What Are A Truck Driver's Best Defense Against Possible Criminal Acts Against Them While On Duty?

I was a medic in the Army during Desert Storm does that count! My wife was also a victim of sexual assault. Please spare talking down to me.

I have 400,000 miles on my freightliner and not once have needed my sig. On the other hand I can remember dozens of times I had to avoid a drunk.

You pull up three gun related stories in the trucking industry and this should make me run and get my gun ha! How many other shootings happened at malls in the same period of time, or a convenience store.

You also do realize a republican Supreme Court gave companies the same rights as private citizens. Which means they have there right to private property laws. If your neighbor didn't want guns on his property would you do it anyways.

Just because it's your right to own a gun it doesn't give you the right to preach to me or anyone else on this forum. The right to own a gun doesn't mean there shouldn't be rules of ownership.

Well, if the company has a rule against drivers' packin', I personally will NOT work for them. No way. No how. Not for $100,000/year even. It is a sure sign my life means nothing to them. The corporate big-wigs are not going to get gunned down, sexually assaulted or beat to death in their sissy office.

I live in pro-gun Idaho in the Wild Wild American West Where It is Best. I would definitely prefer regional or local since there is no CCW requirement for residents in this state. Ideally, I would like a position where I would not even have to leave state lines in the rig because of the gun permit issue. Driving in Kommie-fornia is absolutely OUT for me.

I thought most American truck drivers were mostly right wing and in favor of gun carry for their personal security anyway.

And why are there so damn many random murders against truck drivers? Some were just doing their job with no sign of robbery attempt.

I shouldn't assume all were drunks but they certainly drove like they were. My point is that their are far more dangers in trucking then being shot. If I live in fear than in my mind I let someone else dictate my life. Personally I would be far more uncomfortable with certain truck drivers having firearms in their trucks if they allowed them. I could see truck stops becoming the Wild West over a parking space. By the way I have driven all 48. Most of it East to west coast and back.

I shouldn't assume all were drunks but they certainly drove like they were. My point is that their are far more dangers in trucking then being shot. If I live in fear than in my mind I let someone else dictate my life. Personally I would be far more uncomfortable with certain truck drivers having firearms in their trucks if they allowed them. I could see truck stops becoming the Wild West over a parking space. By the way I have driven all 48. Most of it East to west coast and back.

38% of truckers carry a gun on duty at least as those who reported it in a survey.

It would be smart to never let anybody know what weapons you might be carrying.

I too once questioned Second Amendment rights for truckers. After much research, I learned that as much as I hated to admit it, As a trucker your second amendment right is gone. Why you ask? I have a permit for Tennessee. Well? Not every state honors that permit. And all it takes is one ****ed state trooper doing a search on me to land me a felony and cost me the job and possibly land me some prison time.

I can keep an employer from finding out my weapon. I have done it for years at my current employer. I have worked for them for 6 years. Carried my 9mm every single day, They never found out. That's because I carry deep concealed and unless you did a frisk and pat down, You would never find it. Even if you did frisk me, You'd still have to see it to know it was a gun, otherwise, I'd just say it was some very private medical device that I wasn't comfortable talking about. No employer is going to risk the legal repercussions of a strip search. An officer, however? They would be more than willing to risk it and would indeed be covered once they found the weapon.

They were trying to pass a law that forced all states to honor any permit provided by any state, But so far it has not been allowed to pass. Until that day comes where you can't be federally prosecuted just because that state doesn't honor your permit? You can't legally carry that weapon and have no second amendment right in this field of work. I am sorry my friend. That's just how it is.

Now for some who may question why you'd want to carry a weapon? Let me give you a fine example a friend of mine gave me once.

"Forced dispatch. While you can express distaste for certain areas, If they give you a load going to a particularly dangerous area such as Chicago or New York City? Well... You might as well find a new company to work for."

In my opinion, Chicago (Sorry people of Chicago, Its nothing personal) is nothing but a cesspool of crime and violence. While I have not started trucking, I dread the day a delivery to or from that forsaken place ever gets sent to that Qualcomm . I dread the thought of going there without some form of gun protection.

I find it interesting how people who are 2nd Amendment advocates always forget part of the Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Two of the first THREE words! Packing and trucking do not mix.

I too once questioned Second Amendment rights for truckers. After much research, I learned that as much as I hated to admit it, As a trucker your second amendment right is gone. Why you ask? I have a permit for Tennessee. Well? Not every state honors that permit. And all it takes is one ****ed state trooper doing a search on me to land me a felony and cost me the job and possibly land me some prison time.

