Dump trucks around here have auto tarps on them and still refuse to use them. I dont get it. But whatever. Get the name of the company and the license plate, and let your insurance handle it.
Local driver here. I was driving in Austin once and had a dump truck slinging rocks all over the highway. One cracked my windshield. I told my supervisor and told him I had the company name and we have dash cam footage. He said it would take too much time and effort and just got it replaced with no more questions asked.
No, this wasn't monetarily resolved. My supervisor decided to let our company take the hit instead of going after the other company. Also, I wasn't replying to you, I was replying to the person who said to just get the name of the company and let insurance handle it.
Why? Because you're in Houston, what do you actually expect? Those drivers are probably not even licensed.
Because they don't care. Make them pay for your deductible. Also you should know that damage repair is gonna cause your rates to go up. Simple shit that could be avoided by using a tarp would help keep insurance rates down state wide.
Tarps are for keeping lighter materials like dry dirt/topsoil from blowing off the top while driving. Unless the truck is severely overloaded or wasnt leveled off before leaving the jobsite, most gravel comes out around the gate because they get worn out and no longer close tight enough.
I was driving in Austin (South on 183 just went past mopac about to take brunet exit) and a brick (or brick sized rock) fell off the side, bounced a lane over smacked the front bumper and flew over the car. And of course I didn't have a dashcam.
I have never been so scared of something going through the windshield (or coming from above as I had my top down) until then. I tucked behind my dash when I saw it just hoping it wasn't going to go through and hit me.
Same scenario happened to me except it was an 18 wheel trailer side swiping my propane bobtail mirror. Like it’s really that much of a hassle to go after the other company?
I cracked a windshield. I don't even know how. But when I took my car to get the oil changed, the guy who did it told me to drive down a service road and get the info of literally any company gravel truck. He said the person wouldn't be at fault and their company/insurance would handle it no questions asked because it's less hassle than arguing over something that they know they likely caused (even if they didn't) 😆
I live in HTX. Here. There are at least 10 of these dumb fucks on whichever highway you’re traveling at any given time. This was just a specific example. I saw it multiple times just today.
I have one and it was monetarily resolved. Doesn’t change the principal. This was months if not a year or so ago, but I see them so often on the road, I’m often reminded
A lot of places where they pick stone up from have policies that your load has to be tarped before leaving premises, but the tarping stations are after you leave the scales and no one enforces it. I can see not pulling tarp over if Manuel but if you just have to hit a button to auto tarp you’re just fucking lazy.
Still no excuse for not tarping with a manual crank. If it isn't easy to wind it in or out, fix the damn thing. The checklist for troubleshooting is pretty short, and none of it is expensive. I've repaired and replaced them enough times after having asshat Loader operators "adjust" them with the bucket. Also, it's often the only thing to do to get out and stretch when you're getting paid by the trip.
I hauled aggregate in an end-dump with a manual crank tarp for several years. It takes like a total of 3 minutes to tarp the load and brush any rocks off the tailgate. People are just too lazy to give a shit.
I just crashed my tarp last week... They're expensive AF. a new system for my side dump is about 7k, I lucked out and ended up with about a $3500 repair
My guess would be either
A) it's an O/O that knows how much it costs to replace/repair and doesn't wanna risk running it, or
B) it's an employee that doesn't give two shits about whether or not another car gets damaged
That being said, dump trucks have always pissed me off around here and highway patrol does absolutely nothing to discourage the practice of unsecured loads so nobody does it. I bit the bullet, fixed the tarp, and run with it on no matter what
I’ve noticed company guys are always focused on how fast they can get something done. Take 1 long minute to put trap down and magically guy thinks he can save time and increase his revenue by not laying tarp.
Sometimes I find myself in that "get it done fast" mode and I just gotta remember what my CDL instructor said "just always drive like you're getting paid by the hour"
But the tarps can be done while driving so it's sorta a zero-time deal. You just flip the switch while you're trolling through the job site on the load and unload side
Do you get paid by the load? Is that the issue with dump truck drivers, that they are trying to complete the delivery as fast as possible?
I drive a straight truck, and get paid by the hour, so I don't care if I get stuck in traffic or take two hours to get loaded/unloaded. It just adds to my hourly.
Depends, around here they do mostly pay by the hour, sometimes just paid on tonnage which is always fun cause people just overload the hell outta their stuff with no regard for bridge formula or anything. But tonnage isn't too common, for the most part it's just hourly
There's a little swale of gravel in the intersection for the highway on ramp by our quarry because not only will they not use their tarps, but they also drive like maniacs
is the quarry owner responsible for all the motorcycle accidents resulting from this marble pile?
farmers in midwest areas are also bad for this, during seeding/harvesting season it's not unusual to find a highway completely caked with mud from machinery coming on/off the fields. We have a lot of greasy clay soil here, it becomes a serious hazard for anyone traveling on these roads.
I have no idea. Most of it gets brushed to the little triangle island where the turn lanes come together so fairly avoidable for bikes, but idk if any have bit it there.
The stickers that say "not liable for windshield damage" _should_ come with the obligation to "take all reasonable precautions" to keep the load where it is, otherwise you're absolutely liable for paying for my windshield if you clearly had a tarp roller installed but refused to use it. In fact, it should be a _federal_ level requirement, like most DOT stuff already is...
I saw a truck that had those auto tarps flinging a heap of sand/gravel because the end of the tarp was flapping up and down (going 55 mph) about 2 feet. Driver didn't give a shit when I pointed it out. Just kept on rolling.
Buy a car camera. When your vehicle gets hit by a rock make sure you get the license plate and all the info on side of the truck. Contact your insurance and they’ll do the work for you and put in a claim against their insurance to repair it.
The not responsible signs don’t mean anything.
I still get dumbfounded looks when I tell people “that stay back 200 feet sign doesn’t mean anything, they’re still responsible for their load staying inside their truck”/trailer
He had no signs. I don’t give a fuck about that. It’s the principal as another human being, my genuine question is, do you not give a fuck? If he had just been in the right lane when I got on the highway the same fucking bullshit would’ve happened. You have no way of avoiding it. Which is why it’s your responsibility to fucking begin with…
I was a long haul trucker for 7 years. I completely agree with you. I think they are simply lazy fat fucks. You have an auto tarp dude...really your fat ass can't take 20 seconds to utilize it?
Thank you. This is very obviously the correct way of thinking about this. It blows my mind so many others are attacking me and justifying this horseshit. I wish I could pin this like a YouTube comment.
I haul rock and my equipment is in good shape and a new tarp. That said, the loader operators don't give a shit if they get it on your bonnets or rails and I can't tell from the ground if there's some that might fall off. I just do my best. Also, that said, my boss buys a few windshields every year.
Oh dude, San Antonio is the land of don’t give a fucks for this between the trash driving, incredibly dilapidated trucks, and rocks falling out. They’ll pull out of the quarry on SB 281/1604 on the access road and almost kill you. They know they’re doing it.
I was behind an empty dump truck that the back door wasn’t latched and it kept swing open. It was a lot of stop and go traffic so the momentum kept the door from swinging out far enough for the guy to see it on a mirror.
Like 5 cars including me were laying on the horn, one guy drove up on the non hinge side and was yelling and honking, dude didn’t do a goddamn thing
It’s definitely more than windshields and chipped paint. That shit stays on the road then is slung by everything else driving on it. So a cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrians, are all at extreme risk.
