Truck Damaged by Spreader Truck near Dallas

[Tucson Z60]

On Friday we left Arkansas and headed to San Diego stopping in Tucson for 3 days.
It took 8 hours from Texarkana to make to Dallas. A snow storm was causing accidents, truck jack knifed cars and trucks spread all over the highway. I slowly picked my way through the carnage and ended up getting on a frontage road to the 30 west for about 30 miles or so.

The 30 was so messed up that by the time I got back on it there was only meself and two other vehicles. I finaly get into Dallas and was headed to Fortworth when I was in the very outside lane go pretty slow. It was down hill section with turn to the left.

The on ramp to my right I saw flashing lights and trucks were entering, it turns otu they were salt/sand/gravel trucks. I was some in the front of the pack of cars when the salt/sand/gravel trucks pulled along side me and in front of me. The fuckers just pulled up along side and blasted the shit out of my truck!!

The passanger side has massive pitting on the door the front bumper, hood and rear bed panel and messed up also.

When I got to Tucson I pulled into a wash bay style car wash to get all the junk from the bottom, engine compartment and to hopfully see only one or small pits....boy was I wrong!!

I have no idea what these guys were spaying? It sounded like machine gun BB gun hitting the truck!!

Has anyone had this happen? What were they spraying? I am going to call insurance. Any ideas for contacting the Texas HWY department? or should I just let ins handle it? Never had anything like this happen before. It sucks when you take pride in vehicle and it get screwed up!!

 

[nubuilder]

Holy crap!!

I'd be calling Texas HWY and asking them why they started spraying with so much force right next to someone. That's just .

 

[OldCracker29]

Holy crap!!

I'd be calling Texas HWY and asking them why they started spraying with so much force right next to someone. That's just .

I doubt if that would do any good. Sucks to hear your vehicle got messed up.

 

[Darkanion]

I'm not sure what they were spraying, but I highly doubt TXDOT will do anything about it. There was probably a "stay back 200 ft" sign on the back of the truck (or at least they will claim there was). So, they will absolve themselves that way (more than likely).

I'm not sure what they were spraying, but I have noticed a lot of not sand getting caught in people's tires and then it getting flung at the cars & trucks behind them.. I'm hoping they'll get the sweepers out, here soon, to start cleaning up the roads..

Sorry to hear about your damage, though..

 

[Stumpuller6.5]

Could be a resultless battle but worth a shot. Definatley contact insurance. Paint jobs are not cheap. That sucks!

 

[Tucson Z60]

I did not even have chance to pull back, even if I could have put on the brakes, it would not have been wise given the conditions. They entered the freeway just ahead of and alongside me. I was in far left lane and the lead truck moved over to the center in front of me and the second truck pulled alongside me.

I saw some stuff in my bed I should check if it's still there and save a few pieces. It's some sort of grayish hard stuff. I was getting better look today......I even have winshield chips!!

Has anyone ever claimed something,like this on insurance? I belive it will come under my comp coverage. I also wonder if they are going to pay for an entire paint job or partial? It got the front including the hood, passanger side and even found few chips in the tail gate.

My head light has pits as does my chrome grill. Are they opbligated to make the truck in the condidtion it was in? I have kept it very well and it looked like new!! I was goingto have some warranty work done and the dealer just saw it a few weeks ago. Do you think I can tell the insurance company to contact them in reagrd to condition? They specificly looked at the paint because the moldings on the side are coming off and the body shop manager looked at the truck.

 

[4.6 Punisher]

If the truck pulled up next to you and started raining that shit on to your truck, I would think they would be liable. Call them up and tell them the plate number on the truck (if you can remember it).

 

[Darkanion]

I did not even have chance to pull back, even if I could have put on the brakes, it would not have been wise given the conditions. They entered the freeway just ahead of and alongside me. I was in far left lane and the lead truck moved over to the center in front of me and the second truck pulled alongside me.

I get what you're saying and I understand your frustration. But, TXDOT is more than likely going to claim that you should've slowed down as soon as you saw the flashing lights and/or "you were not maintaining a safe distance, so it's not our fault."

If they don't claim that, everyone in town who wants a new paint job would be able to just tailgate the sand trucks and stick TXDOT with the bill.. So, I doubt they'll take any responsibility for it. That's all I'm gettin' at..

Oh yeah! I do believe that would be covered on your comprehensive insurance.. And I doubt your insurance company will give you much flack about it.. They probably will try to minimize the claim and only do a partial repaint. But, that should at least get you back into a better place with your truck.

When you get ready to do the repaint, talk to the guys who will be doing the repaint. Maybe they can work some type of deal with you to repaint the whole truck.

Good luck, man!

 

[Tucson Z60]

I was talking to a guy at our Hotel....was saying he same thing. Just let insurance take it and go from there. I don't have any plate numbers.

I don't fault them for spraying the roads.....I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, considering all the happened to others that day I got off pretty lucky!!

Last time I used insurance was when I hit a deer (more like it hit me) about 6 years ago.

It amazed us just how stupid people drive when the weather is bad.....just amazing!! As Ron White said....you can't fix stupid, I just had no idea that many people were unfixable

 

[Darkanion]

No kidding! Folks get crazy out there!

I am sorry about what happened to your truck. But, like you said, wrong place, wrong time..