New CDL Female Driver - Safety And Concealed Carry

I will be starting my career as a CDL driver on the road in February. I have concerns about safety once I am on my own in March.

How many of you have a concealed carry weapon on you?

Is it something I need to worry about at truck stops?

I am looking for honest opinions.

Thanks!

Sue in Wisconsin

Hi. This has been brought up a number of times and a search on the forum could give you some more information, but I'll try to summarize it to a short version:

Beyond the fact that concealed carry permits are not good for all states so it may be entirely illegal sometimes, there are many shippers and receivers that have policies against bringing any weapons on premise and they reserve the right to search your cab (though they rarely do). I'm not saying this is how it should or shouldn't be (and I really am trying to avoid a political discussion), but this is the way it is so you will unfortunately have to leave the gun at home. Don't let this discourage you, there are lots of drivers out there who stay perfectly safe without a concealed carry weapon.

Companies do not allow firearms. get caught and you just blew your career.

as a woman i have never felt unsafe to the point i wanted a gun use common sense and be aware of your surroundings. i often park at the Gary, IN TA the Petro in West Memphis, and the Flying J in Detroit...all of which have bad reputations. I have never once seen anything dangerous at those places, even at 0300.

There's nothing to fear but fear itself. I truly believe the "I need to carry" theme OTR is perpetuated by people who havent been out here yet or by morons who starts fights then need the means to finish them.

First off; "Welcome Susann." The answer to your question is most of us do not carry a firearm while working.

In addition to Steve's points, fact is I know of no trucking companies that allow firearms to be carried on their properties or on their trucks by there drivers.

We have several successful women on the forum; Rainy and Susan are the two most active. Hopefully they will chime in with their thoughts on your concerns.

Trucking Truth has a starter kit that will help you prepare for this career:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program

• CDL Practice Tests

Also, I hate when people claim its more.dangerous for a woman out here. that is BS Most guys out here look after the women. i think its deceitful and sexist for people to state otherwise.

Never carry on the job. Not worth it. On the other hand, a good can of wasp spray and an iron 5th wheel puller does inflict decent body damage.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. I wasn't concerned at first about my safety till I started reading around the internet and starting watching some youtube posts by others that claimed it was not safe for females "out there". I do appreciate everyone's comments. I wasn't aware that concealed carry/guns were not allowed. In all the materials Swift provided, that was not in anything.

Again THANKS and I hope to meet all of you soon out on the road.

Sue from Wisconsin.

Stop watching the videos lol

Most of them are idiots and will go on and on about how they jump from company to company. type in "fired from trucking" and see how.many results you get lol morons. My favorites are the "i told my FM to shove it but he had no right to fire me" jerks.

seriously, i got really really angry a few times when some one post wonder would come along and say things like "sexual harrassment dominates the industry". REALLY???? can you name me one industry where sexual harrassment doesnt occur? didnt think so.

if women want to run with the big boys in a male dominated industry then complain and cry "they are being mean to me and im a girl", then they need to toughen up or go back to nursing, teaching and the secretarial pool.

it makes me laugh that these people want to play the victim instead of empowering each other.

As a woman, im kicking butt out here. You can too. Some people just complain no matter what.

Hi Sue,

I'm not in trucking (yet), but I just wanted to address a couple of concerns. First, almost no employer in any industry is going to have on their main website or recruitment page any information about carrying firearms (concealed or otherwise) while working, or even just having them in your car while parked on their property. Regardless of what permit(s) you might have, employers in most states do not have to honor them, and can prohibit you from carrying weapons while working for them or on their property (or in their trucks). Information about that is almost always found out after you have been hired and started attending orientation. If any of that is a deal breaker, you wouldn't know about it until then, unless you specifically asked them during the pre-hiring process.

Second, if you're driving across state lines, it's your responsibility to know where you are legal to carry; permits from one state are not necessarily recognized in the next (NJ for example does not honor any out-of-state weapon permits--any weapon possession will land you in prison).

Third, if you're going to possess a gun at all for protection, are you prepared (as in, trained) in using a gun defensively, are you prepared to take a human life, and are you willing to deal with the legal aftermath?

Fourth, your best defense is awareness around you. Look for courses in your area on self-defense for women--they're not just about how to fight, but how to observe your surroundings and avoid trouble in the first place (which I consider to be the most important).

I say these things not to discourage you from anything or to sound political. I consider these points to be the kind of things someone needs to know ahead of time.

Best of luck to you whatever you do.