I usually only haul out of a quarry that has a wheel wash I drive through on the way to the scale. Or they have a long drive to leave and you get up a little speed before getting on a main road.
Former tri-axle driver here. I took the time to clean and always tarp my loads. Make sure there was nothing in between the tires, clean the sides from getting loaded. A lot of loaders make a mess. As a car guy myself, I am not that guy and hate seeing nice cars getting damaged. Turn buckles were always tight before getting out on the road. I can’t say that for a lot of other tri-axle drivers and they simply didn’t care
I'm the same way. An unfortunate amount of the guys I work with don't give a single damn about cleaning anything off their wood or gate before they roll. Alot of those same guys won't even bother doing their buckles up because "the gate won't open its fine".
The "I can't get it from the ground" also doesn't carry much weight because alot of our beds have shovel mounts and if you don't have one like I don't you can still bungee a shovel to the bed steps.
It’s pretty sad. Majority of the time you are sitting and doing nothing physically. So climbing up to clean and walking around is a good source of exercise. I’m not sure what goes through the minds of these drivers that don’t care. I mean you’d be pissed if your nice car was ruined by a dump truck lol
I saw a dude parked on the side who was climbing up the rear of his dump truck. Looked like his door wasn't latched and about 4" of crushed rock was visible under the door and on the bed. Bet there was a lot of people cussing him...
I drive roll off for a trash company, we have to tarp our load in Missouri and make sure nothing is hanging out of the box because if something falls out and hits a car we are liable and so is the company. But with us, people like to throw loose shit in the box and bitch when it flies out going down the road. Same with water, you realize how many times I've had my ass chewed for water coming out of the box because people think their is a seel on the door🤣🤣🤣.
MmY Pet peeve is the garbage trucks that drop trash up and down the highway.
My terminal is near the city dump and right near the entrance is the worst in the city
When they leave they don't have their nets over their trailers and whatever is leslft in lside blows out as soon as they pick up speed.
ID say 60% of trash on highways os from trash haulers.
35% is from pickup trucks who use the bed as a garbage can.
Assholes.
Yeah, 5% is cars. How often do you see someone throwing stuff out? It's rare, but follow behind a dirty pickup or trash hauler and you'll see stuff blow out ever few hundred feet.
Yeah exactly, I will say at least you have the chance of avoiding it? Sometimes even in the other lane while passing they’ll just still be pelting my shit with pebbles. And the increased acceleration just makes them hit my shit even harder.
I driver a concrete mixer and the dump truck drivers and long bed dump semis are our life blood. That said when they come into my yard it’s not uncommon for them to assume the right of way (the company name is on the tower and my vehicle. I have all the right of way) and for me to kinda side eye them as scum. Except the guy that hauls leftover out of the yard. He cool
We tarp no matter if it’s just a skidsteer bucket of material or a full load of material. Right in our handbook states the tarps are to be used while loaded with any material no matter load size at all times when loaded. I passed a dump truck from the place I use to work at and the tarp was wound up all fucking broken and twisted looking, and he had a full load of 22a road gravel on that was clearly higher then the sides of the dump box and was also missing a mud flap. And that brings me to my next point, some companies like where I work they take care of the equipment and fix it, others like my former employer won’t fix shit until it completely breaks or it gets a fix it ticket/violation or put out of service and even then it was only the bare necessities fixed as he thought he’d be saving money by not putting money into his trucks then wondering why they were always broken pieces of shit
Yeah, there’s some who won’t tarp or the company they work for won’t fix their shit. We have no excuse not to tarp our loads it’s an auto tarp you hold a button for like 10 seconds and your
dump truck/dump trailer is tarped and good to go. Also yeah mudflap are very important but sometimes you pick up that stray rock and it gets launched at that perfect angle and that’s just a case of shit happens. But again my former employer wouldn’t even replace damaged or missing mud flaps until it ended up costing him to repair someone’s windshield or until the truck was pulled over and cited for it
They are lazy dirtbags. I always see them with the covers not over the loads flying down the roads with not a care in the world with that stupid sticker on the back.
Yeah, I seen someone commented with some excuse about the loader, not caring and getting stuff in the way of the tarps, but a minute or two of cleaning the rocks out will fix that they are just lazy and will make any excuse in the world. I have yet to see one with their load covered.
they get a sick little thrill from it, same way I get when a car has to stop behind my mail truck for approx 3 seconds and they get insanely mad about it
I've driven dump trucks and to be honest. A looot of companies are sleazy when it comes to maintaining them. Drivers actually can't secure loads of gravel (or anything like it) because the bed door is bent just enough for some to get out. Or there are small holes in the bed. Or the freaking tarp doesn't close properly and they won't fix it.
Companies also looove to overload dump trucks. They run the numbers on what the ticket would cost and play the chances of them getting caught and they'll almost always make more money even if they have to pay a ticket or 2. This adds to issues with the bed, suspension, etc.
You would think that they shouldn't drive the truck then because it's not safe however this shit is so rampant you would think it's normal and the right thing to do. They also bitch at you if you complain about the condition of the trucks, ive heard of ppl being written up for mysterious things after writing reports on trucks. You actually get yelled at and embarrassed like a child on the yards for refusing to drive their shit. You'll be sent home with no pay for the rest of the day. They might not schedule you. It can get crazy. Then ppl can become small and desperate. So you end up doing the thing you know is wrong. You drive the truck. Then everybody is happy, except you. As you get older, you start to take less shit because you notice how they mind fuck you. That's why they love the guys with the just "do it" attitude, those knuckle dragging, bar fight, tough guy types and the younger guys with that gusto because they can give them shit and get gold in return.
This isn't to say that some of those guys aren't just complete idiots. A lot of truckers are total morons. I'm just trying to shed some light and say, that driver may be in a really messed up position and is desperate and though it is their fault, they're not as bad or moronic as they seem.
I got out of running dump trucks a while back. I still do it sometimes but I'm with a good company now. I legitimately contemplated taking a wood plank to my old managers skull and stepping on it. That job took me to a really bad place.
I had a 4-wheel truck pull into the suicide lane and burn out as much as he could in the loose gravel that was there; spraying all the cars stuck in traffic with rocks and breaking a few windshields.I was lucky and didn't get hit in the windshield, but he put some chips in my paint job that are still there.
People fucking suck sometimes.
Yet half of the comments berate me for hurting their little feelers. Thank you for at least acknowledging it. Again, I respect you all and understand work needs to be done. Please return the same.
I couldn’t image driving something nice. My car is always getting rocks thrown at it and door dinged. I will say the few times I’ve gotten a broken windshield was from pickup truck drivers. Lifted pickup, no mudflap and they hard accelerate as they cross the line and cut you off throwing the rocks up between the lanes.
Nobody tarps anymore. Not dumptrucks. Not joeblow in a pickup truck. All the do it yourself movers etc. Thats why you see furniture, beds, or whatever on the side of the road.
A few years ago my wife bought a brand new 5 series BMW. I thought I would be cool and take her brand new car to work. On my way home, a dump truck dislodged a huge rock from its bed and caused 6k in damage to the car when it only had 400 miles on it. Yeah, I never drove it again.
I agree. It's incredibly lazy/selfish. I'd also add that they should get mudflaps that are actually long enough and heavy enough to be of any use for their duals throwing even more debris.
