no44specialk

Hey guys,
I'm looking for some in put on what I should do. I was driving to work this morning and of course there was a tractor trailer that had rocks falling off of it's bed. Needless to say, I have a few substantial rock chips in my paint. (on my bumper, there are some that actually cause the paint to wrinkle and show the black plastic underneath.)

I wrote down the truck company and truck number. What would you do? Should I go through the process of calling the company and tell them I plan on putting a claim in with them, or should I try and fix it the best I can and let bygones be bygones?

I have a 2007 WDP TLs...

Thanks guys,
What a terrible way to start the week...

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

sorry man.

next time don't follow so closely. i don't think you'll be getting reimbursed for anything from that truck company.

a clear bra will also protect your front bumper/hood...altho it's a little late at this point.

jda123

You can try and call them.

You can also probably go to small claims court. They cannot disclaim negligence or responsibility, so their "Stay Back 1000 Feet" signs are meaningless and just meant to keep the suckers from following through. I would be like a murderer wearing a shirt that says "I Might Murder You" or your car having a sign on the front that says "Rock Trucks Stay Ahead 1000 Feet." If rocks were falling off of their truck, then they are both negligent and responsible.

I would make the call to see what they will do. If nothing, then I would just let it go. However, it has been 10 years since I have cared about what my cars look like (within reason) and I just drive them from A-to-B now... so I am not the right one to ask.

no44specialk

After going out for a second time between job obligations, I think I'm just going to let this one burn a little and hope that it builds up some car-ma(karma) for me.

There is a scratch down to the bare steel on the hood(ill have to slowly build it up), but luckily that's the only one I noticed.
The other two on the bumper I should be able to make them some what better.

For the record, I wasn't following too closely, there simply isn't much you can do when you're traveling at highway speeds, there's traffic on both sides of you and you come up on a truck like this. It was definitely negligence on the drivers part. It wasn't a dump truck, it was a flat bed with a shippingcontainers on it. 5 minutes of sweeping with a broom would have saved everyone on the highway.

Oh the joys of owning a car you actually care about, too bad it wasn't my beater! Thanks for allowing me to vent!

ds03

If it bothers you, contact them. I successfully did the same a few years back and was reimbursed for time & materials to fix some paint damage from highway debris falling off a truck.

ez12a

Do it. It wont hurt you. You might also want to give your insurance a heads up, they can contact the trucking company for you in your stead.

no44specialk

After thinking about it some more, I decided to call the company and see what they said. My car shouldn't have to suffer because their negligence. Of course the manager wasn't there at the time so I left a message with the receptionist. I'll keep you posted on what happens.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

THIS !!!

call your insurance company and tell them about it....

i have 160K miles on my car and you can see the rock chips....am thinking about taking it to the dealer and having the guy who works there fix it for me....

DaeHanMeenGuk

Sorry to hear that. I always try to avoid driving behind trucks like that by sticking to the fast lane.

no44specialk

I wish my auto insurance company was more gun-ho... I called and explained the situation to the woman I spoke to and she said that these type of instances result in the company admitting fault. I even asked if they would take the lead and make the call but she said that Erie Insurance won't get involved unless I submit a claim.
Either way I called and left a message for the manager, hopefully I hear from him soon.

no44specialk

Haha me too! Believe it or not, that's exactly what I was doing too. I guess you win some, and lose some...

BrownBuck

oh man no doubt...call your insurance company....Erie is OKAY...and i would also call the truck place before filing the claim...cuz you dont' want to get screwed and have your premium go up if the company doesn't admit fault.

DaeHanMeenGuk

Do you have any pictures that can go with this thread? I'm guessing that touch up paint won't be able to do the job?

BrownBuck

yah...i got em pretty bad too..this one was there when i bought it..not sure if i can fix it with touch up paint..



By brownbuck at 2012-05-29

IamaTL

Since I drive 50 mi on the highway to work everyday ive learned to let someone else in front of me then i get over and use them as a shield. Worth it to me