Helpful tips for sharing the road with large trucks

MONROE/LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – All it takes is one misplaced rock.

And, there goes your windshield.

Big trucks traveling our local roads can sling gravel or worse. It may be rare for your car to be damaged by debris, but it’s not impossible

Big Rigs. Commercial dump trucks. Log trucks. We pass them all the time.

It’s happened to all of us. While driving down the highway, you find yourself behind a big commercial truck. Dump trucks carry all sorts of materials. Materials that can sometimes wind up on your windshield causing a significant amount of damage.

Eutaw Construction Equipment Manager Don Stewart says it’s not a common occurrence, but it happens.

“I’m not saying anything can’t fall out but it’s not very likely,” said Stewart.

“We take good measure to make sure for the safety of the public we don’t harm anyone,” said Stewart.

If you find yourself in this situation, Allstate Agent Layfron Profice said you should act immediately.

“Try to get as much information as possible. The time of day that it happened, the type of vehicle if you can get the license plate. Anything along those lines to help your case out,” said Profice.

But Profice also warned that you don’t have a lot of options.

“If a truck is driving down the road and he kicks up a rock or brick or something along that line, there’s not gonna be a whole lot that you can hold that company responsible for,” said Profice.

Stewart said the best advice is to proceed with caution when approaching large commercial trucks.

“You’re supposed to keep a minimum of 200 feet behind them but people don’t always do that,” said Stewart.

Its advice that Profice said he follows.

“I try not to drive behind a vehicle that close. Especially if I see that it’s a dump truck, or a truck carrying wood or something along that line. Especially when you see debris coming off of it. Sometimes the best thing to do is try not to get that close,” said Profice.

Allstate Agent Profice said to be careful when putting claims on your insurance for something that you can pay for yourself.

He said to remember that claims can lead to a rise in premiums.

If you’re starting to get scratches, nicks, or cracks on your vehicle from debris damage Profice recommended to go ahead and take care of it as soon as possible.