I can keep an employer from finding out my weapon. I have done it for years at my current employer. I have worked for them for 6 years. Carried my 9mm every single day, They never found out. That's because I carry deep concealed and unless you did a frisk and pat down, You would never find it. Even if you did frisk me, You'd still have to see it to know it was a gun, otherwise, I'd just say it was some very private medical device that I wasn't comfortable talking about. No employer is going to risk the legal repercussions of a strip search. An officer, however? They would be more than willing to risk it and would indeed be covered once they found the weapon.

They were trying to pass a law that forced all states to honor any permit provided by any state, But so far it has not been allowed to pass. Until that day comes where you can't be federally prosecuted just because that state doesn't honor your permit? You can't legally carry that weapon and have no second amendment right in this field of work. I am sorry my friend. That's just how it is.

Now for some who may question why you'd want to carry a weapon? Let me give you a fine example a friend of mine gave me once.

"Forced dispatch. While you can express distaste for certain areas, If they give you a load going to a particularly dangerous area such as Chicago or New York City? Well... You might as well find a new company to work for."

In my opinion, Chicago (Sorry people of Chicago, Its nothing personal) is nothing but a cesspool of crime and violence. While I have not started trucking, I dread the day a delivery to or from that forsaken place ever gets sent to that Qualcomm . I dread the thought of going there without some form of gun protection.

I'm now under the belief that I would have to either find a position that keeps me inside my own state lines or just skip this whole trucking career thing altogether. High-crime areas, big cities, no armed protection, no Jon Bailey there, good buddy!

It sounds like truckers are largely expendable both in the eyes of gun-grabbing lawmakers and major gun-hating companies.

It's not that the cops that are mainly anti-gun, they just have to follow laws the anti-gunners put on the books.

I too once questioned Second Amendment rights for truckers. After much research, I learned that as much as I hated to admit it, As a trucker your second amendment right is gone. Why you ask? I have a permit for Tennessee. Well? Not every state honors that permit. And all it takes is one ****ed state trooper doing a search on me to land me a felony and cost me the job and possibly land me some prison time.

I can keep an employer from finding out my weapon. I have done it for years at my current employer. I have worked for them for 6 years. Carried my 9mm every single day, They never found out. That's because I carry deep concealed and unless you did a frisk and pat down, You would never find it. Even if you did frisk me, You'd still have to see it to know it was a gun, otherwise, I'd just say it was some very private medical device that I wasn't comfortable talking about. No employer is going to risk the legal repercussions of a strip search. An officer, however? They would be more than willing to risk it and would indeed be covered once they found the weapon.

They were trying to pass a law that forced all states to honor any permit provided by any state, But so far it has not been allowed to pass. Until that day comes where you can't be federally prosecuted just because that state doesn't honor your permit? You can't legally carry that weapon and have no second amendment right in this field of work. I am sorry my friend. That's just how it is.

Now for some who may question why you'd want to carry a weapon? Let me give you a fine example a friend of mine gave me once.

"Forced dispatch. While you can express distaste for certain areas, If they give you a load going to a particularly dangerous area such as Chicago or New York City? Well... You might as well find a new company to work for."

In my opinion, Chicago (Sorry people of Chicago, Its nothing personal) is nothing but a cesspool of crime and violence. While I have not started trucking, I dread the day a delivery to or from that forsaken place ever gets sent to that Qualcomm . I dread the thought of going there without some form of gun protection.

I too once questioned Second Amendment rights for truckers. After much research, I learned that as much as I hated to admit it, As a trucker your second amendment right is gone. Why you ask? I have a permit for Tennessee. Well? Not every state honors that permit. And all it takes is one ****ed state trooper doing a search on me to land me a felony and cost me the job and possibly land me some prison time.

I can keep an employer from finding out my weapon. I have done it for years at my current employer. I have worked for them for 6 years. Carried my 9mm every single day, They never found out. That's because I carry deep concealed and unless you did a frisk and pat down, You would never find it. Even if you did frisk me, You'd still have to see it to know it was a gun, otherwise, I'd just say it was some very private medical device that I wasn't comfortable talking about. No employer is going to risk the legal repercussions of a strip search. An officer, however? They would be more than willing to risk it and would indeed be covered once they found the weapon.

They were trying to pass a law that forced all states to honor any permit provided by any state, But so far it has not been allowed to pass. Until that day comes where you can't be federally prosecuted just because that state doesn't honor your permit? You can't legally carry that weapon and have no second amendment right in this field of work. I am sorry my friend. That's just how it is.

Now for some who may question why you'd want to carry a weapon? Let me give you a fine example a friend of mine gave me once.

"Forced dispatch. While you can express distaste for certain areas, If they give you a load going to a particularly dangerous area such as Chicago or New York City? Well... You might as well find a new company to work for."

