Are There Any Ever Restrictions On Carrying Cordless Power Tools On Company Trucks?

Why do I ask? The gun thread below got me to a thinkin'. Well, since many carriers seem to like to ban firearms I figure some kind of portable power tool running off a rechargeable lithium battery might make a fairly decent means to ward off a possible attack while you reside in your sleeper. A power tool could do a lot of damage to the face, arms, fingers and hands of an attacker fast. I have cordless chainsaws in mind. I think it more highly menacing and damaging than even a cordless drill with a long bit. One could use a CO2 fire extinguisher for defense but it will deprive the tight space of a cab of oxygen so you might pass out and die. Any person here keep any kind of cordless electric power tool for personal security inside the cab? An 18" battery chainsaw might seem hard to beat as a power tool used as a personal defense weapon inside the tight confines of a cab. The tactical advantage in such a tight space is the would-be attacker can go out only one way: the way he came in if you confront him with a menacing power tool. He can't easily circle around you or get behind you.

A chainsaw with a 18" bar will quickly reach out and cut off fingers and hands of perpetrators unlike a non-powered tool as a tire iron. You know what the power saw does already to big wooden logs. It will take the bad guy's head off fast too. Since it is battery-powered, it will start quickly and reliably and run cleanly unlike a gas saw which would be unsafe in cab due to toxic/flammable fuels and fumes. Most likely the mere sight of a chainsaw buzzing will send a bad guy vamoosing in a flash.

Keep a few cans of the wasp/hornet spray nearby. That stuff can shoot out to 20 feet and acts like mace when sprayed in someones face. And if someone asks why you have it, just say bees and stuff sometimes build nests in open trailers.. Forget trying to get exotic and over think something.

Another thread that could be solved by picking up the phone and calling a recruiter.

Check out my video on various weapons..

Self Protection OTR

You keep being worried about being asleep while someone enters your cab. Run a rope through both door handles and up to the air horn pull. Before they even get the door open you and the rest of the truck stop will be alerted

I have been driving 5 years and never needed a gun. I am a woman and I feel safe... Now if you think your constant questions would antagonize people to the point they want to kill you.. I understand.

Lol. Sorry. Had to

Keep a few cans of the wasp/hornet spray nearby. That stuff can shoot out to 20 feet and acts like mace when sprayed in someones face. And if someone asks why you have it, just say bees and stuff sometimes build nests in open trailers.. Forget trying to get exotic and over think something.

I've thought over the possible use of "chemical weapons". Inside a tight cab, there is the risk of breathing in or getting exposed to the chemicals yourself. Is spraying bee spray inside a cab a good idea? It certainly is weildier and handier than even a chainsaw. Will I get injured by bee spray if I shoot a perp inside the cab with it? It's going to create a nasty chemical mess inside the truck that will have to be decontaminated too. Again, Dan, you might be onto something. Of course if I'm defending my own life and limb inside the truck, I'm not going to worry about what damage the company property will sustain anyway. I certainly don't want to occupy or drive a truck until the insect poison is thoroughly cleaned up. There will be residing annoying and toxic bee spray fumes until that stuff is thoroughly cleaned off everything. Is mace or pepper spray just even a better idea than either a saw or bee spray? Can mace or pepper spray be carried on military bases?

Check out my video on various weapons..

Self Protection OTR

You keep being worried about being asleep while someone enters your cab. Run a rope through both door handles and up to the air horn pull. Before they even get the door open you and the rest of the truck stop will be alerted

I have been driving 5 years and never needed a gun. I am a woman and I feel safe... Now if you think your constant questions would antagonize people to the point they want to kill you.. I understand.

Lol. Sorry. Had to

Most violent crimes tend to happen against sleeping drivers that is why they get the most thought from me. That is when bad guys know they are most vulnerable. Does every tractor have an air horn pull control? I will have to read over your link you posted.

Just for fun I contacted [one unnamed mega] and asked them this just to test the waters of this game:

"Hello! I'm considering a new career as a truck driver. I was curious to know how as to well your company is committed to the personal security of its employees. I've heard of several horrible accounts of drivers who have had to park in places they feel insecure and about how the criminal elements have broken into their cabs as they sleep and violently attacked them. How well does Your company protect its drivers against possible violent criminal encounters over the road and how does your company help keep its drivers safe from the actions of violent thugs? What modern technology, policies, procedures, techniques and equipment does your company utilize to protect drivers from bad people all across America as they work and sleep over the road? A truck, I gather, brings a driver often to unfamiliar and hostile places far away from home and is reputed to offer limited protection from criminal intrusion or attack as compared with an office building or even a motel room for lodging."

