Charged with accident for hitting dog

[Xexys]

I had a house on my route that the dog would continually circle the truck as I rode up the driveway. Then it would nip at my heels as I walked to the side entrance. It was like this everytime. I even had my supervisor meet me on route and view the dog with his antics. My sup made the owner build a box down at the bottom of the driveway for me to place all deliveries in. It still didn't stop, the dog would chase me down the road as I rode by, I even talked to the FedEx driver and he said the dog did the same to him. One day, I was driving by on the road and the dog jumped out to chase me and thump, I nailed him. Dead as dead can be. It took all my courage to pick the dog up and deliver that dead dog to the man of the house that day. I actually got a christmas bonus from him that year! Never before or after did he tip me. He must've hated all the crap that dog caused him.

 

[Leadfarmer153]

And what if that was a kid instead of a dog?

 

[soberups]

The job gets a lot easier to deal with once you accept the fact that the company can "charge" you with an "avoidable accident" at its discretion, at any time and for any reason. We are not contractually entitled to safe driving awards or recognition and the company can issue or deny these as it so chooses. Achieving safe driving milestones at UPS has very little to do with actual safe driving ability, and everything to do with luck and whatever happens to be managements current flavor of the month in regards to how they classify scratches, cracked mirrors, hitting animals etc etc. As far as discipline goes...a suspension or termination for accidents isnt going to be upheld at panel if one of the "accidents" in question involves hitting an animal or cracking a mirror. Bottom line is...let them "charge" you if it makes them feel better, it doesnt have to be your problem.

 

[Re-Raise]

And what if that was a kid instead of a dog?

Dumbest argument ever. If a kid ran 15 miles an hour biting the front tires on my package car, I would never deliver there again. People who let their pets run loose, are doing so at their own risk.

 

[brownmonster]

Dog in owners yard, accident. Dog on road, target.

 

[Leadfarmer153]

Dumbest argument ever. If a kid ran 15 miles an hour biting the front tires on my package car, I would never deliver there again. People who let their pets run loose, are doing so at their own risk.

How is that dumb? I think you missed the part where he said..."it was in the res driveway". No where did he say, the dog ran out into the road and bit his tires.

So either youre not looking for children, objects and dogs. Or youre going to fast in a long driveway.

Bottom line is anytime you hit anything you can be charged. And if you hit something in a driveway its almost 100% you're gonna be charged.

 

[Spicybrother]

The first dog I hit was this really beautiful Collie. He ran out and I could not fully stop. He seemed to be OK and got up and ran to the back of a house. Concerned, I stopped the truck and asked this lady watering her flowers, if the dog was Ok. She asked," Was it a big Collie?" I said ,"Yes." She asked in an steady tone with no emotion," Did you kill him?" I said, "NO, he ran to the back of the house and he looked fine." Her response,full of emotion, "DAMN! THAT'S MY HUSBANDS DOG!" Then she just turned around and started back watering the flowers. She was disappointed that I had not killed the dog.

 

[Re-Raise]

How is that dumb? I think you missed the part where he said..."it was in the res driveway". No where did he say, the dog ran out into the road and bit his tires.

So either youre not looking for children, objects and dogs. Or youre going to fast in a long driveway.

Bottom line is anytime you hit anything you can be charged. And if you hit something in a driveway its almost 100% you're gonna be charged.

Would you drive into a long driveway with a loose dog barking and growling alongside your vehicle? It doesn't matter how slow you go, the dog can still run under your back tires. Or would you take your chances walking it off and hope you don't get bit?

I know these are all hypothetical questions for you, because you are obviously not a driver in a rural area.

 

[barnyard]

A couple of years ago, a driver in my center was charged for hitting a dog in the street. When it was discussed at PCM, I said, "If you are going to charge him with a crash, expect that sometime in the future you will be going to the scene of a crash with a dead driver. You will not be able to figure out why he/she crashed, but it will be because he/she tried to avoid a dog. This is total bulls." and I walked to my car to start the day.

The driver fought the warning letter and used my words exactly. He won the grievance and we have not been charged for hitting a dog or cat on the street since. I can feel my blood starting to boil just thinking about that day.

