When hauling a cab tractor, what's the chance a rock breaks a cab window?

[sixdogs]

I'm involved in hauling a cab tractor 1000 miles over interstate roads. What are the chances a rock will pick up and break a window?

 

[4570Man]

One of my friends hit a low hanging limb and broke a window in his excavator while hauling it and I tore a light off mine the same way but I’ve never broken a window with a rock hauling it. If I was going a thousand miles I’d probably still take the effort to cover it since windows are expensive.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

One of my friends hit a low hanging limb and broke a window in his excavator while hauling it and I tore a light off mine the same way but I’ve never broken a window with a rock hauling it. If I was going a thousand miles I’d probably still take the effort to cover it since windows are expensive.

If they wanted me to haul a tractor 1000 miles, I'd advise to just buy one there.

 

[sixdogs]

One of my friends hit a low hanging limb and broke a window in his excavator while hauling it and I tore a light off mine the same way but I’ve never broken a window with a rock hauling it. If I was going a thousand miles I’d probably still take the effort to cover it since windows are expensive.

What would you cover windows with since it would likely blow off? We've thought about cardboard pieces slightly smaller than the windows and using duck tape to hold it on. How about that?

 

[K5lwq]

Before you asked the question the chances were pretty low for any issues. Now it is almost certain it will happen if you do not take precautions. At least that is how things usually go for me.

I think bubble wrap taped really good would probably work. Just make sure it can not flap in the wind and air can’t get underneath it. May have to re-tape along the way but that stuff is pretty durable.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Go to walmart, get some bubble wrap and packing saran wrap. Back up tractor to trailer and pack a few layers 360 degrees around. Should cover almost 100% chance of a rock doing anything.

 

[4570Man]

What would you cover windows with since it would likely blow off? We've thought about cardboard pieces slightly smaller than the windows and using duck tape to hold it on. How about that?

I’d be afraid of the cardboard vibrating and scratching the window.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Around here most excavators get the front window covered during transport. Most have a quilted blanket that just snaps on.

My buddy bought a tractor 1000 km's away. 600 miles. Of course the window was broken when it arrived. So had the local dealer come and remove hood and all the trim etc. Glass shop came to install the $1000 window. They cracked it installing it so wait another 2 weeks for a new window. In the end the trucking company ended up with a $4500 bill just because the trucker was too lazy to install protection.

I would cut bubble wrap into 4" wide strips and tape them to the window if your worried about abrasion on the window. Then I would tightly tape another layer of bubble wrap over that. Cardboard over that if it doesn't rain would be ok. Just make sure it's well taped on. Tuck tape (for house wrap) works really well. It just doesn't come off very easy. Still cheaper than a new window though.

 

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[Lineman North Florida]

I would haul it and wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[workinonit]

Me too.

 

[oosik]

Consider this. How far - road conditions. I would suggest a heavy quilt backed with bubble wrap. In all the many years - up/down - the Alcan. Only one time did I get a cracked window. Headlights - if not protected by a single large bubble - a lost cause.

 

[Seven Gables]

I'm involved in hauling a cab tractor 1000 miles over interstate roads. What are the chances a rock will pick up and break a window?

It happened to me. December 2020 was having a 5115m trucked from C&B JD dealer in Selby SD to my farm near Elk Rapids MI. I bought a new window from local JD dealer and replaced myself, quite a job. Trucking company reimbursed me. According to the JD salesman the trucking company should of cardboarded the window.

 

[Torvy]

First off, I'm surprised Selby has a dealership of any sort. I grew up in SD and even for there, Selby is small (<1000 people).

I think your odds of breaking or damaging glass are a bit higher than the same happening to your tow vehicle. Most (all?) road vehicles have sloped glass that deflects rocks. A towed tractor will tend to be more flat and absorb the damage.

About a year ago we were making our regular trip 150 miles through (oddly enough) Rockwall on I30 across the lake. (3-4 lanes of ~75mph traffic). A truck about 100 yds ahead of us shed a bunch of rock and debris and we helplessly had to watch a golf ball sized rock hit the edge of our windshield. 2 minutes later it had spread all across the glass.

When we lived up north where you get sand, gravel and rocks on the road due to winter conditions, the odds of rock damage is greater (in our experience and apparently insurance too as premiums for comprehensive were much higher).

 

[Jims1025R]

Go to walmart, get some bubble wrap and packing saran wrap. Back up tractor to trailer and pack a few layers 360 degrees around. Should cover almost 100% chance of a rock doing anything.

That's what I'd do. My glass cab Ranger is specific to trailer it backward, I presume for this reason.

 

[2manyrocks]

Given the cost and time it would take to bubble wrap versus the time and cost to replace the glass, looks like wrapping would be a smart idea. There is a lot of flat surface area on a tractor cab which makes it a bigger target than a sloped car windshield.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm involved in hauling a cab tractor 1000 miles over interstate roads. What are the chances a rock will pick up and break a window?

Probably just slightly less than the tractor mirrors being ripped off.

 

[dstig1]

My friend and I had our own little routine when we would help each other out and some nearly impossible event would occur like once we hit a tiny phone line with a nail, and would ask each other "What are the ODDS of THAT happening?" The response was always "ONE!" as it always seemed like no matter what it was going to happen.

Or as I also like to say: There is a 50/50 shot that it will 100% happen.

 

[oldnslo]

I do not believe that I have seen any windows covered or protected on new machines being hauled down the highway from dealers or from assembly plants. Part of the decision may depend on what type of glass is in that tractor. What types of roads will be traveling over, etc. Is it tempered or something untempered that is more prone to breaking?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I haul my cabbed tractors to job sites almost every day. I have had 2 windows broken on my Kubota tractors. It cost me about $600 each to replace them, plus several days down time. And, it happened about 2 weeks apart.

I now have a custom made windshield protector that I put on EVERY time I haul, no matter how far. There is a place that makes them to fit your specific tractor. If I remember correctly, they cost me about $250 each. I have 2, and I bought them several years ago.

These are attached with 4 bunge straps. I have not had one break since I started using them.

I told one of my employees yesterday that I am the only one I know that puts a windshield protector on every time we haul.