Can You Have A Small Hatchet Or Small Machete In Truck?

I am curious about what type of knives or other small sharp items like 12" hatchet or 16" machete type chopping device you can have in your truck.

I hate charcoal taste and I know some rest areas have grills you can use and I prefer a little bit of wood instead of charcoal. Are there laws against those type things in the cab of the truck?

Any help on this would be appreciated, or if there is already a thread on it point me to one please.

And while I'm on this subject, what if anything do you guys carry inside your cab for personal protection?

Thanks much Tommy

Machete? Doubt it. I carry a small rescue axe in a sheath, and a tire thumper. I think it comes down to practicality. If you can justify having it more as a tool than a weapon, I doubt anyone would give you a hard time. But a machete? What else could you use it for?

It's small, like 16", and its great for slicing small wood like the kind needed to start small grill fire. But hatchet would work just as well, was curious about which I could be allowed to have in cab

It's small, like 16", and its great for slicing small wood like the kind needed to start small grill fire. But hatchet would work just as well, was curious about which I could be allowed to have in cab

I don't think that there's anything in the federal trucking regs about weapons, but many companies and most federal and state properties (such as weigh stations, where you're much more likely to be inspected) have rules against them. I think guyjax mentioned a while back that his company won't allow any blade over 4" in length, for example.

You're probably better off with a small hatchet than a machete. It's a lot easier to cut kindling with a hatchet than a machete anyway, at least in my experience. And if someone raises an eyebrow, a hatchet is easier to explain. But you'll need to ask whatever company you go to work for for a specific answer.

Alot of what they can give you a hard time about is all about interpretation. If they see something you have as a weapon, they can and more than likely will treat it as such. Something like a tire thumper, on the other hand, is far less likely to attract that kind of attention. I carry the rescue axe...god forbid I ever need it...in case I come across or am involved in an accident where I need a tool to expedite my escape or someone else's from a vehicle. The tire thumper is self explanatory.

My axe has a smaller blade, stays in a sheath, and has cutouts in the blade to shut off gas lines and turn on or off fire hydrants, much like the personal ones some firemen carry. That way there is no confusion as to its intended purpose.

Thanks, I will. Guess I could always call a dot weigh station and see what type of answer they give, but different states may have different rules, who knows, I just know I need something to chop small wood with so I don't have to stack a cord of splintered wood on truck...lol

Just get a roofing hammer. Serves many purposes, especially in a flatbed application.

But a machete? What else could you use it for?

When your truck breaks down in the jungles of Nicaragua and you have to go traipsing thorough miles of thick undergrowth to the nearest Love's for parts, you'll be glad you brought that machete along.

Just get a roofing hammer. Serves many purposes, especially in a flatbed application.

Excellent, that is what I will get! Thanks much.

But a machete? What else could you use it for?

When your truck breaks down in the jungles of Nicaragua and you have to go traipsing thorough miles of thick undergrowth to the nearest Love's for parts, you'll be glad you brought that machete along.

As much as I like my job, I'd quit before I'd allow that one lol Roofing hammer is also a good idea for FB. Some companies allow weapons. Problem is most shippers and receivers do not. If DOT finds a firearm, they know you were most likely heading to or from a shipper or receiver that prohibits them, and will grill you over it. Can they do anything to you if you are caught with it off their property? I don't know. But until I do, I'm not looking to find out. Then there's the whole 'ammo and magazines' deal if you do not have a CWP.