel for the same company, they did nothing to remove him from any truck, but did downgrade trucks he drove, business as usual. County attorney got involved, pretty good case he'll proceed if charges are pressed and probably get at least one conviction, enough to put him out of any truck for years and loses his cdl for months. He can be charged with at least four moving violations.

I'm wanting a serious answer to this as to what you'd do and why, its a moral thing for us to decide, it was my wife who was driving truck number one and she wants my answer on this soon, she'll do what I think is best, I"m just not sure what that is, I don't want to ruin anyone life, but don't want to feel guilt if maybe someone gets hurt and we might have been able to stop it from happening if we'd had taken action, this time nobody got hurt and nothing was damaged. She's pretty worked up as to what to do as well, more so than what happened once the whole deal was over, we've both had our cdl's for over 15 years and behind the wheel, but do have another source of income to fall back if it were us, losing our cdl's, this isn't the first time these things have happened from the same company, but the first time we've had a witness willing to come forward. It is possible the guy was having a bad day or something and might not happen again, but with his record, I'm not sure about that. She did brake hard once she saw what he was attempting to do otherwise they'd have been way over the hill before he got around, she was just shocked anyone would be that stupid in the first place and for what?

Your a descent bunch of people here and I do value your opinoin, please give it and explain why you feel like you do. Would you be upset if we didn't and your the driver he did this to the next go around and you did meet someone head on? Or do you view it as being a rat and leave things lie, he didn't get caught, so its not my problem, don't take a fellow driver off the road, he probably learned his lesson and won't do it again, give him another chance? Would you view it as he did get his second chance all in one day and nows time to do something, even though we didn't see the first time? Maybe driver three has a personall beef with driver two and made it up as to the first encounter to spark a response? Without a witness driver three can't do much on his own and knows it, niether can my wife and we know it, he'd get off. We've personally never taken away anyones livelihood before and this is what we'd end up doing, it might be different if it was his first strike, not his last, there is also the possiblity he'd get strike three before this goes to court, thus not needing it. Sorry for the long winded post but I thought I'd include everything I knew right off the bat. Thanks in advance for any input

[qball]

how would you feel if he ran a family member off the road?
his future is not your concern, he has made his bed and should be man enough to lie in it.

[muzy]

I think if he apolgesed right after it happened, and I mean parked his truck right after close call and got out and and stopped the driver he was passing and apologized recenizing the mistake he made and thanking them for helping him by. I would give leway, as it would be most genuine.
But it sounds like the driver in question dose not even realize how close the incednt was. In that case cut him loose.
Sorry for spelling, muzy

[Reel hip]

This driver gives all truck drivers a bad name! That said He should not be driving a truck. He seems as if he does not have respect for the truck and the damage it can cause or other people involved. You have a sincere desire to keep a man employed but driving a truck should not be that mans profession. He will not stop until a tragedy occurs, then what you could have done will be too late. You weigh his employment with a heavy heart ,and that is admirable,but left undone he will surely kill an innocent person.

[Jim Dandy]

Anyway to get some background info on driver number 2? Do you know anyone that knows him or could you look up his driving record. I bet you will find a history of irresponsible behavior. If you could get other info on driver 2 that would certainly help confirm your decision.

[FSERVICE]

i am going to ask one question, to put this in perspective. how would u felt if your wife was injured or worse cause of this driver? i know how i would answer. i hate to see anyone loose their job in this economy/times but??? just my 2cents worth

[kenworth]

Turn him in ASAP.
He gives all of us with CDL's a bad image. Driving a truck is a huge responsibility and he does not understand that.
He needs to be stopped before a tragedy occurs.

[ibdave]

Someone asked a Question about the 1990 Ford F-8000, and I know the correct answers
(unlike some of those who are responding to his question with guesses).
Answers: 1. Yes Ford did producer the F-8000 in 1990 (and 1991 also)
2. It is a nice Cab over which comes with either Gas engine or a CAT
3. It's three speed auto trans is a force shift to where you can hold it in in first, second, or third so that you get full advantage of the two
speed rear end.

