avoidable accidents getting fired?

[twebster0620]

I am a new full time driver been full time a little under a year 6 years as a package handler before that got into an accident in Jan when some guy backed out of his drive into my truck as I was coming down the street it was thought by my center manager to be unavoidable but came back as avoidable somehow then a few weeks ago a lady rear ended me ad I made a stop she told them she was day dreaming and wasn't paying attention! Still got marked as avoidable seriously they said I should have been watching her to made sure she stopped but she wad pretty far back and I was parked and out of mt seat before she hit me sow now that's two avoidables in 5 months so if I get in one more 3 in twelve months I get fired right? Just doesn't seem right I have always been a safe driver and a hard worker this is stressing me out I haven't been written any warning letters I thought they had to write you warning letters to fire you? Will I be fired at three? If I do will I be able to get my job back? These are the questions that keep me up at night if anybody has any helpful info it would be appreciated

 

[Jackburton]

Two accidents in one year doesn't bode well for you. Scan steering wheels could of possibly avoided that first one, along with using a horn to communicate. The second one sounds iffy, did you have your flashers on? Where did you parked when she rear ended you? I'm not trying to hate on you but again, 1 year of driving and already two accidents. One good thing is no one sounded like they got hurt, that's what UPS is trying to avoid.

 

[twebster0620]

I did scan steering wheels I saw him in the truck and honked at him several times he was stopped in the driveway then as it was too late just started pulling out he was oblivious almost hit my center manager when he got there as for the second one I was parked perfectly flashers on they said I didn't stop smooth enough and should have been paying more attention to her to make sure she was going to stop

 

[over9five]

Sounds like they had to make their quota for avoidable accidents.

 

[soberups]

....so now that's two avoidables in 5 months so if I get in one more 3 in twelve months I get fired right? Just doesn't seem right I have always been a safe driver and a hard worker this is stressing me out I haven't been written any warning letters I thought they had to write you warning letters to fire you? Will I be fired at three? If I do will I be able to get my job back? These are the questions that keep me up at night if anybody has any helpful info it would be appreciated

Read your contract. Except for cases of gross negligence, they cannot fire you without first going through the progressive discipline process (warning letter, then suspension, then termination.) If you have not gotten a warning letter for the first two accidents that they "charged" you with, then you cannot arbitrarily be fired for the third. And warning letters are valid for 9 months, not one year.

 

[959Nanook]

Depends on your center manager as far as what they will seek insofar as discipline is concerned. I have been terminated twice at the second step of progressive discipline. The second termination was for auto accidents.

Depends upon your Teamsters representation as far as what discipline is allowed. Neither termination stood at Panel due to failure to follow proper progressive discipline.

soberups is correct that nine months should be the expiration for progressive discipline so you have until October for discipline concerns.t You have until whenever they decide for safety concerns but at least you still have a job.

My best advice is don't get caught up in the discipline and take advantage of the extra training. I can genuinely say that I am a better driver as a result of all the safety-related individual attention that I received.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

In our center when you become a liability they create a 22.3 job for you.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Don't worry if they fire you you will get your job back if you fight it... We had a guy with 17 accidents in my last building and he was still driving and still driving like a total idiot.....

The public is a little safer now he retired this year...

 

[twebster0620]

Ok thanks for the advice my center manager said both were borderline almost unavoidables and neither accident did much damage both were the fault of the other driver just not according to ups

 

[jaker]

Any accident in a ups truck is your fault , that's the way it is and will always be just make sure you are not the one making them

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Any accident in a ups truck is your fault , that's the way it is and will always be just make sure you are not the one making them

This is not true.

 

[want to retire]

This is why you should always fight to make any accident unavoidable. Don't just take it. Of course unless it is truly your fault and I think we all know when that is. I have been in several unavoidable accidents throughout my career that UPS desperately wanted to blame on me. I didn't let them.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I am batting .500 --1 avoidable, 1 unavoidable. Both decisions were accurate.

 

[want to retire]

It is interesting how some seem to get away just about anything and yet one of our guys gets hit by a drunk driver(running a red light)! broadside in an intersection and it was determined that our guy should have avoided it based on where the point of impact was. Amazing.

 

[slantnosechevy]

Grieve all disipline. In this case especially. If you don't and it gets to 3 and to a panel hearing they sometimes assume you're admitting guilt to past accidents.

Always remember safety comes before production.

 

[brownelf]

Perhaps a different approach should be considered, ask if you can join the safety committee. I know I'll likely get slammed by a few by even suggesting it, but now is the time to show your commitment to becoming a safer driver. I've been a steward for a long time and have given this advise to many that have had a string of incidents, and all have cleaned up their records and continued to be employed at UPS. In fact our current safety co-chair went all the way to state panel a few years ago due to accidents. Showing a reasonable effort to fix the problem goes a long way at times like these, now is the time to do it.

 

[jaker]

This is not true.

When I say any accident in a ups truck is your fault , I was sayin management will always blame you , do you take no you fight but they will blame you for every accident

I was in a hit and run my center manager ask me how could I avoid it , I told him not come to work that day , send my back in the UPS time machine 5 min before or after or tell the guy who hit me not to drive that day he looked at me with a stink eye and told me to get out

 

[Richard Harrow]

When I say any accident in a ups truck is your fault , I was sayin management will always blame you , do you take no you fight but they will blame you for every accident

I was in a hit and run my center manager ask me how could I avoid it , I told him not come to work that day , send my back in the UPS time machine 5 min before or after or tell the guy who hit me not to drive that day he looked at me with a stink eye and told me to get out

Well done. Anytime you are told "get out" upon giving a retort, it's managements way of saying "you're right" without actually saying it. It happened to me once about 8 years ago. I still smile when I remember the look on the center manager's face.

 

[OVERBOARD]

I seen someone charged with a avoidable accident when he wasn’t even in the pgk car, a pedestrian walk into the side of his pkg car when it was parked and called in a complaint say the pkg car was blocking his path to the street, He was charged with a tier 3 accident “Hit pedestrian” . He filed a grievance, the Union said they can charge you with what ever they want as long as they don't discipline you there is nothing they can do, besides putting the grievance on record and told him all you are losing was a cheap cardboard award and next time they give you one throw it the trash.

 

[Jackburton]

Good news is if you stay safe a year from now you'll receive the same thing someone with 30 years safe driving does, sans a patch.