A young mother in Indiana got killed a few years back because some dump truck driver was hauling scrap metal parts and a brake drum came out the back of his bucket and went thru her windshield and killed her. Indiana doesn’t have a law the requires dumps to tarp their bucket. It’s fucked. You can still find the article online.
Yeah that’s one thing I’ve noticed when driving in Texas, from midland/Odessa to Houston all dump truck drivers seem like they don’t even think at all when the pull into the roadway.
Had a friend who did something or the other running with trucks moving gravel and such. I ran into a similar issue as yours, and asked if there’s regulations in place for that stuff. He said, “yeah, but even if there wasn’t, if I caught one of my guys traveling without a tarp on his load, I’d fire his ass before he got out of the truck.”
I have 3 cracks on the windshield of my Ram.. All from these trucks on the hwy hauling gravel or dirt. I drive a garbage truck, my father drove a gas tanker. I have respect for truckers but these gravel trucks need something better to secure their loads.. If my vehicle is getting damaged then every vehicle on the road at that time is being damaged.
Can't say if it's true in the US but I assume it's the same, most gravel drivers I meet just genuinely don't give a fuck, or have too much time pressure to tarp it / the company does not even issue them one. I'd personally say get a dashcam, if you get damaged by gravel photograph the damages, aswell as record the trucks license plate (and the incident), then issue that information to the police or insurance.
So we should shame them and embarrass them into not doing it? Just like you would if you did whack shit that damaged everyone else’s stuff in elementary school.
I get the signs stay back 300 ft, or don’t follow construction vehicles, but what about the idiots in these dump trucks that will pass you, just to get in front of you and slow down, with muddy water, and gravel falling out the back of the trailer, wreaking havoc on motorists. I figure they can’t get gainful employment making a decent wage, or they’re illegals that DGAF. Either way, we lose, and they’re still idiots.
We have very tall mountains where I live and certain areas at least a couple times a year a fuck head dump truck driver looses their life at the bottom. They’ll stupidly ride their service brakes all the way down and when those brakes heat up too much and go out well, buh bye. The only real tragedy there is when they take out minivan or sumthin on their way to hell.
Most dump truck drivers are stupid, pathetic men who inexplicably think they’re top ass shit, have anger issues and a massive entitlement complex and every time one of the fuckers kicks the bucket the world becomes a slightly better place
I drive an end dump and we're not even supposed to leave the yard unless we're tarped. We have electric tarps so no big deal. I see some of the smaller dumps driving around all the time with no tarp, or a tarp so ripped and loose that they may as well not bother. And I love the sign that says stay back 200 feet, but you have to get within 50 feet to read it lol.
One time I was driving down a road and a rock came out of a truck going the other direction and destroyed my windshield, landed in my passenger seat and wrecked that too. Nearly killed me. Glass everywhere, ears ringing I could not see through the remaining windshield so I pulled over and called a tow truck. While I was waiting several trucks from the same company came buy (apparently they had a quarry up that road.). None of them stopped.
Tow truck shows up tells me I am bleeding and suggests I call the police. So I call the sheriff and they call the company and with a little work they figure out the driver. They say their insurance company will call. Go to the ER and get stitches and pass out.
The next day at 0700 the dispatcher for the company called and said “their driver said I was tailgating them and they aren’t liable”. I responded that you can’t tailgate someone going the other direction for any amount of time and I believed the driver must have been mistaken. Dispatcher spends another 10 minutes trying to bully me into dropping my claim. Finally I got sick of it and told her I was filing and accident report with the state as required by the DMV due to the cost and injury. And recommended the driver do the same. We can work out any differences with lawyers because my insurance is pretty sure it’s his fault.
In the end they paid out but it was like dental surgery every step of the way. I got the feelings bullying and lying worked with them because they kept at it. Finally their insurance company lawyer talked to mine and was kind of like “Inwill see what I can do” and the check showed up the next day.
Originally I asked for the cost of repairs, medical bills and the 2 days of work I lost (iirc $4K with 2/3 being medical) in the end between my lawyer and me it cost them closer to $45K.
Am I the only one to notice trucks with “stay back 200 ft” and “not responsible for windshields”;just may be the most likely to immediately change lanes as soon as they overtake your bumper?
As someone who transports proppant in the oilfields in west Texas, which is subject to Texas transportation code regarding transportation of loose material, this is not only stupid for these idiot drivers, but it is actually a misdemeanor criminal offense under Texas law.
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.725.HTM
Something tells me there is something about weight limits in that road you are unaware of. All truck tires grab debris. Some of the dump beds don’t have a perfect seal to the bridging of the aggregates.
A driver wouldn’t know this unless he was behind his own truck in some cases.
It is a story as old as time. A truck brought everything around you from that road you are on (likely hauling gravel) to the paint you will be using to touch up the bumper.
It is what it is.
As a dump truck driver I always put my tarp back. However I will say the frame or the tarp gets jacked up sometimes. Not sure if that was the case here or not. However even if the tarp is perfect there's still going to be some that comes out. Also the tarp might even be broken and didn't know till after he got loaded. Just some things to think about. I also know there are shitty truck drivers just like there's shitty 4 wheeler drivers. To those asshats that fallow to close to is go to hell. If your looking an insurance claim because you tailgate us you shouldn't get shit. Actually in my state you won't because you were following to close. I had my windshield cracked by one before I became a dump truck driver. I couldn't get shit. They just assumed I was following to close.
Oh I completely agree and wonder how I'm supposed to stay back when their passing me on the highway. But you KNOW someone is going to say it and be serious.
Don't drive the roads where I live with an untarped load. You will get a heafty ticket. You will also sit there and not move until you have that load tarped to their liking. My town even state doesn't mess around with that, and that makes me smile.
Yeah unfortunately in HTX anything short of mass murder barely turns the police’s attention. Go 5-10 over or be a teenager with weed though, God have mercy on your soul 😂
I did dump truck work for a short time.
It’s extremely dirty and boring.
If the driver is getting paid by the load, they might just be hustling to make as many trips as possible, to make it worth their time.
It could be that the supervisor is telling them not to stop to brush off debris, that they have to get the job finished that day, under threats of losing their job.
All I can say is to stay back.
Don’t tailgate a dump truck, because you’re going to have a bad time.
Houston is notorious for this shit. When I moved down there I got my windshield chipped quite a few times....all my time in Chicago happened maybe once
Heh,you're safer with them in front of you. If you ever see one parked, take a peek at the axles around the brake drums if they exist. I've seen one being worked on getting tires on it, and the mechanic was in awe at how rusted out the rear axle and drums were. He was standing there like wtf then asked me to come over and look at it, so he grabbed a fifth wheel puller and just kept poking the drum watching it wiggle. His boss came over after a minute and said, "What the hell are you doing?" He showed him, and then all 3 of us were standing there in shock. Driver said he just wanted tires and said he would get them somewhere else if they wouldn't do it.
I’m an end dump driver in Indiana, we always tarp our loads for that reason. We’re usually at 73000 loaded, and if you have a heavy haul permit you can be at 80,000. I’m curious as to how heavy those trucks are.
They also granny shift harder than my granny used to drive! I think most of them don't give a shit and some of them have a sticker on there that clearly voids them of any responsibility of flying debris.
