Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/741843
92 commercial carrier journal | october 2016 Rig Dig_CCJ0413_PG108.indd 1 3/21/13 9:56 AM PREVENTABLE or NOT? Doe's rig rammed during snack attack A fter a tasty breakfast of Navaho Tacos at the West Winds Truck Stop in Green River, Utah, trucker John Doe continued his run to locally famed Cowboy Bill's All-Beef Burgers to deliver some shrinkwrapped cartons of soybean meal. Later, arriving at the restaurant, Doe pulled into the drive-thru area adjacent to the service door and liber- ally sprinkled the area with bright orange traffic cones – just in case a blind or demented four-wheeler failed to see his huge long-nosed fire-engine-red Class 8 tractor and sparkling new trailer. While waiting to be unloaded, Doe checked his schedule, simultaneously snacking on a fresh celery stick to improve his concentra … BLAM!! A mild tremor rippled through Doe's cab. What the blazes? Swallowing his celery stick in one convulsive gulp, Doe popped out of the cab and saw that Matilda "Missy" Hornswaggle's rust-riddled Chevy hot rod had roared around the corner and introduced itself – rather violently – to his candy-striped ICC bar! Hornswaggle, wiping large amounts of Cowboy Bill's Famous Ropin' Sauce and burger fragments from her face, immediately accused Doe of backing into her vehicle. A nifty trick, Doe mused, considering the distract- ed Hornswaggle had run over some of his cones in the course of attacking his trailer while scarfing on her snack! Because Doe contested the preventable-accident warning letter from his safety director – who claimed that all professional drivers should be psychic – the National Safety Council's Accident Review Committee was asked to render a final decision. NSC quickly ruled in Doe's favor, noting that he had no control over maniacal Missy. John Doe was parked and surrounded by traffic cones when his rig was struck by a hot rod manned by a distracted driver who tried to argue that Doe had hit her instead. Was this a preventable accident? Service Door Cowboy Bill's