In my opinion, Chicago (Sorry people of Chicago, Its nothing personal) is nothing but a cesspool of crime and violence. While I have not started trucking, I dread the day a delivery to or from that forsaken place ever gets sent to that Qualcomm . I dread the thought of going there without some form of gun protection.

I've delivered to Chicago plenty of times. Never had an issue. The only thing I ever encountered in Chicago was a road got paved over and raised the height of a bridge. The sign posted 13'8", but the new pavement made it about 13'6".

I shouldn't, but I can't resist.

"Well, if the company has a rule against drivers' packin', I personally will NOT work for them. No way. No how. Not for $100,000/year even. "

You've eliminated 99.9% of potential employers then. Get your own truck and pack an AR if you feel like it.

"It is a sure sign my life means nothing to them. The corporate big-wigs are not going to get gunned down, sexually assaulted or beat to death in their sissy office."

If you comply with their rules, your life is just as valuable as any other employee's lives. You are no more or less special than anyone else. A little edgy, for sure, but not more important. If their office employees were getting killed and assaulted, they would change their location, security procedures, policies or all of the above. If their drivers were sent to notoriously dangerous location they would have equally responsive and responsible solutions for that as well.

"I live in pro-gun Idaho in the Wild Wild American West Where It is Best. I would definitely prefer regional or local since there is no CCW requirement for residents in this state. Ideally, I would like a position where I would not even have to leave state lines in the rig because of the gun permit issue. Driving in Kommie-fornia is absolutely OUT for me."

Sounds like you should be a repo man. Be sure to wear your cowboy hat.

"I thought most American truck drivers were mostly right wing and in favor of gun carry for their personal security anyway."

I would wager you are correct on both points here. At least the drivers that are born in Murica and speak English. Most of this same demographic, I would again wager, also likely strongly believes in personal property rights and that trucking companies, shippers and insurance providers don't want Yosemite Sam on their property or operating their equipment and have the overriding right to tell you to leave your pistol at home or seek other employment.

"And why are there so damn many random murders against truck drivers? Some were just doing their job with no sign of robbery attempt."

It is a shame when one hears of senseless on the job killings, regardless of occupation. I don't thimk you'll find any statistics that show there are a rash of trucking killings, despite your expert Googling. Truckers are much more likely to be killed by distracted driving, tired driving, aggressive driving or, perhaps in your case, hyperventilating.

I shouldn't, but I can't resist.

"Well, if the company has a rule against drivers' packin', I personally will NOT work for them. No way. No how. Not for $100,000/year even. "

You've eliminated 99.9% of potential employers then. Get your own truck and pack an AR if you feel like it.

"It is a sure sign my life means nothing to them. The corporate big-wigs are not going to get gunned down, sexually assaulted or beat to death in their sissy office."

If you comply with their rules, your life is just as valuable as any other employee's lives. You are no more or less special than anyone else. A little edgy, for sure, but not more important. If their office employees were getting killed and assaulted, they would change their location, security procedures, policies or all of the above. If their drivers were sent to notoriously dangerous location they would have equally responsive and responsible solutions for that as well.

"I live in pro-gun Idaho in the Wild Wild American West Where It is Best. I would definitely prefer regional or local since there is no CCW requirement for residents in this state. Ideally, I would like a position where I would not even have to leave state lines in the rig because of the gun permit issue. Driving in Kommie-fornia is absolutely OUT for me."

Sounds like you should be a repo man. Be sure to wear your cowboy hat.

"I thought most American truck drivers were mostly right wing and in favor of gun carry for their personal security anyway."

I would wager you are correct on both points here. At least the drivers that are born in Murica and speak English. Most of this same demographic, I would again wager, also likely strongly believes in personal property rights and that trucking companies, shippers and insurance providers don't want Yosemite Sam on their property or operating their equipment and have the overriding right to tell you to leave your pistol at home or seek other employment.

"And why are there so damn many random murders against truck drivers? Some were just doing their job with no sign of robbery attempt."

It is a shame when one hears of senseless on the job killings, regardless of occupation. I don't thimk you'll find any statistics that show there are a rash of trucking killings, despite your expert Googling. Truckers are much more likely to be killed by distracted driving, tired driving, aggressive driving or, perhaps in your case, hyperventilating.

The fact is I could DIE or get KILLED!

Better start looking for a different career then. The percentage of finding a company that alllows guns is slim and far between. If you do find one then the shippers and receivers don't allow them.

The truck belongs to the company, they dictate the rules. Let's just say something we're to happen and you have to open fire. In the process you kill an innocent bystander. Besides you who would they hold accountable?

Owning a gun is an awesome responsibility.