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It is OK to do so with at least some vehicles. I usually let Rams get in the lane in the situation you have described.

I personally prefer to be behind large vehicles because they help me regulate my speed

EV drivers sometimes, unwisely, like to slip-stream behind large trucks to get more range.

if you indicate i will let you in, if you dont indicate i will still let you in, im not about to endanger myself or others because you woke up and chose to be an asshole.

Boiled down this is just the philosophical idea that there is no such thing as an altruistic act.

And when it comes to driving, I wholehearted believe that’s the case.

I don’t do things to be nice when driving. I do them to not end up a bloody grease stain on tarmac.

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Why would anyone need a body shield for the truck in front of them?

I leave space and have brakes. Im worried about the people behind me, not in front of me. All the people in front of me can do is make me late

I think OP is talking about having a dump truck or concrete truck in-front of them. Then, allowing another vehicle to swoop in to act as a shield. This way, there is something to block all the crap that will likely fall off the dump truck or concrete truck from hitting their own car.

Another possibility is that they're not "letting you in" to use you "as a body shield" but they're leaving a sensible amount of empty space "as a body shield" and you've just put your car in the middle of a potential collision zone.

LPT: leave a good healthy gap in front of you. Remember that "two second rule"?* Try counting it out some time, it's probably further than you think. 90+% of drivers I see are within a second, and an alarmly non-zero amount significantly closer than that!

And it's really not as patronising as it feels, either. Even if you're focussed on driving (and let's face it, it's very easy to have your attention divided or entirely displaced for short periods while driving) it'll take you about a second to respond to a sudden need to slow, so if you're within a second of the vehicle in front, there's a good chance you'll hit it even in the most favourable of circumstances.

I've had a couple of accidents where I've used up all of my two second gap and more - including one recently. Please take this seriously!

* Oh, and that's for dry roads. Double it for wet, triple it for salted, and multiply it by ten for ice/snow.

Who worries about the people behind them any rear end is an insurance claim

This!

People who care more about their health than insurance claims. Cars are dangerous.

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The only thing you can control is the distance between you and the dangerous cars in front of you.

Oh, no. I can also control my speed until the twat behind me stops tailgating

Until it doesnt happen

It's. A. LANE. You can have it, I'll save my fights for more important stuff.

Guilty. I also let the guy next to me jump ahead when a traffic light turns green - first guy into the intersection usually takes the hit from the red-light runner.