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

Correction- PERFECT not PREFECT

I hate auto-correct.

May a driver even carry a taser or stun gun in the rig? No laws or policy against that, is there?

Many shippers/receivers don't allow weapons at all, which would include tasers and stun guns.

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

That's complete BS. It's not within a million miles of that.

Well, if the company has a rule against drivers' packin', I personally will NOT work for them.

Companies have policies against them and so do the customers on their private property. I very much doubt the DOT would like you having a gun in their weigh stations and I'm certain you'd have an interesting day if they were to find out about it.

The corporate big-wigs are not going to get gunned down, sexually assaulted or beat to death in their sissy office

Actually I worked for a company that had a driver walk into the offices and shoot his dispatcher right in the head while he was sitting at his desk. Then he went back out to his truck and waited for the police to come take him away.

So once again, you think you have it all figured out, but you don't. You underestimated Brian and the situations he's been in, and you made a wrong assumption about office people being safe but only caring about themselves.

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.

Oh good, another list of demands and expectations. I thought you were going to quit after the first 25 or so.

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

Actually I think it's a lot smarter to let someone know from a distance that you're a lousy target, like having a large German Shepherd with you. There are 3.5 million trucks or so on the highways. A random killer or thief has no idea if you have a gun or not but the overwhelming chances are that you do not, so he's likely to pick a random truck and go for it, unless that random truck has a 110 pound German Shepherd in the cab, in which case he'll gladly wait a few minutes for a different truck to come along.

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.

Honestly, I've come across very few people I thought were less suited to a life in this industry than you are. If I had to put money on the table I would bet you're not gonna last a week. You have no tolerance for anything, and you have this gigantic pool of problematic beliefs, expectations, ideals, and misperceptions that simply aren't going to work in trucking.

Again, it's not that I don't think you're capable. You're simply not going to be willing to do what is demanded of a top performing driver out there. You're either too hard headed or you're too nitpicky. And naturally none of that would be nearly as fun if you weren't the type that felt compelled to strongly voice your opinions to everyone about everything under the sun and talk down to those who disagree with you, which of course is going to lead to all sorts of endless struggles with safety and dispatch and DOT.

I'm not saying you're too much of a diva, but I'm not saying you're not too much of a diva.

And on another topic I see you called someone a "brain dead buffoon". I deleted it, and I'm gonna show you the door the next time you insult someone.

And on another topic I see you called someone a "brain dead buffoon". I deleted it, and I'm gonna show you the door the next time you insult someone.

........aaaaand Mr Jonathan Bailey is no longer with us. Nice having you for a short time there, friend.

Correction- PERFECT not PREFECT

I hate auto-correct.

Yeah, u and Ford Prefect!

Correction- PERFECT not PREFECT

I hate auto-correct.

Yeah, u and Ford Prefect!

Once he found out carrying a gun probably wouldn't work he went nuts, said we're all communists trying to strip Americans of their rights and this is a communist forum, yada yada yada.

Wow - go do something else last night - and miss all the fun.

Rather than do my usual "fact filled rant"...

Companies have policies against them and so do the customers on their private property. I very much doubt the DOT would like you having a gun in their weigh stations and I'm certain you'd have an interesting day if they were to find out about it.

Probably shouldn't carry (if you do) into a weigh station, as most states have prohibitions on carrying in a "police station", and since DOT is manned by folks considered to be "Law Enforcement Officers", the interior of a weigh station office could be "loosely construed" as being one.

The are NO STATE OR FEDERAL LAWS, prohibiting the possession of a firearms (for lawful self defense, not gun running) in a commercial vehicle - so rolling through a weigh station, or even going in with your paperwork UNARMED, or having it in your truck in whatever manner LOCAL/STATE LAWS prescribe for weapons in vehicles, is not going to be an issue.

The issue IS (and will ALWAYS BE) company prohibitions on firearms, shipper/receiver prohibitions, prohibitions on ports and government installations. Add to that the ever changing laws in the NON-GUN-FRIENDLY STATES (the 11 my carry permit is not reciprocal with is a good start), and you WILL GET ARRESTED, regardless of your position on your 2A rights.

We go "where the freight takes us", and even absent company (and all the other) prohibitions - you risk your 2A rights themselves, by taking a firearm somewhere it isn't allowed - and you can't just refuse a load, because it takes you into/through states where your gun isn't legal.

Rights are great. Laws, while sometimes confusing, serve a purpose (whether I agree with some of them or not).

COMPANY POLICY, IS COMPANY POLICY. And if someone won't work for a company that "curtails their 2A rights", then you'd best choose a different industry to work in.

Rick

I just want to thank the chosen one on his small history lesson, thank you I enjoyed reading your post.

Why is it that people who probably generally agree with the principle "Speak softly and carry a big stick" always forget the "speak softly" part?