Do you carry?

One of the worst places to try and get information is a cb radio.

 

The world has become so paranoid that to carry a gun today, other than a small town where it is expected; i.e. hunters, ranchers who fend off critters like rattle snakes, etc, could invite unnecessary attention.

When I was a kid, we drove our dads pickups to school with rifles slung on the rack in the back window and nothing was said. We had a rifle club and guns were no problem on campus, but today? Well, lets just say, common sense rules and leave the guns at home unless it is a specific activity that is sanctioned.

Now, that does not make the 2nd amendment obsolete or illegal. We still have a right to own bear arms but I would imagine, given the attitude of society today, it would take a lawyer to challenge a charge of carrying in public. I am sure a good citizen could win such a case.

There are many cases that could be taken against State and Fed if people had the money, time or gumption to do so and win because Government is not always in the right. Those in the Trucking industry know this probably better than most people; i.e. overweight cargo, overweight tickets, that should be charged against the shipper, and other inappropriate fines by over zealous and sometimes just plain arrogant police officers.

Kind a makes one wonder about how FREE or FREEDOM is in this country today.

 

I was just on the FMCSA website and typed in "firearms, weapons", and "guns". "Guns" was the only one that had a response to the inquiry:

 

This rule pertains to bus companies having the right to refuse bags or luggage of a passenger that does not meet their company policies.

There is no FMCSA law against legally possessed firearms in a CMV. I am referring strictly to laws, not company policies where a driver may be employed.

Glad to see some people in here actually take time to research facts for themselves.

 

What about carrying a flare gun like you see on the boat. is that legal?

 

i read an article months ago where a student was expelled for only having a gun RACK in his pickup at school!!

 

Man- I am SO glad to see people like DayCabber here. I raised this question in CDL school and was told "yup, illegal". I asked for chapter & verse. They said, it's not in FMCSR, but in USC title 49 or title 18 (They couldn't remember).

So, I spent a weekend reading titles 18 and 49 and a couple others.

There are no federal laws or rules prohibiting guns in a CMV.

Yes, you have to be concerned about it - get a CCW. In fact, if you are OTR, get more than one, since odds are good that the CCW issued in your state will not be honored in all states you travel to. For instance, since I'm intending to drive Western 11, I'd get one from CO (I live here), IL, WA, OR, CA, NV, NE, and IA (NE/IA/IL for when I go visit my folks. If I were to start driving out there regularly I'd be adding a slew of other states).

So long as you don't flaunt the gun, or try to take it to a restricted area (court house, etc) and have a valid CCW for the state, you should be fine.

All that having been said. Two more things need to be a part of this whole thing.

1) Pay attention to your surroundings. Awareness will do wonders at keeping you out of situations that might require a gun. If you are uncomfortable, go else where and get on the phone. Call the police, call the company you are headed to.. SOMEBODY. Get more bodies down to the location.

2) If you intend to carry, *practice*. a LOT. Find a place where you are comfortable wearing the weapon, and KEEP it there. Practice drawing and firing until it is second nature - just like shifting. If you draw and DON"T fire, odds are increasingly good that the baddie will take the gun away from you. Yes, this means: never draw your weapon unless you are going to pull the trigger immediately. It also means: running away is a better choice, if you can.

 

If the average Trucker acted his wage, he / she would stay home and let the DOT and Congress go hungry.

Work for Fuel? What a joke! All recruiting literature for Owner Operators still quote 1980 freight rates.

Amazing and we all thought we were getting rich by driving these big trucks.

 

If you believe in the Constitution of the United States and specifically the 2nd Amendment, there is no legal law prohibiting guns. But just try to tell that to the Troopers in certain states where they really frown on guns.

Guns are the great equalizer and there is only two ways to deal with another human being: negotiation of force and you can't force someone who has a gun, so you must learn to negotiate.