Lastly, NASA happens to have one (a 1991 Ford F8000) which they are really proud of.
Hope this finds its way to the man with the questions. ibdave

[Randy88]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, it means more than I can put into words, we have gotten some background on both other drivers, the guy wanting to come forward and testify, has a long history of an almost spottless record and the company he drives for is even better, the driver number two, is pretty bad and the company he works for is worse, with the new points system in place now in my area, this is all available to us, the driver who is pressing us to file charges told us he has had no change of heart and will take the time off work without pay, and his company agreed to let him do it with pay and go to court in the town 50 miles away, to testify in court under oath if need be, that right there says a lot for anyone in my book and the company they work for too. Since yesterday there are others that came forward to say they put the driver in queston, at the scene, at that time, on that day, in that truck as well when the police asked, mainly the worders at the facility where all three drivers turned into to wait in line.

When our kids found out about this whole deal, most still in school or college, the answer wasn't as politicaly correct as qball put it but the jest was the same, seems some of their friends may have been on that bus they had met a few minutes earlier, we'd never considered that ever up until it was discussed with them.

We're pressing charges and starting paperwork tomorrow, I'll keep you posted as to how the legal system works and the outcome, but that could be months off or longer. Again thanks, it does make us feel better knowing others with a cdl put in their two cents and what they'd do if it happened to them.

We tried to be objective about things, and people in the past have given me the benefit of the doubt when I've screwed up and given me a second chance and I really appreciated it, we were just trying to figure out if it was the time and the place to do the same for someone else, but maybe not this time on this issue. Again thanks

[Tiny]

I am Glad to see you going forward with this .

He has a bad driving record and one more fine will put him out of the truck for about three months maybe longer

That statement tells a huge story , He's a repeat screwup . Absolutely no reason he can give for driving like that I could accept . THIS AIN"T NASCAR !!

Your truck is a rolling office , Your workplace . You do not have to put up with someone making your workplace a dangerous place to be .

Now this is my personal opinion . He needs to lose his CDL . I have no time for BS in big trucks . Its too easy to get into trouble in normal day to day driving to put up with with a jerk .

Do Not feel one moments guilt about what happens to this guy . I am convinced that if he lose's his CDL , You just saved someones life .

[lgammon]

i agree with all the above posts. keep this in mind ....the life you save might be his.... and i am sure he would rather flip a burger than be dead.

[Steve Frazier]

Some people just don't belong behind the wheel, sounds like this guy is one of them....

[Randy88]

Update, we went to file charges, had to fill out the paperwork and when we were done we asked whats next, then we were told the case is over and now closed, seems that same day, while doing the investigation, the dot went to question the driver in question about his side of the story and the idiot basically confessed to only an illegal passing in a no passing zone, paid his fine and they only needed us to fill out the paperwork in case he didn't confess, was given two days out of the truck without pay, which we told him didn't happen because we met him those two day in a truck driving for the same company, to which the officer answered, we're aware of that and its under investigation and can't discuss it with you.

Then it seems we were not aware of the extent of people watching, the bus driver they met moments before, stopped to pick up kids and while parked watched in his rearview mirror the whole deal and he called it in, the intersection that they went by as he was passing, had a pickup pulling up to it and that driver was upset and he called it in, the driver they met as they pulled into the business, he slowed up to read the name and plate number off the drivers truck as he pulled in and there was another trucker at the business who watched it happen, he too had called it in with the drivers information and truck numbers, seems my wife never really paid any attention to all that, she was paying attention to what she was doing, but others were watching as well. So to sum it up we pondered over something that was taken care of before we ever made up our minds as to press charges or not, but we never knew that, they still wanted my wife to fill out the paperwork in case he had a change of heart and claimed innocence and they needed to go to court. We asked about the other moving violations and were told, we take this as a victory today, otherwise it could take months or longer before something can be done about him, but it'll still take some time to have all the paperwork catch up, so for today, he's still on the road, till all the ti's are crossed and I's are dotted, which shouldn't take long.

The officer then went onto say we were not responsible for him losing his lisence, we could look at it how we wanted but officially he was fined long before we ever filled out any paperwork, others came forward and are equally responsible for the actions taken against this guy, however small it maybe, it did make us feel better, not being alone, he also went onto tell us, everyone with a cell phone and a pair of eye's is an asset on the road to take bad drivers off the highways across the nation, it happens every day and eveyone is always being watched by someone, somewhere, just a thought to keep in mind the next time anyone steps behind the wheel, of any vehcle. Again thanks for taking the time to give an answer, hope the update helps.

[muzy]

Thank you for the update, and helping to keep our roads safe. muzy

[busdrivernine]

Id bet the crap out of him and then tell him what a idot he was and then drop a dime on his lower end in a heart beat for the safety of your family and or mine