Concealed Weapons

"every company has a No Weapons policy", "ALL COMPANIES have a "no weapons" policy"

You all might not want to hear this, but these statements are, in fact, not true. Yes, most companies have such a policy, but I know of at least one, smallish company (about 50 trucks) that has no written policy regarding guns, and basically has a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude. (I won't give a name, as there are probably anti-gun nuts out there that would try to cause trouble for them.) The owner, by the way, is very pro-gun, in general.

"every company has a No Weapons policy", "ALL COMPANIES have a "no weapons" policy"

You all might not want to hear this, but these statements are, in fact, not true. Yes, most companies have such a policy, but I know of at least one, smallish company (about 50 trucks) that has no written policy regarding guns, and basically has a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude. (I won't give a name, as there are probably anti-gun nuts out there that would try to cause trouble for them.) The owner, by the way, is very pro-gun, in general.

I believe you, just like I believe there are companies that don't require formal training, don't care if you drink a few beers during your ten hour, etc. I would be shocked to find that any major carrier didn't have a no weapons policy. It's a huge liability for them, and frankly it is for the driver too. Just not worth it.

On this TT web site + forum our focus is on national size and large regional companies. All of these have stated policies regarding no personal firearms (many even say no hunting bows) on their equipment.

Sure smaller companies can have different policies. You could make a list of those that mostly don't have any policy regarding firearms. But for TT purposes, I'll stick with the "All companies".

And even if the company doesn't have a policy against firearms, most shippers and receivers do. Also if you are running in multiple started, you have to worry about varying state laws.

I am very pro gun myself, but it's just not worth the hassle and possible ramifications to carry on a truck.

There is only one company I am aware of that explicitly allows firearms on their trucks, but it's for a very specific dedicated division, and they don't allow them on any of their other trucks.

If you're that concerned about your safety on the road and insist that you absolutely need to carry, I'd suggest looking into another career, because this one really isn't that dangerous in that regard. The people you hear/read about being attacked generally invite trouble in the first place, i.e. patronizing lot lizards or the guy selling CDs out of his trunk. Simple situational awareness and half a dash of common sense is really all you need. Packing heat in your truck is totally unnecessary and not worth the risk, because if you get caught with it, you *will* lose your job (and probably find it all but impossible to get hired on by another carrier), and you may be arrested on a weapons charge, which is usually a felony and would thus strip you of the right to ever own or carry a firearm again.

Thanks for everyone's wisedom. I do not plan on taking one, I was just curious to see what the concensus was. It has been a while since I have drove a truck and trying to stay current with all the new regulations and policies. This is my passion and I will be a commercial truck driver. I do not feel insecure. I do not have to have a weapon and I will not be putting my job on the line for it. Just like having a chat about different ideas. Thanks again. It has been fun seeing all the different comments.