Have you ever had a truck throw rocks at your MINI? Has one ever tried to run you off the road? Then this is the thread for you. I get frustrated at those big guys thinking they own the road.

Since getting my MINI, it seems like every time a truck comes near me it starts hurdling crap toward my car. Yesterday, I was heading for a jazz concert after installing my arm rest. If you've ever driven on I-40 in Oklahoma, you know what a truck nightmare it is. It seems like for every car there are two trucks. Anyway, I'm in the middle of all these trucks, which I don't like. So, I drive faster to get away from them. Well, a couple of them start doing that thing where they pass you then they slow down, so I pass again. This goes on for a while, when one carrying a drilling rig passes me and once again slows down, only to throw a large number of rocks my way. One of them chipped my window. (This is my first window chip, which is amazing, since my window has been hit by rocks about 7 or 8 times since I picked my MINI up five months ago. I'm amazed the window's not cracked.) After that I drove fast fast fast fast and got the heck away from them.

My car has two rock chips that I know for a fact were caused by trucks. One happened on my way to get my clear bra installed in Dallas. A truck was coming toward me on a two-lane highway and threw some rocks at me. It left a chip up high on the bonnet. ...the other was given to me in Dallas on my way back from having the clear bra installed...oh the irony. A truck hauling a bulldozer hit a bump and some gravel fell off his flat bed. The MINI was pelted with rocks. I now have a nice chip on the chrome part of my grill, which is the only place there is no clear bra. This is just the ones that caused damage...that I know of.

Then there was some road rage on my way to Arkansas...once again on I-40. A truck was running without a trailer and without mud flaps. Anyway, as I was leaving OKC I hit the gas to merge onto I-40. When I merged I was a good 5 to 10 car lengths in front of the truck. This apparently made him mad. I was also going much faster than him, so I'm not sure what the deal was. He began riding my bumper. Then he would pass me, hit his brakes, and throw crap all over me. I have to admit I was bit scared. This went on for a long time....like a couple of hours. I would go fast to get a way. He would be a little dot in my rearview mirror, so I would slow down to the speed limit. Then, he would catch up with me, ride my bumper for a while, pass me, and hit his brakes. This jerk did this five times or so. Finally, I drove really fast for a really long time...until I couldn't see him anymore. That was the end of it.

I wish every place was like Arkansas. Their truck speed limits are 5 mph slower than everyone else. This makes things much better.

It would also be nice if the everyone used MINIs for everything. Sure, it might take a few more loads, but the world would be a better place.

 

Wow that sounds a bit scary. If I ever have a trucker doing what you describe I'd call the state patrol on his sorry @$$. Glad you are OK.

As for trucks dropping stuff all over, yes it happens a lot. I give any construction trucks with loose stone a wide berth.

 

A couple of hours? Driving fast, fast,faster is one way to avoid the truck that wanted to play tag. Another would be to stop and get a coke or stop to stretch your legs, anything to put a few minutes of space between you and the jerk. I'm not trying to be judgmental, just offering some options.

 

I feel your pain. Fortunately I haven't had any chips (knock on wood) on the windshield, but I've had some moments when I swore that there was some damage. And for some reason (maybe I'm imagining things) the "smack" is really loud in my MINI. Here in CA, most of my troubles have been with gravel/construction trucks.

As for having rocks thrown at me, I'd be careful. What I can't stand are people in trucks and SUVs who, for some reason, feel the need to cut you off for no reason (Stupidity? Overcompensating? Who knows). Just hang in there! You never know how far people will go nowadays... I swear, next time someone tries to pull something I'll take out my camera phone and take a picture of their license plate.

 

I live in central Ga. and have had two W/S replaced because of rocks from trucks. The first one was so big I could see it coming and it felt like a bomb
going off when it hit and left a baseball size star on the windshield. This was all on me as I have $500.00 deductable. Dump trucks SUCK!!!

 

First, I40 IS a major trucking route and be thankful for it. That is how goods flow across the country

Second ... what makes you think he's pick on MINIs? Large trucks throw rocks back to ALL cars:impatient

Last, how about a little courtesy and just follow behind him ... give him some space? Of course, other trucks might then pass you and move in front of you so ... you got a choice. Use a different road or, just go faster than ALL the trucks. Lots of luck

The fact is trucking is one of the lifebloods of the country and its not going anywhere so everyone has to learn to live with it. This is not exactly something "new".