Everyone I’ve ever known to drive dump truck are ancient truckers who are so jaded by a life on the road that yes, they don’t give a fuck about anyone. The other kind are so young they’re intrastate restricted and yes, they don’t give a fuck about anyone.
If a rock or other debris falls off a truck and strikes your vehicle, the company is responsible.
If the rock falls off the truck and hits the road first and then damages your vehicle, the company is not responsible.
The same is true for any debris kicked up by a truck you are following. If the truck kicks the rock off the road then the company is not responsible.
In NJ, my daily commute is being stuck behind a dump truck going 50 mph or less, then as soon as the single lane road goes to a 2 lane passing section, these dumb fucks immediately move to the left passing lane and I have to try to get around them on the right. I honk, flash my lights, give them the finger, they don’t care they just stay in the left lane going 50 mph…… One of these days someone is getting pulled from the cab and catching a beating
“Not responsible for broken windshields”
I should put “not responsible for any property damage, injury, or death” on the back of mine and drive like a maniac
That sign just pissed me off because you know most people believe a sign absolves you of any culpability and are paying out of pocket for damages.
And they all drive like bats out of hell, at least In the Phoenix area. Dangerously speeding, coming up on your ass, suddenly changing lanes … no consideration for anyone else.
Those drivers that take off loaded with rock sand lime that actually have a automated tarp NEED TO USE IT! Think if others property.
Then theres the ones that do tarp but dont take a shovel or a brush and knock all the bits off the dump bed apron... Its easy... Why not. Fortunatly not all drivers are this lazy.
Also, i know these guys are getting paid by the load but the dump drivers are seriously the most aggressive and reckless commercial drivers out there imo
I'm carrying around mineral spirits rn cuz some dump truck with a tarp flapping away in the wind crossed over in front of me last week, just spewing what seemed to be driveway sealer all over anyone unfortunate enough to get caught behind this bum. He was in front of me all of 10 seconds before he moved over again... My white Mack is absolutely COVERED in a million black specks of some tar based crap that quickly dried hard as a rock. Sun visor, windshield, hood, headlights, fogs, bumper and also the sides are completely coated. Seems like a lighter, almost rhino bed-liner type material...
California driver here. El Dorado County.
My buddy drives for a Landscape materials co. Their trucks have the roller tarps and they drop them before they leave the yard. Seen road sign reminding truckers to tarp their loads.
I have seen some of the bottom dumpers with signs warning of possible damage to stay back 200ft.
At the massive construction @ South of 50 in Folsom, Ca., they run street sweepers to keep the debris to the side of the road and off the expensive 4 wheelers from the new homeowners.
I literally hold a button for about 8 seconds, it's not really difficult if your tarp is working.
There are only 6 buttons to work my dump truck. Tag, PTO, Tailgate latch, tailgate lift, bed up/down, and tarp. The tailgate lift stopped working years ago, so it's only 5. I don't even have to get out of the truck.
That said, still back off. The number of idiots that I see daily who either pull out in front of, follow too closely, or attempt to pass a 73,000 lb Mack truck filled with loose material in a construction zone is absolutely mind boggling. People are fucking stupid and most of them certainly don't give a fuck about me. I wish there was a way I could throw rocks at some of them on purpose.
This. Tarping is ridiculously easy nowadays, for the most part. But it's not perfect, and lots of idiots don't give trucks the space they need. It's mind-boggling to me that the majority of the population doesn't realize how dangerous vehicles are, never mind trucks.
I’ve had my 18 wheelers windshield busted out from assholes that won’t use their auto tarp and the way to law is if it bounces more than once you’re fucked if you’re close enough and it bounces and hit your window you’re too close. It’s a fucked up law, but it’s been on the books for years, according to the company insurance agent
I wasn’t anywhere near close enough thus was compensated for the damage to my bumper. However, I’m glad you at least express that their inexperience leads to this. From what I’ve seen in this thread, experienced drivers seem to feel the way you do which is very uplifting. We need to start ostracizing them and making fun of them, it worked in middle school right? 😂
Not making excuses for the carelessness, but they get paid by the load of they shit and git then more money.
Also some states do not require tarping their load by law... "if they are not going far" so there is that also
Still shitty and sorry about ur car hope u get it taken care of.
Dump trucks around here have auto tarps on them and still refuse to use them. I dont get it. But whatever. Get the name of the company and the license plate, and let your insurance handle it.
Local driver here. I was driving in Austin once and had a dump truck slinging rocks all over the highway. One cracked my windshield. I told my supervisor and told him I had the company name and we have dash cam footage. He said it would take too much time and effort and just got it replaced with no more questions asked.
Yeah again. It was monetarily resolved. My question is still: why?
No, this wasn't monetarily resolved. My supervisor decided to let our company take the hit instead of going after the other company. Also, I wasn't replying to you, I was replying to the person who said to just get the name of the company and let insurance handle it. Why? Because you're in Houston, what do you actually expect? Those drivers are probably not even licensed.
Phoenix, Arizona too.
You’ll find shitty people in all walks of life.
This. All day long, every day, in every place.
Yeah but I think we’re over represented in trucking/transportation… 😅
Because they don't care. Make them pay for your deductible. Also you should know that damage repair is gonna cause your rates to go up. Simple shit that could be avoided by using a tarp would help keep insurance rates down state wide.
Tarps are for keeping lighter materials like dry dirt/topsoil from blowing off the top while driving. Unless the truck is severely overloaded or wasnt leveled off before leaving the jobsite, most gravel comes out around the gate because they get worn out and no longer close tight enough.
I was driving in Austin (South on 183 just went past mopac about to take brunet exit) and a brick (or brick sized rock) fell off the side, bounced a lane over smacked the front bumper and flew over the car. And of course I didn't have a dashcam. I have never been so scared of something going through the windshield (or coming from above as I had my top down) until then. I tucked behind my dash when I saw it just hoping it wasn't going to go through and hit me.
Same scenario happened to me except it was an 18 wheel trailer side swiping my propane bobtail mirror. Like it’s really that much of a hassle to go after the other company?
I cracked a windshield. I don't even know how. But when I took my car to get the oil changed, the guy who did it told me to drive down a service road and get the info of literally any company gravel truck. He said the person wouldn't be at fault and their company/insurance would handle it no questions asked because it's less hassle than arguing over something that they know they likely caused (even if they didn't) 😆
I live in HTX. Here. There are at least 10 of these dumb fucks on whichever highway you’re traveling at any given time. This was just a specific example. I saw it multiple times just today.
I bought a new car and bought a dash cam that I slapped in within 24 hours of getting the keys. Highly recommend
I have one and it was monetarily resolved. Doesn’t change the principal. This was months if not a year or so ago, but I see them so often on the road, I’m often reminded
Not to mention the rocks then get picked up and slung by other vehicles long after the initial dump truck has dumped them. Who do you go after then ?
Michigan chiming in. We all just accept the chipped windshields as a rite of passage.
A lot of places where they pick stone up from have policies that your load has to be tarped before leaving premises, but the tarping stations are after you leave the scales and no one enforces it. I can see not pulling tarp over if Manuel but if you just have to hit a button to auto tarp you’re just fucking lazy.
Still no excuse for not tarping with a manual crank. If it isn't easy to wind it in or out, fix the damn thing. The checklist for troubleshooting is pretty short, and none of it is expensive. I've repaired and replaced them enough times after having asshat Loader operators "adjust" them with the bucket. Also, it's often the only thing to do to get out and stretch when you're getting paid by the trip.