On someone's property is a whole nother story. Hard to argue those.

 

[barnyard]

I know these are all hypothetical questions for you, because you are obviously not a driver in a rural area.

I am still bummin about a delivery from yesterday.

I parked on the street, 2 dogs in the yard. Walked up with a package and the dogs start going nuts. They were obviously trained to respect an electric fence, but neither had a collar on. They started pacing the border and 1 was lunging a little over the border. The closer to the garage, the more the 1 crossed the line. I backed off and decided to set the package on the hood of a pickup. I figured if I left it in the muddy driveway, that would be a claim, leave at the garage and the dogs are going to tear it apart, spend some more time thinking and the dogs are going to cross the line and I could be bit.

I got a message later in the day that the customer was filing a claim for scratches on the hood of his truck.

He drove to the center, stopped for an estimate at a body shop on the way and wants UPS to pay for scratches that the center manager and my supe could not see. Dude says he is unemployed and is UPS hiring. Boss says, "Yes, but not people that file claims against our drivers." center manager suggests a can of wax and buffing out the hood this weekend. He said if there was still a problem to call back Monday. I suspect that being unemployed, the dude is still going to want the $50.

Sigh.

I certainly grant that putting a package on the hood was not the best.

It does turn out though, that the dude was watching the whole thing from inside the house and chose not to come out. That just plain ticks me off and negates my mistake of putting the package on the truck. Whole thing could have been avoided if he would have stuck his head out the door and called off his dogs.

Sigh again.

 

[soberups]

Bottom line is anytime you hit anything you can be charged. And if you hit something in a driveway its almost 100% you're gonna be charged.

...Which is why our best course of action is to simply not give a sh%t about being "charged" in the first place.

Go ahead and pay me $45 an hour on OT to sit in your office while you hand me a meaningless warning letter. Go ahead and pay me $45 an hour to sit in front of your computer and take silly assessments, and to recite acronyms and drivel to some Safety Committee pinhead if it makes you guys feel better. Just dont expect me to take any of it seriously.

 

[Re-Raise]

I understand barnyard. They can tell you what you shouldn't have done, like this Eric_1 guy, but we have to decide in the real world.

If they ever charge me, or anyone else in our center, for running over an animal I will stop the truck anytime I see a deer, dog, squirrel, or low flying bird and call the center for directions.

If Eric_1 thinks it is different because it is a driveway, than anyone with a loose dog can come and pick up their packages at the center. I am not going to risk walking up their rural driveway and explain why I was bitten.

 

[soberups]

How is that dumb? I think you missed the part where he said..."it was in the res driveway". No where did he say, the dog ran out into the road and bit his tires.

So either youre not looking for children, objects and dogs. Or youre going to fast in a long driveway.

It doesnt matter how slow you are going when you are dealing with dogs that run circles around the truck and bite at the tires.

75% of the deliveries I make are to rural residential addresses, and at each stop I face a decision. I can (a) park in the road, block traffic, and walk the stop off at the risk of causing an accident or getting bitten by a dog, or (b) back into the driveway to get off of the road and walk the stop off at the risk of a backing accident or getting bitten by a dog, or (c) drive up the driveway in order to get off of the road and turn around on the customers property at the risk of hitting a dog. And this is all assuming that the driveway itself is less than 100-200 yards long. My options become even more limited when the driveway is over 1/4 of a mile long and its after 4:30 and dark outside in the winter; in addition to dog bites I can add the risk of a nervous homeowner with a gun reacting to the sight of some guy in dark clothing walking on his property at night.

Regardless of which choice I make...if something does happen my actions will be second-guessed by some pinhead in a cubicle who has likely never done my job or been out on my area and whose only concern is to meet his warning letter quota for the month.

 

[Leadfarmer153]

Would you drive into a long driveway with a loose dog barking and growling alongside your vehicle? It doesn't matter how slow you go, the dog can still run under your back tires. Or would you take your chances walking it off and hope you don't get bit?

I know these are all hypothetical questions for you, because you are obviously not a driver in a rural area.

