I am a little worried for all of you that are honest and even myself in the future. Do you know anyone that has been found to have drugs in their shipments but had nothing to do with it?

I've recently learned about our countries very unfair laws in regards to drugs. If a person is found to have anything at all to do with any kind of transportation or selling of drugs they can get just as much jail time as the people really responsible. The people that get arrested first can finger someone else and get jail time knocked off of their own sentences so they have every reason to lie. The person that had nothing to do with it will be asked to finger more people in the operation. But because they really didn't even know, have no clue they are said to be failing to cooperate. So they get the max sentence while the rest of the truly guilty get lighter sentences.

Usually this is wives and girlfriends. It can even be someone that found out but failed to call the police. Maybe they are afraid of being killed by the person or persons they narc on. One lady received 20 years in jail after she kicked her boyfriend out and her only failure was that she didn't report it to the police.

Last week a man got 55 years in prison for selling a small amount of pot when he was desperate for some rent money. But the people he got it from were big into it so he got the max time because he didn't have any information to turn over to the DEA.

What if this happens to a truck driver? Is there some way to even know for sure what is on your truck? Do most of you even watch it being loaded or check the boxes?

Suzi

It could be worse for truckers.
Crossing state lines makes it federal.
Manditory minimums!!(spelling?)
Still a good attorney would help.
Costly mistake$$$$$

Simular thread a while back, but it had to do more with sealed containers. First off, I need to tell you I have no experience as I have yet to be paid on my first load. But I'm puzzled as to why you (and others) are concerned with this issue. I know little of law, but God as my witness, I gotta beleive that if you have committed no crime you shouldn't have any worries. Of all the things to pay attention to as a new driver, why does this hypothetical scenario crack the top one-hundred? Curiosity is one thing, but paranoia has little merit. Inspect your cargo, check it against the BOL and other shipping papers, question irregulaities, and report anything suspicious to the authorities. But beyond that, I guess we'll all just have to place our trust in those we empower to do their jobs.

But maybe I'm just talk'n like a sausage again... I mean, IS there more to this? Are drivers being routinely jailed for trumped up charges for unwittingly playing role in illegal activites? If so, I would love to hear (first-hand if possible) about how these things play out.

I have no idea either. It just seems like a very likely scenario.

I first found out about this after watching a lifetime television movie. It was about a woman that was finally let out of jail by President Clinton..maybe the only geat thing he ever did...ok I don't really mean that LOL.

Anyway, I decided to do some research. As it turns out there are literally thousands of people in jail for crimes they had little or nothing to do with.

How many average people would take the chance to turn in someone that is selling drugs. Most of us are more likely to just look the other way and stay away from the people doing it. But there are people in jail that really had NOTHING to do with it. It's outrageous but the government made these laws with the hopes that people would snitch on the higher ups. But most are too afraid of retaliation, even while they are in prison. So instead of snitching on higher ups, they just make up stories about their girlfriends. Even if the girlfriend just took a message from a buyer that said call me back.. That's it. They can say the girlfriend participated even if she claims she didn't know what the person was calling for.

The lady president Clinton let out of prison had 2 kids that missed their mother for 6 years during their most crucial growing up years. She never did any drugs in her life let alone sold any.

Years ago a friend of mine called me in the middle of the night with a story about a family emergency. He needed a ride etc. I take him to this house in the middle of the night and I'm told he needs to have a private conversation with his Aunt. I go in a bedroom to wait and then he comes and gets me. I take him home.

Later on he is in drug treatment and he comes to me to tell me that he is on the step in his theapy where he must make amends and apologize to people...UM...it was a crack house! If they had been raided I might have done time!

That would be truly terrible. I've never had a speeding ticket. I've never drank a drop of alcohol, smoked a ciggarette, or even tried drugs of any kind, not even pot. I never even got sent to the principles office in school. I'm a wife, mother and have even been a Sunday School teacher! I've never been to a jail to visit anyone let alone spent any time there. I've never cheated on my taxes either. I'd love to believe our system is fair. But I know it's not.

Suzi

In many/most cases where the driver is arrested, he has knowledge of the contents.

If a driver picks up a preloaded and sealed trailer. It's the same as buying a new car off a lot, and drugs being found in the spare before you leave the lot.

referance a story from 3-5 years ago about the guy who bought a new pickup that kept running out of gas, even though the fuel gauge showed a half a tank every time. I'm sure it's on google somewhere.

__________________
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Team Players.....
It's hard for me to play professional team sports. On a minor league salary.

What would happen if you picked up a loaded trailer in Miami headed for Chicago. Never know if a dock employee might be sending a shippment to a buddy. What could you do? You never know whats in the boxes in the front corner rthe trailer. Then what?

I was down in FLA picking up a load with my Buddy , and had sudden urge something wasn't right, Told my Buddy and he thought same thing, We asked them to Cut the Ties so we could check the Load, and they told us Its secured Trust us, which at that Point we Refused the Load and Call the State Highway patrol to Investagate this shipment In the yard, Long story short There was over a million dollars of Drugs inside behind a False wall....We were Told that if we pulled it and got Caught even though we had a Sealed trailer, we would have been the Resposible Party too the Drugs....
So inturn ( When in Doubt, ask them to Cut The Seal and Check the Shipment )

OMG...

Well this is something to pray about and be ready for. I do believe that the inspiration to check came from God whether you know it or not. He was looking out for you.

I've had times in my life where I found out something seemingly by accident. But I knew that the truth was revealed by God because I was supposed to find out.

Suzi

I've heard tales of private-hauler drivers bringing farm equipment up from Mexico, with tractor tires packed with whacky-tobaccy.

The driver was jailed - the people responsible got off free.

Too bad.

But what can you do, besides keeping a watchful eye, following your instincts and know when to duck & cover.

I wonder if you could get a standard form for the people in the shipping yards to sign saying that we have not loaded any part of the load and that if anyone hid any illegal substances into the cargo we would not have any way to know about it. That way it would come back on them. They wouldn't be willing to sign if they knew that. I don't know if it would take any of the legal culpability away. But it may give us a way to see their reaction when we ask them to sign it.

I used to have access to the expensive legal law libraries to do research. But it's like 300 hundred per month or more to get in unless a person is a student. I'll have to figure out how to do some research online to figure out what percentage of drug busts are made in relation to truck drivers.

Suzi