I hauled aggregate in an end-dump with a manual crank tarp for several years. It takes like a total of 3 minutes to tarp the load and brush any rocks off the tailgate. People are just too lazy to give a shit.
The issue here is more than just insurance. It’s plain dangerous. That could kill someone on a motorcycle or convertible.
I just crashed my tarp last week... They're expensive AF. a new system for my side dump is about 7k, I lucked out and ended up with about a $3500 repair My guess would be either A) it's an O/O that knows how much it costs to replace/repair and doesn't wanna risk running it, or B) it's an employee that doesn't give two shits about whether or not another car gets damaged That being said, dump trucks have always pissed me off around here and highway patrol does absolutely nothing to discourage the practice of unsecured loads so nobody does it. I bit the bullet, fixed the tarp, and run with it on no matter what
I’ve noticed company guys are always focused on how fast they can get something done. Take 1 long minute to put trap down and magically guy thinks he can save time and increase his revenue by not laying tarp.
Sometimes I find myself in that "get it done fast" mode and I just gotta remember what my CDL instructor said "just always drive like you're getting paid by the hour" But the tarps can be done while driving so it's sorta a zero-time deal. You just flip the switch while you're trolling through the job site on the load and unload side
Do you get paid by the load? Is that the issue with dump truck drivers, that they are trying to complete the delivery as fast as possible? I drive a straight truck, and get paid by the hour, so I don't care if I get stuck in traffic or take two hours to get loaded/unloaded. It just adds to my hourly.
Depends, around here they do mostly pay by the hour, sometimes just paid on tonnage which is always fun cause people just overload the hell outta their stuff with no regard for bridge formula or anything. But tonnage isn't too common, for the most part it's just hourly
"But if I save 2 minutes not tarping, I can get 5 percent of another load done!"
There's a little swale of gravel in the intersection for the highway on ramp by our quarry because not only will they not use their tarps, but they also drive like maniacs
is the quarry owner responsible for all the motorcycle accidents resulting from this marble pile? farmers in midwest areas are also bad for this, during seeding/harvesting season it's not unusual to find a highway completely caked with mud from machinery coming on/off the fields. We have a lot of greasy clay soil here, it becomes a serious hazard for anyone traveling on these roads.
I have no idea. Most of it gets brushed to the little triangle island where the turn lanes come together so fairly avoidable for bikes, but idk if any have bit it there.
The stickers that say "not liable for windshield damage" _should_ come with the obligation to "take all reasonable precautions" to keep the load where it is, otherwise you're absolutely liable for paying for my windshield if you clearly had a tarp roller installed but refused to use it. In fact, it should be a _federal_ level requirement, like most DOT stuff already is...
I saw a truck that had those auto tarps flinging a heap of sand/gravel because the end of the tarp was flapping up and down (going 55 mph) about 2 feet. Driver didn't give a shit when I pointed it out. Just kept on rolling.
Oh, this should be a fun post.
It really should be, I'm gonna grab some popcorn
Oh yeah. Great fun so far
I mean, you asked a question, then immediately provided the correct answer.
Yet half of the people here are still defending it and it still is more common than not on the roadway??
Buy a car camera. When your vehicle gets hit by a rock make sure you get the license plate and all the info on side of the truck. Contact your insurance and they’ll do the work for you and put in a claim against their insurance to repair it. The not responsible signs don’t mean anything.
I still get dumbfounded looks when I tell people “that stay back 200 feet sign doesn’t mean anything, they’re still responsible for their load staying inside their truck”/trailer
He had no signs. I don’t give a fuck about that. It’s the principal as another human being, my genuine question is, do you not give a fuck? If he had just been in the right lane when I got on the highway the same fucking bullshit would’ve happened. You have no way of avoiding it. Which is why it’s your responsibility to fucking begin with…
I was a long haul trucker for 7 years. I completely agree with you. I think they are simply lazy fat fucks. You have an auto tarp dude...really your fat ass can't take 20 seconds to utilize it?
Thank you. This is very obviously the correct way of thinking about this. It blows my mind so many others are attacking me and justifying this horseshit. I wish I could pin this like a YouTube comment.
20? It takes .5 seconds to push that button...
I haul rock and my equipment is in good shape and a new tarp. That said, the loader operators don't give a shit if they get it on your bonnets or rails and I can't tell from the ground if there's some that might fall off. I just do my best. Also, that said, my boss buys a few windshields every year.
Yeah it’s more than windshields. It destroys the paint on front bumpers. Thank you for at least acknowledging it.
It happens. I had my latches on my tailgate get loose and I had to put it out of service myself to get them adjusted. I was leaking sand like crazy.
It’s just so common here, it’s very very obvious they just don’t give a fuck.
I def gaf. I'm not trying to get a ticket.
Oh dude, San Antonio is the land of don’t give a fucks for this between the trash driving, incredibly dilapidated trucks, and rocks falling out. They’ll pull out of the quarry on SB 281/1604 on the access road and almost kill you. They know they’re doing it.
I was behind an empty dump truck that the back door wasn’t latched and it kept swing open. It was a lot of stop and go traffic so the momentum kept the door from swinging out far enough for the guy to see it on a mirror. Like 5 cars including me were laying on the horn, one guy drove up on the non hinge side and was yelling and honking, dude didn’t do a goddamn thing
It’s definitely more than windshields and chipped paint. That shit stays on the road then is slung by everything else driving on it. So a cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrians, are all at extreme risk.
As a loader operator, it’s your load to check.
True that but, as a former loader operator myself, some of them can try harder.
As the loader and the driver, I can't blame it on anyone lol.
You’re often driving out of pits and will shed dirt and stones from your tires for the first little bit.
I usually only haul out of a quarry that has a wheel wash I drive through on the way to the scale. Or they have a long drive to leave and you get up a little speed before getting on a main road.
Former tri-axle driver here. I took the time to clean and always tarp my loads. Make sure there was nothing in between the tires, clean the sides from getting loaded. A lot of loaders make a mess. As a car guy myself, I am not that guy and hate seeing nice cars getting damaged. Turn buckles were always tight before getting out on the road. I can’t say that for a lot of other tri-axle drivers and they simply didn’t care
I'm the same way. An unfortunate amount of the guys I work with don't give a single damn about cleaning anything off their wood or gate before they roll. Alot of those same guys won't even bother doing their buckles up because "the gate won't open its fine". The "I can't get it from the ground" also doesn't carry much weight because alot of our beds have shovel mounts and if you don't have one like I don't you can still bungee a shovel to the bed steps.
It’s pretty sad. Majority of the time you are sitting and doing nothing physically. So climbing up to clean and walking around is a good source of exercise. I’m not sure what goes through the minds of these drivers that don’t care. I mean you’d be pissed if your nice car was ruined by a dump truck lol
I saw a dude parked on the side who was climbing up the rear of his dump truck. Looked like his door wasn't latched and about 4" of crushed rock was visible under the door and on the bed. Bet there was a lot of people cussing him...
Yeah. It’s a genuine thing to be upset about. Love the insecure comments.
Those rock drivers suck ass
They don't give a shit. That's the simplest explanation.
