Last week Transportation Director Mike Tooley of the Montana DOT announced that he would be arming members of his Motor Carrier Service(MCS) officers with firearms. According to Tooley, this is for the safety of his officers who put themselves in harm’s way by stopping and inspecting commercial motor vehicles.
“We ask them to go out and make stops in places like the Bakken,” said Tooley. “It’s a public safety issue.”
Among those who object to the idea of DOT employees carrying firearms while on duty is Barry Stang, vice president of the Motor Carriers of Montana who posed the question “Why do they need a gun to enforce size and weight?”
There are some states whose MCS officers already carry guns. While some states like Montana’s inspections are done by MCS officers who are part of the Department of Transportation, other states’ MCS officers are part of that state’s highway patrol, operating as part of the Justice Department. This means that they are trained and supervised in the same way that highway patrol officers are.
Currently, Tooley only plans to train and arm just over a quarter of his MCS officers.
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Source: gobytrucknews, missoulian
Tim Lucas says
Over hours Hugh? Bang Bang Bang! That’ll teach him.
Ron says
I can see it now…if you get upset with the officer for telling a lie about you, by writing you a ticket that ruins your driving record,and gets your boss to distrust your driving ability,and raises your insurance rates. He has permission to now shoot you,because he can tell another lie,by claiming ” he thought his life was in danger” , just because you don’t appreciate being “screwed over” by a dishonest officer. Remember…he’s another “Government employee” being paid to hurt you.
James says
And yet I’m sure everyone of you guys would want a firearm if you were in their shoes. Look around at some of the people in this industry who you know are on drugs, alcohol, have warrants out for their arrests, brag about carrying guns (and not in a “I feel unsafe” sort of way). Are truckers inherently evil, of course not, but neither are the cops. The idea that anyone performing a traffic stop is unarmed is insanity.
Tim says
The trucking industry hires anyone with a pulse to drive nowadays and all you have to do is look around and talk to some of these people to realise the caliber of people the police are dealing with on a day to day basis. That being said, Law Enforcement isn’t getting any prizes to fill uniforms lately either so its a lose lose situation and hopefully nobody gets killed.
mark says
Ok fine. But us low life truckers aren’t allowed to have a gun.is our life worth less?
Chris says
Just how many MCS officers have been killed by a trucker vs cops doing a routine traffic stop?
Passin Thru says
Good thing? Take it away from him and stick it up his booty. A good thing never hurt anybody.
ziky says
More truckers have been killed thsn officers insoecting a truck. If anyone needs a gun for their safety its us, truckers…
Kelly says
Mark,
Why say ” we drivers are not allowed to have guns?” That is not true. We have the same right as all citizens. True , there a few states we can’t have a gun, nobody is allowed a gun in those states. Those states are few and far between. I have a gun in my truck. It is legal. The law you are referring to: was thrown out in the late 90’s. Go get a permit to carry, a permit to conceal and carry is worth the peace of mind.
bbq Dave says
Sure lets arm them to enforce size and weight. Then let the drivers arm themselves so they can protect themselves when they have to take a 10 hr break in some remote rest area. Aren’t we in harms way????
Anonomus says
I find it kinda funny that they want to arm the fake dot cops because they have to be in harms way while writing a trucker a ticket, but that very same trucker doing his job obviously in the same dangerous location automatically has his constitutional rights stripped away because he posesses a cdl and isnt allowed to carry his firearm for defense purposses, or even a knife over 4 inches, or even a tire club, so that trucker is totally defenseless. Its really sad what this country has come to, I wish I still had an America to call home.