We recall while Dennis was gassing up he made a pay phone call to his wife to apologize for the night before. The stress was choking the life out of him, and closing in. Yes he is a husband and father, and he works very hard and the conversation with his wife would lend you to believe that the old love spark is dying, and he and his wife need to work it all out and have some together.
Now, the scenario shows the truck driver is not on a tight time schedule, but maybe runs the exact same route everyday, and seems to one flew over the coocoos nest.
Dennis simply takes another route completely and avoids the conflict. If he doesn't make the meeting in time, he tracks down the client and makes the effort to meet with him before he leaves for his flight the next day.
** After this, he drives to the nearest car dealership and trades off the old junk 6 cyl./McDodge (buying a bit of happiness for the moment), unloading the ugly 4 door mom/car Dennis is a Mopar man, so he heads to the Dodge dealership and rolls out in a 1971 for a Dodge Challenger 2 door with the 440 or Hemi. 4 speed/ A/C, raised letter wide track radials. Yeah that's the ticket. Oh, yeah and one more item for the trips of the future: A quick stop at the local sporting goods store for a Colt 1911 45 ACP with ammo and extra magazines, (2 for 1) special?? Okay throw in a 12 Ga. pump to boot.
I would say that the odds of an old loaded down 18 wheeler catching up with a 440 Mopar just ain't to likely. A once in a life time, event? But, if it does happen again, nothing like experience for a teacher. Practice practice…

I would have called the "How's my driving" phone number and given them a piece of my mind

Turn around and try to make it back home. He was only intimated and threatened because he was in rural areas. He needed to be back in the city.
Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Yup! I just said similar before I read your reply.
Norman! What did you put in my tea?

I would have turned around either at the diner or when I hid and took a nap and gone home.
Dave was dumb to keep going in the same direction of the truck.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall

Kissed my ass goodbye.
My password is password

That is a really, really dumb idea.
You don't want to be anywhere near the murderer.
Hey, find out if a mass shooting is happening and run in there with no gun and no protection!
Yeah, great idea, you ****ing moron.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall

I would try to drive in his blind spot so he would keep on truckin' looking for me until he had to stop to refuel. Then get a good look at him and get the hell out of there.

Agreed!

Stay in the diner and call the Police. Don't order the cheese sandwich.

How's your mother's mudbutt, diarrhea, hard chunks of corn, lincoln log ****, wet **** smell penetrated your nostrils you piece of ****?
My password is password.

Welcome to Filmboards. The short bus of movie chat forums.

True!

Make a better effort to call the police.

I always think that no business meeting is ever that important. I would have turned round a lot sooner and headed back to civilization. Mann was intelligent, he should have gotten right away. Why be stuck out in the lonely desert with a psycho intent on killing you?

Surprise the truck driver on the passenger side of the door, get in and punch him.

That's what I was thinking. He just sits there trying to figure it out, and guesses the wrong guy. It's better to just ask. And being nice about it, starting with an apology, like he imagined himself doing, is showing weakness, and wouldn't help the situation. The truck driver looks like he doesn't have the guts to face him man-to-man anyway.
Also, start messing with the truck, and see who comes out to stop him.

I would have just stood up in the diner/caf and just said something along the lines "Look, who's truck is that out the front" - If nobody answers I would just call the cops or kick up enough fuss so the cops are called. Mann knew at that point his life was in danger but he still decided to carry on the 'Duel'.
Great movie though.

This message has been deleted.

He could have got into the truck at Chuck's Cafe and either driven it off, or removed wiring to disable it

I think he thought about stopping or turning around, but after awhile he got into the 'game' or the 'duel' and wanted to triumph over the trucker at any cost. And yes, it is hard to think on the move and realize mistakes that were made along the way. I think Mann thought he outsmarted the trucker that one time by waiting and then oh crap he was waiting for him the whole time.
I wonder why no one has made a remake of this. I recommend reading the short story this was based on. Entertaining.

I would have been out of that car immediately, and risk walking across wild terrain if necessary.

Get out and walk off road.

Did your parents have any children that lived?

LOL, Agreed!