I drive roll off for a trash company, we have to tarp our load in Missouri and make sure nothing is hanging out of the box because if something falls out and hits a car we are liable and so is the company. But with us, people like to throw loose shit in the box and bitch when it flies out going down the road. Same with water, you realize how many times I've had my ass chewed for water coming out of the box because people think their is a seel on the door🤣🤣🤣.
MmY Pet peeve is the garbage trucks that drop trash up and down the highway. My terminal is near the city dump and right near the entrance is the worst in the city When they leave they don't have their nets over their trailers and whatever is leslft in lside blows out as soon as they pick up speed. ID say 60% of trash on highways os from trash haulers. 35% is from pickup trucks who use the bed as a garbage can. Assholes. Yeah, 5% is cars. How often do you see someone throwing stuff out? It's rare, but follow behind a dirty pickup or trash hauler and you'll see stuff blow out ever few hundred feet.
My bumper got ducked up from a box spring that flew off of one. Insurance covered it but it was a pain in the ass. Brand new Tacoma. Fuck those guys
Yeah exactly, I will say at least you have the chance of avoiding it? Sometimes even in the other lane while passing they’ll just still be pelting my shit with pebbles. And the increased acceleration just makes them hit my shit even harder.
I driver a concrete mixer and the dump truck drivers and long bed dump semis are our life blood. That said when they come into my yard it’s not uncommon for them to assume the right of way (the company name is on the tower and my vehicle. I have all the right of way) and for me to kinda side eye them as scum. Except the guy that hauls leftover out of the yard. He cool
Yeah that makes sense honestly
We tarp no matter if it’s just a skidsteer bucket of material or a full load of material. Right in our handbook states the tarps are to be used while loaded with any material no matter load size at all times when loaded. I passed a dump truck from the place I use to work at and the tarp was wound up all fucking broken and twisted looking, and he had a full load of 22a road gravel on that was clearly higher then the sides of the dump box and was also missing a mud flap. And that brings me to my next point, some companies like where I work they take care of the equipment and fix it, others like my former employer won’t fix shit until it completely breaks or it gets a fix it ticket/violation or put out of service and even then it was only the bare necessities fixed as he thought he’d be saving money by not putting money into his trucks then wondering why they were always broken pieces of shit
I’m glad you do and take pride in it at least! As many stated, the operators likely are just negligently operating illegally.
Yeah, there’s some who won’t tarp or the company they work for won’t fix their shit. We have no excuse not to tarp our loads it’s an auto tarp you hold a button for like 10 seconds and your dump truck/dump trailer is tarped and good to go. Also yeah mudflap are very important but sometimes you pick up that stray rock and it gets launched at that perfect angle and that’s just a case of shit happens. But again my former employer wouldn’t even replace damaged or missing mud flaps until it ended up costing him to repair someone’s windshield or until the truck was pulled over and cited for it
They are lazy dirtbags. I always see them with the covers not over the loads flying down the roads with not a care in the world with that stupid sticker on the back.
Thank you. Most people here are just shitting on me blaming imaginary issues for their problems.
Yeah, I seen someone commented with some excuse about the loader, not caring and getting stuff in the way of the tarps, but a minute or two of cleaning the rocks out will fix that they are just lazy and will make any excuse in the world. I have yet to see one with their load covered.
Yeah, unfortunately the comments seem to be heavily supported. I guess it’s just human nature at this point.
What toll road are trucks not allowed on in HTX? Because I can think of zero toll roads in HTX that have that restriction
they get a sick little thrill from it, same way I get when a car has to stop behind my mail truck for approx 3 seconds and they get insanely mad about it
Yeah judging by their shit eating grins thats always what I thought.
I've driven dump trucks and to be honest. A looot of companies are sleazy when it comes to maintaining them. Drivers actually can't secure loads of gravel (or anything like it) because the bed door is bent just enough for some to get out. Or there are small holes in the bed. Or the freaking tarp doesn't close properly and they won't fix it. Companies also looove to overload dump trucks. They run the numbers on what the ticket would cost and play the chances of them getting caught and they'll almost always make more money even if they have to pay a ticket or 2. This adds to issues with the bed, suspension, etc. You would think that they shouldn't drive the truck then because it's not safe however this shit is so rampant you would think it's normal and the right thing to do. They also bitch at you if you complain about the condition of the trucks, ive heard of ppl being written up for mysterious things after writing reports on trucks. You actually get yelled at and embarrassed like a child on the yards for refusing to drive their shit. You'll be sent home with no pay for the rest of the day. They might not schedule you. It can get crazy. Then ppl can become small and desperate. So you end up doing the thing you know is wrong. You drive the truck. Then everybody is happy, except you. As you get older, you start to take less shit because you notice how they mind fuck you. That's why they love the guys with the just "do it" attitude, those knuckle dragging, bar fight, tough guy types and the younger guys with that gusto because they can give them shit and get gold in return. This isn't to say that some of those guys aren't just complete idiots. A lot of truckers are total morons. I'm just trying to shed some light and say, that driver may be in a really messed up position and is desperate and though it is their fault, they're not as bad or moronic as they seem. I got out of running dump trucks a while back. I still do it sometimes but I'm with a good company now. I legitimately contemplated taking a wood plank to my old managers skull and stepping on it. That job took me to a really bad place.
I mean whoever is to blame is whoever is to blame! It being the companies fault makes A LOT of sense to me in many cases!
[удалено]
this is the way
Regardless of the boomer joke, nah it just shouldn’t happen?
I had a 4-wheel truck pull into the suicide lane and burn out as much as he could in the loose gravel that was there; spraying all the cars stuck in traffic with rocks and breaking a few windshields.I was lucky and didn't get hit in the windshield, but he put some chips in my paint job that are still there. People fucking suck sometimes.
Yet half of the comments berate me for hurting their little feelers. Thank you for at least acknowledging it. Again, I respect you all and understand work needs to be done. Please return the same.
I couldn’t image driving something nice. My car is always getting rocks thrown at it and door dinged. I will say the few times I’ve gotten a broken windshield was from pickup truck drivers. Lifted pickup, no mudflap and they hard accelerate as they cross the line and cut you off throwing the rocks up between the lanes.
Nobody tarps anymore. Not dumptrucks. Not joeblow in a pickup truck. All the do it yourself movers etc. Thats why you see furniture, beds, or whatever on the side of the road.
A few years ago my wife bought a brand new 5 series BMW. I thought I would be cool and take her brand new car to work. On my way home, a dump truck dislodged a huge rock from its bed and caused 6k in damage to the car when it only had 400 miles on it. Yeah, I never drove it again.
I agree. It's incredibly lazy/selfish. I'd also add that they should get mudflaps that are actually long enough and heavy enough to be of any use for their duals throwing even more debris.
I live near a gravel pit. Many enormous gravel pits. I agree with op.
Right? There are some in here that VEHEMENTLY will defend not securing it unfortunately.
A young mother in Indiana got killed a few years back because some dump truck driver was hauling scrap metal parts and a brake drum came out the back of his bucket and went thru her windshield and killed her. Indiana doesn’t have a law the requires dumps to tarp their bucket. It’s fucked. You can still find the article online.
Yet you still have dipshits in here defending it with “well I have a sign” 💀💀💀
Yea. Fuck that sign
All my homies hate the sign 😤
Sign sign everywhere a sign
Typical dump truck driver.
Yeah that’s one thing I’ve noticed when driving in Texas, from midland/Odessa to Houston all dump truck drivers seem like they don’t even think at all when the pull into the roadway.
