Being An OTR And Firearms

The one good thing about being an Illinois resident... My Illinois CCL is honored there...Except all the places it ain't.

Paul just do flatbed then you have all sorts of legal goodies that you can use to creatively give someone a really bad day and a trip to the ER.😂

This is really something you should check with a lawyer about, not other truckers.

Can you get away with it? Probably. Keep it in the stow away and locked in a hard case and you increase your chances because 1) no one is searching, and 2) you’re demonstrating responsible storage.

Is it worth the risk? Probably not. If you don’t know yourself to be a target of a specific group, and can demonstrate that to law enforcement on the spot at any time, it’s simply not worth the risk. If you’re getting robbed, no one wants to hurt you they just want the cargo. Hand it over and let insurance cover the costs

Here is some of the federal law pertaining to interstate transportation of firearms. Again, this is not legal advice, and there’s undoubtedly more federal law/regulation pertaining to this. But this should be enough to get you started

I think I forgot to post the link

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-44

Yeah... even we truckers know there is no federal law preventing it. But there are tons of state laws. And you will be thrown in prison in many blue states. You are taking a risk. "Demonstrating responsible storage" does not mean a damn thing in NJ where they threw the book at an off duty PA cop for his off duty pistol in his car. Stored "responsibly".

Yes, your vehicle can be searched... by your company and even customers if not by law enforcement. And it is an easy way to lose a job. Yes i did have my cab searched in cabinets and under the bunk both on a miltary base and a high value shipper... putting me in possession of millions of dollars of freight.

Cool, thanks for the replies!

First and foremost, as previously alluded to, check your carrier's policy. My carrier states in the driver handbook they defer to state law. Customers can write whatever they want about no firearms on premises, and you do NOT want to carry on your person at these facilities and you need to respect that. As far as what I may or may not have securely contained in the truck within my personal affects, they can gargle that which contains my reproductive glands (pardon my French). Nobody at any facility. The only vehicles they can legally "Search" are there own, not a 3rd party carrier's vehicle. Even during a DOT inspection from what I have heard (someone please correct me if there is something else written by law) can anyone rifle through your personal affects in the cab UNLESS they have just cause. Inspect the cab, yes, empty out all your bags, boxes and private belongings in an invasive search of the vehicle, I don't think so unless you have done something to create just cause per the law. AGAIN, please correct me if you have something concrete to argue this point.

As far as state laws, this is where you really need to pay attention and KEEP reviewing them on a regular basis as they can change at any time with the ongoing endless gun regulations in communist states. As Kearsey has pointed out, New Jersey is best example. ANY hollow points, ANY high capacity magazines found in your possession you are going straight to jail and good luck getting out any time soon. I found this out after doing a last minute check last summer which trumped my prior research from years back. So right now, there are about 30 rounds of 9 mm hollow points and 2 hi cap magazines in a landfill in Eastern Pennsylvania that were discarded at a toll service plaza. Wasn't worth the risk to me. Soaked the magazines with all the rounds in water and taped the mags with a roll of tape help avoid any possible discharge during waste management processing.

I wouldn't carry for traditional self defense (break ins, disgruntled motorists, WWE trans lot lizards, etc) I keep it in case some major doomsday event happens (grid goes down, EMP attack, mass riots, etc.) and I am stranded somewhere and have to live off the land and get home without the truck by some other means.

Sorry I was less than "Zen" in this reply, however this whole topic shouldn't be an issue in a (supposed) constitutional republic. It is one topic that gets me pretty riled up.

Lastly, the firearm referenced in this post and all of my firearms were tragically lost at sea. "This wasn't any boating accident!!.....this wasn't a coral reef.....and it's wasn't jack the ripper.......it was a shark"