BSE1956

Got behind a semi truck on the Long Island Expressway the other day.
Actually, he was in the right lane, and I was in the center, but I was passing him slowly. Tick tick pop pop.....I'm getting pelted with rocks and sand spewing out the back of his tub. The creep had a cloth cover on his tub, but that did little. He also had a "leak" out the back where the swing door met the tub. I moved over, and got past him in a hurry.
By the way, this was NOT the first time it's happened to me on this road and thank goodness I was not in the Vette.
This SOB was damaging other peoples cars by driving a sub standard truck on public highways. (I'm sure he could care less).

What do you recommend to do in this situation?
Whom do you call? I'm pissed off, but not sure what to do.

red4twenty7

I had a similar experience several years back with my 85 Vette, peppered my windshield, got up along side of him , got the company name, truck number and called the company and their insurance covered the repair, they SHOULD have it covered, this was on a Sunday and I was livid,
just make sure you get the truck number, they all should have one, usually on the back and then get beside him to get the company name.
good luck.

DillingerRadio

I recommend you get over it.

Frankly, we don't own the road- and truck drivers that are within the laws/regulations governing load carriage have every right to be there too. You say substandard truck; but I'm pretty positive you don't actually know the vehicular requirements for that class of vehicle off the top of your head do you?

While it may upset you- that's too bad bud. You'll just have to get over it, wash your car afterwards if you're so inclined, and look into ceramicoating or the clear spray on bras if you're concerned about damage.

Cherokee Nation

I've had happen to me (Not my vette) when i was behind a truck.I took down his plate number & all was thaken care of....

DillingerRadio

I would say if there were actual damage, for example a large piece of debris chipped or cracked the windshield, then snag their license plate because the company will have a liability policy for those types of accidents occurring. That's a perfectly reasonable response- and it's best not to get super upset over it.

Sand and other small debris though that harmlessly strikes a vehicle, however, is a fact of life.

AORoads

Well, I have to agree that it is a substandard truck if only because I doubt if there's a law or regulation that says it's fine to have a truck leaking its contents past its compartment. Does anyone think that would be ok if it were gasoline or oil, or even an armored car?

As to what to do or who to call, you can tell the police but I seriously doubt that will help. The only advice I can give is, get off the road, or drop way back. Speeding up to pass unless you can get way over will just accelerate (no pun intended) the stuff hitting your car. Shorter duration, but harder hit.

JJC5

That reply is about as worthless as I've seen. "Get over it." LOL!!! He probably drives a truck himself.

Some people, including the one that posted above, are as inconsiderate as the rock that hits your windshield. If I see a a sand or rock hauler, I'll always try to get into the left lane until I pass them. Sometimes though, these guys drive in the number 2 lane so they're right in the middle of the freeway and you have to get next to them in either lane you pass them on. Unfortunately there's really nothing we can do about it. All we can do is be courteous to the next guy and maybe it'll come back our way the next time.

billyboy47

get over it? when debris comes from the truck itself, they're responible. how can you say "get over it?" these truckers are responible for covering their loads in a safe manner to prevent such incidents from happening.

DillingerRadio

Do you have substandard hands then? When you hold a fist full if sand or dirt- does some escape from your grasp? Now imagine holding that same material outside your car while driving at 65mph. Would you feel responsible for your lack of ability to maintain all of it in your possession or would you understand that, inevitably, some will escape your clutches? Now how about the guy driving behind you? Would you be inclined to pay him if he demanded compensation for the fact that your dirt struck his car? Would you think it reasonable that he called the police to report you?

It's an analogy sure, and you're not likely to go driving around with a fist full of dirt any time soon I imagine- but the concept is the same. Your comparison to oil and other fluids is incongruent with the situation. Fluid materials are held within air tight containers, within the safety standards due to whichever particular fluid is being hauled. Solids, on the other hand, are not- because they don't need to be. It would be unreasonable and impractical to haul a solid (even one like sand) within a liquid container.

SSWEET

I just got a nice star shaped chip in the windshield this weekend while driving thru a construction zone...came from a truck in the lane beside me....had it repaired today so it wouldn't get any worse. If you drive these cars things like rock chips are going to happen. I don't really think you can do a whole lot to prevent it short of just leaving it parked in the garage,.

Don-Vette

I don't pass slowly, I put the hammer down! Especially around trucks!

4SUMERZ

This may explain why so many vette owners keep their car garaged and put less than 1000 miles a year on their cars.

Things happen if you travel highways, some that can't be controlled.
That's why comprehensive or glass insurance will cover this type of damage.
On one of my first road trips with the C6, I had a flying rock come from who knows where, hit my windshield and put a big chip in it.
I finished and thoroughly enjoyed my road trip, got the windshield repaired when I got home, 2 weeks later.
I did manage to miss all the road gators though
My insurance covered the repair free of charge, and they didn't ask where I got the chip, or who did it, etc.

Garibaldi

I don't know about other jurisdictions, but in Maine any truck that isn't covered is responsible for any debris coming off on to the road and other vehicles.

Eppieguy

Why did he have a tub in the back of his truck filled with rocks and such?

Nothing you can really do unless you get damage and can prove that the damage came from his truck.

While I agree it sucks and I hate it too but I have to agree with another post, we don't own the road and we don't get to decide who and or what can be on it. I just back off, wait till it's clear and get around him quick.

billyboy47

just sayen, the law does hold those people responsible. and yes! if a truck caused enough damage to warrant the company at fault, i would pull them over. why should we pay the deductible out of our pocket?

billyboy47

unless the idiot is in the middle lane spewing gravel all over the road. the one key component here is the word "consideration" some trukers have it and others could care less. what the hell, its not their car. jmo

JAsVette

Because my Vette is my DD and I drive it about 90 miles m-f and I live in CT (which I assume you live in my area), this happens to me all too frequently so I can relate. Construction vehicles carrying either dirt, gravel or whatever or semis carrying junk cars are all too frequently driving the same route as us and it's all too frequent when one of them drops some of their load. And this may be speculation on my part but I'll venture to say that who ever is driving that truck gets a good laugh knowing they may have put few dings in our prize possessions while they are driving the company vehicle They know that we would never do anything about it. Just like a snowplow driver who shares a chuckle or too with their friends back at the garage about the times they plow a road in front of a driveway that has just been shoveled. I have a different approach however when this happens to me. If you speed up and try to pass them, you still run the risk of getting pelted and worse yet at a higher rate of speed. My suggestion is to either lay back or even pull over if you could to let them get far ahead of you. Chances are they aren't going too far on the highway anyway. It's not worth the grief of having your paint chipped or worse, your windshield cracked.

whit1

Agree 100%, there fully responsible if any load there carrying falls out.


There's ones guys car I would never buy when for sale. From that remark, "get over it" sounds like he doesn't care much about his car.

SmileyOr

I have read that if it falls directly from another vehicle and can be proven with reasonable belief, then the person or company that own's the vehicle is responsible for any damage caused. If it's road debris picked up by tires there's no recourse.

I would wager most small chips "could have been there previously" and would be difficult to prove they were recently caused.

JAsVette

I'm assuming that the many logging trucks that are driven on the thousands of miles of Maine's gravel roads like they were on a race track are exempt from that responsibility! I've never seen a cover on a logging truck and getting hit by a piece of flying bark can do some damage too!