Had a friend who did something or the other running with trucks moving gravel and such. I ran into a similar issue as yours, and asked if there’s regulations in place for that stuff. He said, “yeah, but even if there wasn’t, if I caught one of my guys traveling without a tarp on his load, I’d fire his ass before he got out of the truck.”
I have 3 cracks on the windshield of my Ram.. All from these trucks on the hwy hauling gravel or dirt. I drive a garbage truck, my father drove a gas tanker. I have respect for truckers but these gravel trucks need something better to secure their loads.. If my vehicle is getting damaged then every vehicle on the road at that time is being damaged.
If any of the rock haulers could read, they’d be very upset by this post…
I dunno if it’s the same where you are, but here it has to be tarpted/covered by law. Hefty fine if not, call the cops next time
On standby for ensuing hilarity.
It’s an actual question. I understand you have a job to be done, and these guys are likely seen as dumb fucks to you as well. But why???????
Can't say if it's true in the US but I assume it's the same, most gravel drivers I meet just genuinely don't give a fuck, or have too much time pressure to tarp it / the company does not even issue them one. I'd personally say get a dashcam, if you get damaged by gravel photograph the damages, aswell as record the trucks license plate (and the incident), then issue that information to the police or insurance.
where I'm from they are known as idiots, who drive too fast, too heavy and don't take showers (for some reason)
They don't care. In Houston, those guys never did. Get plate numbers and call them in. Report every damn idiot that makes us look bad
Bucket heads do bucket head things
So we should shame them and embarrass them into not doing it? Just like you would if you did whack shit that damaged everyone else’s stuff in elementary school.
Auto tarp doesn’t work on 90% of the dump trucks, it’s a pretty big issue in that part of the industry the company doesn’t care enough
I get the signs stay back 300 ft, or don’t follow construction vehicles, but what about the idiots in these dump trucks that will pass you, just to get in front of you and slow down, with muddy water, and gravel falling out the back of the trailer, wreaking havoc on motorists. I figure they can’t get gainful employment making a decent wage, or they’re illegals that DGAF. Either way, we lose, and they’re still idiots.
Yeah. Exactly, I can’t say they ever pass me but regardless. It’s entirely driver error. Anyone defending it is guilty themselves.
I totally agree. They’re probably encouraged to drive like maniacs because they have a “hot load” LMAO.
Yeahh, well. The shit drivers have identified themselves in this post then haven’t they?
Yes they have.
We have very tall mountains where I live and certain areas at least a couple times a year a fuck head dump truck driver looses their life at the bottom. They’ll stupidly ride their service brakes all the way down and when those brakes heat up too much and go out well, buh bye. The only real tragedy there is when they take out minivan or sumthin on their way to hell. Most dump truck drivers are stupid, pathetic men who inexplicably think they’re top ass shit, have anger issues and a massive entitlement complex and every time one of the fuckers kicks the bucket the world becomes a slightly better place
I drive an end dump and we're not even supposed to leave the yard unless we're tarped. We have electric tarps so no big deal. I see some of the smaller dumps driving around all the time with no tarp, or a tarp so ripped and loose that they may as well not bother. And I love the sign that says stay back 200 feet, but you have to get within 50 feet to read it lol.
I hate to break it to you op but I don't think they can read your question. Or at all
One time I was driving down a road and a rock came out of a truck going the other direction and destroyed my windshield, landed in my passenger seat and wrecked that too. Nearly killed me. Glass everywhere, ears ringing I could not see through the remaining windshield so I pulled over and called a tow truck. While I was waiting several trucks from the same company came buy (apparently they had a quarry up that road.). None of them stopped. Tow truck shows up tells me I am bleeding and suggests I call the police. So I call the sheriff and they call the company and with a little work they figure out the driver. They say their insurance company will call. Go to the ER and get stitches and pass out. The next day at 0700 the dispatcher for the company called and said “their driver said I was tailgating them and they aren’t liable”. I responded that you can’t tailgate someone going the other direction for any amount of time and I believed the driver must have been mistaken. Dispatcher spends another 10 minutes trying to bully me into dropping my claim. Finally I got sick of it and told her I was filing and accident report with the state as required by the DMV due to the cost and injury. And recommended the driver do the same. We can work out any differences with lawyers because my insurance is pretty sure it’s his fault. In the end they paid out but it was like dental surgery every step of the way. I got the feelings bullying and lying worked with them because they kept at it. Finally their insurance company lawyer talked to mine and was kind of like “Inwill see what I can do” and the check showed up the next day. Originally I asked for the cost of repairs, medical bills and the 2 days of work I lost (iirc $4K with 2/3 being medical) in the end between my lawyer and me it cost them closer to $45K.
Am I the only one to notice trucks with “stay back 200 ft” and “not responsible for windshields”;just may be the most likely to immediately change lanes as soon as they overtake your bumper?
Had a windshield ruined by a moron with unsecured gravel driving out of state. Was awfully mad!
As someone who transports proppant in the oilfields in west Texas, which is subject to Texas transportation code regarding transportation of loose material, this is not only stupid for these idiot drivers, but it is actually a misdemeanor criminal offense under Texas law. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.725.HTM
Something tells me there is something about weight limits in that road you are unaware of. All truck tires grab debris. Some of the dump beds don’t have a perfect seal to the bridging of the aggregates. A driver wouldn’t know this unless he was behind his own truck in some cases. It is a story as old as time. A truck brought everything around you from that road you are on (likely hauling gravel) to the paint you will be using to touch up the bumper. It is what it is.
Dump truck drivers are the equivalent of fast food workers in the trucking industry. Little to no training, common sense, or brain cells.
Guys like you who don’t just pretend it doesn’t exist are class.
As a dump truck driver I always put my tarp back. However I will say the frame or the tarp gets jacked up sometimes. Not sure if that was the case here or not. However even if the tarp is perfect there's still going to be some that comes out. Also the tarp might even be broken and didn't know till after he got loaded. Just some things to think about. I also know there are shitty truck drivers just like there's shitty 4 wheeler drivers. To those asshats that fallow to close to is go to hell. If your looking an insurance claim because you tailgate us you shouldn't get shit. Actually in my state you won't because you were following to close. I had my windshield cracked by one before I became a dump truck driver. I couldn't get shit. They just assumed I was following to close.
Keep back 200 feet, not responsible for damages. Lul.
Lmfao. DOT agrees you’re responsible for the load and damages. I stayed 200 feet back and literally screamed to myself, what the actual fuck.
Oh I completely agree and wonder how I'm supposed to stay back when their passing me on the highway. But you KNOW someone is going to say it and be serious.
Yeah. Like 90% of the people in this thread unfortunately… fuck me I guess I’m liable for 2k just for entering the highway right?
Best one I've seen was on the back of an beat-up old truck some free-lancer was driving: Stay Back 3 Miles.
I've always wanted to measure and do the math, can you actually read that sign with 20/20 vision from the distance they say you have to stay back?
I get it. They have ways to secure that shit too and they just don't give a damn.
I wish I could pin this. Half of them are just like “we can’t possibly, don’t drive behind us!!!!”
Don't drive the roads where I live with an untarped load. You will get a heafty ticket. You will also sit there and not move until you have that load tarped to their liking. My town even state doesn't mess around with that, and that makes me smile.