I sheet it up as undeliverable, call the number on the package to tell them about there dog. A lot of the time they'll come down and meet you or tell you to leave it by the mail box. Just tell them, your dog bites at my tires and I'm afraid he's going to get run over. Then try to set up a deal where you can leave it by there mail box. Once they give you permission its a done deal. Just tell your sup that they gave you permissible to do so, so you cover your butt on the D.R.

I know you carry dog treats...and a electric dog whistle in your pocket works better then you think. It's painful to there ears and stops them from charging enough time to slowly back to your truck. Pick one up at a pet store.

But if you have a house with a long driveway who's dog bites your tires or a dangerous dog, you have to get in contact with them. Just explain, when your dog is out you don't get your package. You have 3 tires, then you come pick it up. And personally call them, not the clerk cause they don't care.

 

[soberups]

UPS has made a business decision to provide residential delivery service to every address in the USA.

One of the natural and unavoidable consequences of that decision...is that we will frequently be compelled to drive up the customers driveway and turn around on their property in order to make the delivery. This fact in turn leads to the natural and unavoidable consequence that, at some point, an animal running loose on one of those properties is going to get hit. We make hundreds of thousands of residential deliveries a day, its called the law of averages, and all the acronyms and commentaries and safety drivel in the world isnt going to change that.

 

[Leadfarmer153]

Soberups .... I agree, and every driver has to realize your sup has to charge you and tell you how you could've avoided it. It's there job, even if they know there isnt much you can do to avoid certain things. It's how the game is played, why so many guys here stress about it is beyond me? Does that 25 safe driving tag really mean that much to you? Cause ask any 25 safe driver and they'll tell you about stuff that didn't get reported or somthing that no one found out about.

 

[soberups]

I sheet it up as undeliverable, call the number on the package to tell them about there dog. A lot of the time they'll come down and meet you or tell you to leave it by the mail box. If that fails call your sup, bring it back to the ECS clerk and have them contact the customer. Explain we cant delivery unless the dog is put away. I have done this many times. Avoids a dog bite or a dead dog. Think Bro.

I know you carry dog treats...and a electric dog whistle in your pocket works better then you think. It's painful to there ears and stops them from charging enough time to slowly back to your truck. Pick one up at a pet store.

But if you have a house with a long driveway who's dog bites your tires or a dangerous dog, you have to get in contact with them. Just explain, when your dog is out you don't get your package. You have 3 tires, then you come pick it up. And personally call them, not the clerk cause they don't care.

What if you dont see the dog until after you have driven up to the customers house?
What if there isnt a phone# on the package?
What if the road you are on has no shoulder to safely park on in order to make your call?
Does UPS provide its drivers with cell phones to use for work purposes?
Is calling the customer on a phone part of the 340 methods that we are instructed to follow?
Is calling every customer a realistic expectation on a rural route where 80% of the homes have a dog running loose?

Think Bro.

 

[soberups]

Soberups .... I agree, and every driver has to realize your sup has to charge you and tell you how you could've avoided it. It's there job, even if they know there isnt much you can do to avoid certain things. It's how the game is played, why so many guys here stress about it is beyond me? Does that 25 safe driving tag really mean that much to you? Cause ask any 25 safe driver and they'll tell you about stuff that didn't get reported or somthing that no one found out about.

I could care less about a 25 year safe driving patch. Every 25 yr safe driver I have talked to...and there are 9 of them in my building...has at some point busted a mirror or scratched the car or done some other ticky tacky little deal that got overlooked by management at the time.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Today I hit a dog on my route I was feeling pretty horrible about that ,but when I found out I was being charged for an accident my feeling turned to anger. Since it was in the res. driveway I should have expected the unexpected. Just got 9 year safe driving yesterday.Has this happened to anyone else?

Don't worry about sh-i happens. As far as the safe driving years go who really cares it doesn't increase your pay.....

 

[balland chain]

Don't worry about sh-i happens. As far as the safe driving years go who really cares it doesn't increase your pay.....

Yeah, agree.. since they took away our safe driving awards years ago, what does it matter, except the poor dog is dead, but the owner should have kept the dog contained..