Truck Drivers and Guns...

[koenig clone]

yea, im just a farmboy, indy has educated me on alot of things. saw my first real live crackwhore on tenth st. woowee!

 

[ElkhartGunner]

I drove OTR for 7 years and I never had any problems where I went. I have been to the worst slums you could ever imagine. Chicago-easy, try the real dangerous cities like Newark NJ, downtown manhatten, Camden, NJ, DC(yes DC, I said it). I have picked up and delivered to all 48 states and never felt like my life was in danger. I did carry mase and a pocket knife. I personally would have never carried a handgun with me because I wouldnt want anyone to get into my truck and take it. I dont know what you've heard about what goes on out there on the road, but most of it is BS.

 

[melensdad]

I drove OTR for 7 years and I never had any problems where I went. I have been to the worst slums you could ever imagine. Chicago-easy, try the real dangerous cities like Newark NJ, downtown manhatten, Camden, NJ, DC(yes DC, I said it). I have picked up and delivered to all 48 states and never felt like my life was in danger. I did carry mase and a pocket knife. I personally would have never carried a handgun with me because I wouldnt want anyone to get into my truck and take it. I dont know what you've heard about what goes on out there on the road, but most of it is BS.

I owned a fleet of roughly 10 to 15 trucks for almost 20 years and we had very very few problems over those years. I would not encourage anyone to take a loaded gun into any area where it is unlawful to do so. If you have a carry permit and want to carry it on your person lawfully, do so, but don't leave it in the cab in easy reach. We did have cabs that were broken into on a pretty regular basis while the driver was in the back unloading the truck.

Two violent incidents that stick out in my mind:

CHICAGO, south side, Robert Taylor Homes housing project area (those have now been mostly demolished by the city) we had one of the drivers kidnapped at gun point. He was thrown in the rear of the truck and the truck was driven under an overpass where a car was waiting, they began offloading goods (bulk cases of cigarettes) and filled the car, locked him back in the truck and drove away. He used some tools to break the door from the inside and was actually rescued in process.

GARY, about 4 blocks west of Broadway, around 9th avenue, a driver was attacked by a man with a knife. The driver was a 'hillbilly' type guy, snatched the knife from the attacker and beat the living **** out of him leaving him bloody on the ground for the police, who essentially had to rescue the attacker from the driver. The driver was not arrested, the criminal was, and prosecuted too.​

But generally I would agree that driving is a safe profession. Where you get into more problems is NOT in the downtown and/or industrial areas, it is if you have a delivery that is outside of the downtown and/or industrial areas. Those businesses that do not have loading docks and do not exist in areas where there is a lot of legitimate trade. Pay particular attention to making a delivery to the lone gas station or lone shop that is in a residential area with apartments and public housing.

Rest stops are another source of potential problem. More problems in the rural lonely stops than the big urban truck centers. There is safety in numbers. But again, we did not experience any violence in those areas, it was more likely the cab would be broken into while the driver was using the bathroom, and break-ins like that were rare events too.

 

[SavageEagle]

I would agree with melensdad that trucking IS a safe profession... But.... When i was working for Eby-Brown, they told me of a guy who went to Gary to deliver a load. If you don't know, Eby-Brown delivers to gas stations so take a guess what all they haul. Anyway, one night while this guys was making his first stops, 4 guys jumped him in the back of his truck, tied him up, took the truck, took EVERYTHING and left him and the truck, unharmed, in the Country outside Chicago. If the state trooper hadn't broken the lock and untied him, he'd have died from anomonia from the reffer running all day and night. Apparently he had enough time and sense to smack one guy with a load bar, but 4 on 1?

I've heard many stories of guys getting robbed at rest stops and truck stops alike. And not just by lot lizards either.

So saying that it's useless to carry a gun on the road is like saying it's useless to carry a gun on you any and every day whereever you are.

 

[mospeada]

I know of a former trucker who carried a cap and ball revolver on him while driving. Not technically a firearm.

 

[Hammer]

I drove OTR for about a year and a half went through 46 states and logged over 250,000 in that time. All while carrying, including California. Just know that you do not need to go flashing what you got and you will be ok. Now Canada, is another story. Do not carry there. They do X ray the whole truck.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

I would agree with melensdad that trucking IS a safe profession... But.... When i was working for Eby-Brown, they told me of a guy who went to Gary to deliver a load. If you don't know, Eby-Brown delivers to gas stations so take a guess what all they haul. Anyway, one night while this guys was making his first stops, 4 guys jumped him in the back of his truck, tied him up, took the truck, took EVERYTHING and left him and the truck, unharmed, in the Country outside Chicago. If the state trooper hadn't broken the lock and untied him, he'd have died from anomonia from the reffer running all day and night. Apparently he had enough time and sense to smack one guy with a load bar, but 4 on 1?

I've heard many stories of guys getting robbed at rest stops and truck stops alike. And not just by lot lizards either.

So saying that it's useless to carry a gun on the road is like saying it's useless to carry a gun on you any and every day whereever you are.