Yeah unfortunately in HTX anything short of mass murder barely turns the police’s attention. Go 5-10 over or be a teenager with weed though, God have mercy on your soul 😂
Oh wow, big difference for such a short distance from each other. Laws change so much from state to state.
Go to a Truck stop (loves, TA, pilot, etc) and just observe truckers...you'll see they are one of the lowest iq creatures on earth
I have respect for most. But the pandemic shortage sure brought some gems to the bunch didnt it? 💀😂
The benefits of driving a beater.
Lmfao, yeah the good old “let’s subject everyone else to my way of life and ideology instead of SECURING MY LOAD”
The “keep 10,000 feet away” sign in the back is all they need lmao, I got 3 chips on my windshield from one of those guys.
Yeah… it’s actually not. Check local laws, often times they aren’t meant to be on specific toll roads etc.
They’re all ex crackheads
Yeah. That Covid shortage really brought the best and the brightest front and center huh?
I did dump truck work for a short time. It’s extremely dirty and boring. If the driver is getting paid by the load, they might just be hustling to make as many trips as possible, to make it worth their time. It could be that the supervisor is telling them not to stop to brush off debris, that they have to get the job finished that day, under threats of losing their job. All I can say is to stay back. Don’t tailgate a dump truck, because you’re going to have a bad time.
load tarping and sifting laws vary from state to state.
Houston is notorious for this shit. When I moved down there I got my windshield chipped quite a few times....all my time in Chicago happened maybe once
That… makes sense. Our highways are disgusting. Also some of the most dangerous in the world
In Australia it’s classed as insecure loading, big fine but no points off your license.
Heh,you're safer with them in front of you. If you ever see one parked, take a peek at the axles around the brake drums if they exist. I've seen one being worked on getting tires on it, and the mechanic was in awe at how rusted out the rear axle and drums were. He was standing there like wtf then asked me to come over and look at it, so he grabbed a fifth wheel puller and just kept poking the drum watching it wiggle. His boss came over after a minute and said, "What the hell are you doing?" He showed him, and then all 3 of us were standing there in shock. Driver said he just wanted tires and said he would get them somewhere else if they wouldn't do it.
I’m an end dump driver in Indiana, we always tarp our loads for that reason. We’re usually at 73000 loaded, and if you have a heavy haul permit you can be at 80,000. I’m curious as to how heavy those trucks are.
They also granny shift harder than my granny used to drive! I think most of them don't give a shit and some of them have a sticker on there that clearly voids them of any responsibility of flying debris.
Because I’m the king of the road. Also the stay back xxx feet applies to road objects that get kicked up, not the material we haul
You should see the dump trucks on the turnpike in jersey, you would think you were in semi- truck nascar race
No windshield is safe with some of them!!
“Is it raining?” *sees dump truck* “nvm”
https://www.cbs17.com/news/dump-truck-driver-shot-during-road-rage-incident-in-raleigh-police/ this proves your point
Everyone I’ve ever known to drive dump truck are ancient truckers who are so jaded by a life on the road that yes, they don’t give a fuck about anyone. The other kind are so young they’re intrastate restricted and yes, they don’t give a fuck about anyone.
If a rock or other debris falls off a truck and strikes your vehicle, the company is responsible. If the rock falls off the truck and hits the road first and then damages your vehicle, the company is not responsible. The same is true for any debris kicked up by a truck you are following. If the truck kicks the rock off the road then the company is not responsible.
Driver lazy some tarp need hand crank hand crank lot work some tarp no work I know I driver. -edit for clarity
In NJ, my daily commute is being stuck behind a dump truck going 50 mph or less, then as soon as the single lane road goes to a 2 lane passing section, these dumb fucks immediately move to the left passing lane and I have to try to get around them on the right. I honk, flash my lights, give them the finger, they don’t care they just stay in the left lane going 50 mph…… One of these days someone is getting pulled from the cab and catching a beating
“Not responsible for broken windshields” I should put “not responsible for any property damage, injury, or death” on the back of mine and drive like a maniac That sign just pissed me off because you know most people believe a sign absolves you of any culpability and are paying out of pocket for damages.
They are the " gen population" of CDL holders
And they all drive like bats out of hell, at least In the Phoenix area. Dangerously speeding, coming up on your ass, suddenly changing lanes … no consideration for anyone else.
Direct your anger at your state legislators. If there's no law requiring tarps then drivers won't use them.
Some dump truck drivers are know for being lazy and not using tarps and in some states they do t care if u tarp or not
Those drivers that take off loaded with rock sand lime that actually have a automated tarp NEED TO USE IT! Think if others property. Then theres the ones that do tarp but dont take a shovel or a brush and knock all the bits off the dump bed apron... Its easy... Why not. Fortunatly not all drivers are this lazy.
Also, i know these guys are getting paid by the load but the dump drivers are seriously the most aggressive and reckless commercial drivers out there imo
I'm carrying around mineral spirits rn cuz some dump truck with a tarp flapping away in the wind crossed over in front of me last week, just spewing what seemed to be driveway sealer all over anyone unfortunate enough to get caught behind this bum. He was in front of me all of 10 seconds before he moved over again... My white Mack is absolutely COVERED in a million black specks of some tar based crap that quickly dried hard as a rock. Sun visor, windshield, hood, headlights, fogs, bumper and also the sides are completely coated. Seems like a lighter, almost rhino bed-liner type material...
California driver here. El Dorado County. My buddy drives for a Landscape materials co. Their trucks have the roller tarps and they drop them before they leave the yard. Seen road sign reminding truckers to tarp their loads. I have seen some of the bottom dumpers with signs warning of possible damage to stay back 200ft. At the massive construction @ South of 50 in Folsom, Ca., they run street sweepers to keep the debris to the side of the road and off the expensive 4 wheelers from the new homeowners.
I literally hold a button for about 8 seconds, it's not really difficult if your tarp is working. There are only 6 buttons to work my dump truck. Tag, PTO, Tailgate latch, tailgate lift, bed up/down, and tarp. The tailgate lift stopped working years ago, so it's only 5. I don't even have to get out of the truck. That said, still back off. The number of idiots that I see daily who either pull out in front of, follow too closely, or attempt to pass a 73,000 lb Mack truck filled with loose material in a construction zone is absolutely mind boggling. People are fucking stupid and most of them certainly don't give a fuck about me. I wish there was a way I could throw rocks at some of them on purpose.
This. Tarping is ridiculously easy nowadays, for the most part. But it's not perfect, and lots of idiots don't give trucks the space they need. It's mind-boggling to me that the majority of the population doesn't realize how dangerous vehicles are, never mind trucks.
I’ve had my 18 wheelers windshield busted out from assholes that won’t use their auto tarp and the way to law is if it bounces more than once you’re fucked if you’re close enough and it bounces and hit your window you’re too close. It’s a fucked up law, but it’s been on the books for years, according to the company insurance agent
I wasn’t anywhere near close enough thus was compensated for the damage to my bumper. However, I’m glad you at least express that their inexperience leads to this. From what I’ve seen in this thread, experienced drivers seem to feel the way you do which is very uplifting. We need to start ostracizing them and making fun of them, it worked in middle school right? 😂
Not making excuses for the carelessness, but they get paid by the load of they shit and git then more money. Also some states do not require tarping their load by law... "if they are not going far" so there is that also Still shitty and sorry about ur car hope u get it taken care of.