 

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I have driven all types of speeds in the 118k miles I've clocked on my MINI. There was a time I drove ***** out, limit +10-30 on the highway. In that time, I managed a cracked windshield (in several places), a fist-sized dent in the hood, MANY see-metal chips in the paint, and smaller dings. I'm a pretty laid back guy and like fuel economy and typically do the speed limit everywhere currently (to the annoyance of my wife, but "they" tell you how to drive regardless right fellas...). Its relaxing, economical considering the times, and safe. Its interesting to watch people wiz by all frustrated. Sometimes a semi needs by, no biggie. I stay at my speed and he disappears ahead. Many times, even though I drive slower, I catch the speeders at the offramp light... lots of time saved there

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Anyway... since driving slower I've noticed less debris destruction on the front of my mini. Just thought I'd pass that along and hope it helps.

 

Exactly

Like MINI enthusiasts want to hear that:impatient

 

Personally, I love trucks...they're like a dynamic obstacle course.

Except, those darn dump trucks that are filled just a little too high & bounce out flying shards of paint hating doom that you just can't avoid. Unfortunately, my morning commute is often filled with these & my bonnet displays its scars like a metallic badge of courage.

 

I have had my share of road spit as I call it. Dings in the paint. Chips on the windshield, and big 18-wheelers cutting me off and thinking it's fun. On more than one occasion I have followed one of these big trucks into the gas station where they happened to be stopping and have jumped out of my car and banged on the door of the truck so that the driver would open the door. Once he gets out, I ask him what the hell was on his mind. I'm 5-foot 2-inches tall and I cause the biggest scene I can. There is no way that one of these big bruisers is going to begin yelling at me or waving his fists. I always get an apology. I also know self-defense. But I am through being pushed around.

 

Damn Denise, we need you here in Miami. But make sure to arm yourself too.

 

I know the original post was in reference to windshield cracks and I will address that.
I used to be a truck driver but haven’t driven a big truck in many years. Here are a few comments from a soon to be MINI owner with a little truck driver insight.
YOU should drive defensively. Think about what COULD go wrong when you are around big trucks. What is going to be your escape route if things go bad?
Most truck drivers ARE professional. But you will have your ‘bad apples’. If you see a situation developing with one - GET SAFE! Back off, or exit, or do whatever - don’t ever think that ‘being right’ is worth the risk of injury to yourself, your passengers or other drivers on the road.
Your 2600 pound MINI will NOT win against a fully loaded truck that can easily weigh over 100,000 pounds. It will crush you! Just one of the drive axle’s with its dual tires probably weighs almost as much as your entire car.
If you can’t see the truck driver’s head in his rear view mirror you should assume he can’t see you.
Avoid passing trucks on their right (blind) side. But if you HAVE to then be ready to react, and have a way out.
Never allow yourself to get ‘boxed in’ by a group of trucks when they are passing each other. Just stay back until it is safe to make your move. The danger here is that if something goes wrong you may find your MINI much shorter then it already is. Trucks can NOT stop as quickly as you can. Keep that in mind if you have one behind you. You don’t have very much excess crush space, and it probably won’t even scratch the bumper of the truck behind you.
It is fine to pass a truck. But it is very irritating to a truck driver when you pass them and then slow down. Especially if this happens on a two lane road.
Avoid passing a truck when you would be on the outside of a significant curve - especially if it has a load that could come loose.
Be especially careful passing, or meeting, a truck that carries dirt or gravel. Even if the load itself is secure inside there was probably a little gravel spilled on the framework when it was loaded - and it WILL shake loose.
Sand is used on roads in winter. Expect it to attack your car when you meet oncoming trucks. It will have much less effect if you slow down, and move to the far right of your lane, until you pass each other. A formula for force uses mass (the rock chip weight) times velocity squared. Slowing from 70mph to 50mph almost halves the force of the rock impact on your windshield. Yes - I know it’s more complicated than that…but…
NOTHING is more important then arriving at your destination SAFE! You can explain away being late, damage to the car and just about everything else. But you will have a tough time explaining away injuries to your passengers or yourself.

 

Dont tell that to C4. He'll start talking about crumble zones and how safe the MINI is Physics 101 ... nah, nobody pays attention to physics anymore

 

At least truck drivers and little car drivers have one thing in common: I find it intensely irritating when trucks pass me and then slow down... ad infinitum... for reasons impossible to discern.

 

I have driven cross country 4X and have never had issues with truckers. Perhaps you are getting to close or driving too slow . Now, I do drive the MINI like I would a motorcycle and avoid being trapped by vehicles and always have a way out.

Good luck

 

Typically, I try to drive at a comfortable speed...one in which I only need to worry about vehicles in front of me (also taken from my motorcycle days).

Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense - i.e. predicting what other drivers are going to do and get the heck away from the situation.

 

I drive my Suburban and my MINI the same way, trying to be thoughtful of other drivers. However, other drivers are much more polite to me in the Sub than they are to me in the MINI. I've owned a lot of small cars over the years and it seems you are just at the bottom of the pecking order when you are in a small car.

And not all truckers are "Knights of the Highway" as they once were.