I dont mean to diminish your story, but I'd like to point out two things:

1) Any time that the city of Gary comes into a discussion, the odds of the story being inflated or downright wrong increase greatly.

2) If you are in Gary, IN and head towards Chicago, it is not possible to end up in the "Country outside Chicago". Based on what you wrote above, I interpreted that the guy was left in a rural area. There are exactly 0 rural areas between Gary and Chicago. I don't mean to be a jerk about it, but it weakens the validity of your story. It may have been a typo or something so no hard feelings, just pointing it out.

 

[SavageEagle]

I dont mean to diminish your story, but I'd like to point out two things:

1) Any time that the city of Gary comes into a discussion, the odds of the story being inflated or downright wrong increase greatly.

2) If you are in Gary, IN and head towards Chicago, it is not possible to end up in the "Country outside Chicago". Based on what you wrote above, I interpreted that the guy was left in a rural area. There are exactly 0 rural areas between Gary and Chicago. I don't mean to be a jerk about it, but it weakens the validity of your story. It may have been a typo or something so no hard feelings, just pointing it out.

You don't believe me? That's fine, you don't have to. The guy was hijacked in Gary at a stop. The Truck was later found empty WEST of Chicago. I'm sure you can look it up somewhere. I don't care to try but you are welcome to. I'm sure they probably don't report in the news every hijacking and kidnapping and murder in the Gary/Chicago area. This has been about five years ago if that helps. You could always go ask the guys I worked with at Eby-Brown. They'll tell ya. Hell, I think the guy who was robbed still works there.

Again, you don't have to believe me. It is true, but whatever.

I suppose you wouldn't believe that the next year an EB driver in Georgia fell asleep at the wheel and killed a cop either? That's why I don't have my Class A. They were going to help me train for it and pay for my test but when that happened they stopped and quit hiring anyone with less than a year experiance with the Class A. I was pissed.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

Breathe dude. Just chill.

I never said that I don't believe you. You told a story with details that are questionable, which for some folks brings your whole thing into question. I pointed out the fault so that you could explain yourself. Next time maybe I will pass by and people will make whatever presumptions they want. It's your gig to explain what the hell you are trying to say. If you don't clarify the details, whats a guy to think? I wasn't calling you a liar or anything, but the details didn't add up. Thats not my fault, so please don't be mad at me.

You don't believe me? That's fine, you don't have to. The guy was hijacked in Gary at a stop. The Truck was later found empty WEST of Chicago. I'm sure you can look it up somewhere. I don't care to try but you are welcome to. I'm sure they probably don't report in the news every hijacking and kidnapping and murder in the Gary/Chicago area. This has been about five years ago if that helps. You could always go ask the guys I worked with at Eby-Brown. They'll tell ya. Hell, I think the guy who was robbed still works there.

Again, you don't have to believe me. It is true, but whatever.

I suppose you wouldn't believe that the next year an EB driver in Georgia fell asleep at the wheel and killed a cop either? That's why I don't have my Class A. They were going to help me train for it and pay for my test but when that happened they stopped and quit hiring anyone with less than a year experiance with the Class A. I was pissed.

 

[SavageEagle]

sorry man it was a bad morning. I went off the hook and I'm sorry. I probably did misinturperate all that. My bad man.

 

[melensdad]

FWIW, at one time Eby-Brown delivered to Gary from its Aurora warehouse. Aurora is about 75 miles west of the Indiana state line, and there is a LOT of rural area west of 294 and also south of 80/94.

 

[SavageEagle]

After watching how Eby_brown did buisness and how they pushed their drivers WAY over their 14 hour limit, never will I go back.

 

[GunFaxdo]

Federal Gun Law for CDL Drivers | AskTheTrucker.com

interesting read on this subject...

The reference to this Federal law is useful only as it applies to folks passing through areas which may restrict or ban firearms.

It is known as the Federal "peaceable journey" law.

It specifically allows you to pass through States and have a firearm unloaded and locked away separate from its ammunition and outside of your immediate access as long as your possession of the firearm is legal in the States at the beginning and end of your journey.

On an entirely different matter, if you have a handgun permit which is recognized by all the States you pass through, you may carry it loaded and available on your person or somewhere close in the vehicle as long as you do so in a manner that is legal in each said State along the way.

Long guns are another matter as well. Unless a permit is required in a particular State you're going through, or having a long gun loaded in any vehicle is against the law of a particular State you're gong through, then it would be legal.

(Something like a Hi-Point carbine in .40S&W comes to mind...)

And of course this all presumes you're not on Federal property...

Bottom line: Always check the State laws if you want to carry loaded.

 

[HandK]

What I was always told is it is alot like having a motor home, It is considered your home and you are alowed to have a gun in your home!! so if it is in the sleeping compartment it would be considered your home! just a thought.

 

[Hammer]

What I was always told is it is alot like having a motor home, It is considered your home and you are alowed to have a gun in your home!! so if it is in the sleeping compartment it would be considered your home! just a thought.

I would not try that if I were you.