Their reply to me:

"Hello Moose,

Thank you for your interest in _______'s driving opportunities. Safety is our number one core value. Because of this the safety of all our associates is at the forefront of every decision we make. All drivers are issued a Samsung Galaxy tablet during orientation. One major feature of the tablet is turn by turn GPS navigation with information built into the system that’s important to drivers. This includes gas stations to fill up at and truck/rest stops that are safe locations for drivers to end their day at. The tablets also have access to an app called TruckPark. On there you can see reviews drivers have for those park locations. If a driver feels they are unsafe with where they are parked for the night we ask that they leave the area and then immediately contact their manager for assistance in finding somewhere they would feel more comfortable being for the night. In situations where a driver feels they are routed to drive through an area they feel uncomfortable with we would again ask that they contact their manager to come up with an alternate route. If a driver ever feels unsafe near a delivery site the would have their the customers contact information. In those situations we encourage the driver to contact the customer and work with them to get them onto the property and into the delivery area safely. If an immediate danger were ever to be encountered we ask that our drivers contact the local authorities for assistance with the situation.

Please call us at 1-800-___-____ or text “Chat” to _______ if you have any other questions and we would be happy to assist."

LMAO. "Please hold it, Mr. Burglar!! [as he is prying my door open] I have to call the police right now so they can save me from you!!" Is there any guarantee a driver will even always have a cell connection at his/her parked location? How long would it even take the cops to show up?

I purposely mentioned nothing about firearms. I did not hear any reply from this particular mega that their trucks were equipped with advanced 21st century security systems (like the OnStar system that is in some expensive cars) to automatically summon police in the event of any break-in attempt. Hint: this mega has orange trucks with black lettering!!

My /02 cents after having followed some of your posts and comments. You seem to be worried and panic about the least statistical likelihood of events happening. Why I do not know. Fact - trucking is considered the most dangerous job in the USA right now, even edging out law enforcement work. Statistically you have far more to worry about than the thug with a weapon breaking into your truck. Can it happen, sure is it possible to happen SURE. You have to consider though possibility versus probability. Even before the anarchy that has become 2020 , generally speaking violent crime has been on the down low and I do not rely on the news for that data. The news blows everything out of whack and only publishes/reports on the stories that will garner them views, likes (social media) and advertisement dollars.

If you pull your data from news sources who always report the worst possible thing to ever occur to a human being, than you will see the world as very hostile to truckers and generally unsafe. Have there been cases of truckers dying from violent crime, yep sure has, then again old ladies have died from home invasions, people in certain demographics in the US have died to violent gun death and domestic violence has certainty claimed more than one life. My point is these stories or incidents do not by and large represent the greatest possible dangers present to people in society.

You are far more likely statistically speaking to die by choking on a piece of food, a heart attack brought by an un-diagnosed heart condition, stroke or any other medical malady.

In trucking it is FAR FAR more probable that you will meet your end via

1) a Blown steering tire causing loss of control of your vehicle causing you to tip over 2) bad weather conditions causing you to wreck 3) a tractor trailer roll over 4) a drunk driver - the other guy not you hopefully

I could go on and on, in short there are far far more likely probable events that could end up causing your demise whilst inside a CMV than the random act of violence.

If you are really that concerned about violence OTR , maybe you want to consider if OTR is for you? Maybe you are one of the types of persons who would rather or rather NEEDS to be at home daily (and hey that's fine too). Maybe consider a local dump truck driving gig those pay decently well and with a Class A you can earn more (pulling a trailer, heavy hauling etc) and the plus is with few exceptions you would be at home every night. Not only that most dump trucks (at least here in Oregon) don't run when the roads get really ugly.

In the last year since I started this journey there has been FAR FAR more safety items for me to be concerned about during my pre and post trips not mention while actually driving on the trip Moose.

The random punk who decided to step up to my plate and try me out has honestly been the last concern on my mind.

Check out my video on various weapons..

Self Protection OTR

You keep being worried about being asleep while someone enters your cab. Run a rope through both door handles and up to the air horn pull. Before they even get the door open you and the rest of the truck stop will be alerted

I have been driving 5 years and never needed a gun. I am a woman and I feel safe... Now if you think your constant questions would antagonize people to the point they want to kill you.. I understand.

Lol. Sorry. Had to

Most violent crimes tend to happen against sleeping drivers that is why they get the most thought from me. That is when bad guys know they are most vulnerable. Does every tractor have an air horn pull control? I will have to read over your link you posted.

He's just our resident troll. We put up with him because we're clearly nice to people. He will never be a trucker - we all know that. He has nothing better to do, so we let him start discussions that produce responses that might sometimes help serious inquirers into our career.

We kind of use him like that, and it satisfies his weird fascination with us.

Oh okay! LOL I was wondering, I really havent had much time lately to peruse the pages much LOL. Good to know.

He's just our resident troll. We put up with him because we're clearly nice to people. He will never be a trucker - we all know that. He has nothing better to do, so we let him start discussions that produce responses that might sometimes help serious inquirers into our career.

We kind of use him like that, and it satisfies his weird fascination with us.