Truck Theft

I was wondering if there is a lot of theft in the trucking industry that drivers face. Are trucks regularly stolen, broken into, etc.? Do I dare leave my truck at a truck stop, rest area, etc.?

You normally can leave you truck to shower, eat, etc. But if you are going to leave it for a home time, you should let your dispatch know, and clear it with them where their truck and trailer are. Also, be sure and clear it with where ever you park it !! We always got it in writing, from a manager...

Well I am a runner. I would like to run about 60 minutes. Is a truck safe for an hour at a truck stop or rest area?

Sure....but we have always had a dog in our truck...Do you know that a little old Jack Russel sitting in the sleeper (scared to death) barking his head off, sounds like a Pit Bull with Rabies ?????

Generally speaking you and your truck are safe. Break-ins or drivers being robbed are very, very rare overall. I drove for 15 years and never had a single incident, and believe me I went to the darkest, dirtiest places in pretty much every city across the country and the same goes with some pretty sketchy truck stops.

You can certainly leave your truck to go jogging or hit a movie theater and things like that. Common sense goes a long way toward keeping yourself and your truck safe. But it's not something to be too concerned with.

I go running all the time whenever I get the chance. Love it and its the best thing to do especially after sitting all day.

I will tell you that you don't really have much to worry about. Just don't be parking it in an area that seems unsafe. Use your best judgement. You can always put up the blinds so no one can see inside so people will think you're sleeping. Make sure no one can peak in and see valuables.

I leave my truck parked at a truck stop often and go for a run. I also love going for a run in rest areas because there is a lot of nature along those trails. You're pretty much safe as long as you use your best judgement when parking.

I agree with everyone else. Common sense deterrents work really, really well. As much as it pains me to say this: don't forget to lock up and take the GPS off the windshield at the terminal too. Don't get complacent just because it's your company's terminal and fellow employees hanging around chewing the fat and swapping stories. To be honest, after all these years that is the most frequent place I've encountered instances of theft of personal items from the truck. At a company terminal. Sad, but true. Large organizations employ a wide variety of people and not all of them are good honest people like the folks here on TT. One trick if you don't have curtains is to get a fold up reflective sun blocker that goes in the windshield. They are cheap and bendable so you can get a big one and make it fit easily if you don't want to mess with the pre-made curtains. My wife wrote "DRIVER RESTING. DO NOT DISTURB" in big block letters and put a "No Lot Lizards" decal on mine. It works great and folds up nice and small and stores right behind the driver's seat so it doesn't take up any room in the cab, plus it is 100% out of the way when I'm driving. Also, when I'm using it and I AM in the truck, I can see out the side windows. With the sleeper curtain just down loose but not fastened and open in the middle I can easily look out but others can't see me if I'm in the sleeper. Poor man's cab curtain. LOL. Hey, it works. Have a good one and Kudos for staying healthy OTR. Trust me, the older you get the more of a challenge that can be. Getting in the good habits from the start is the right way to go.