Alcohol prohibited from trucks during down time?

Nothing wrong with having a beer or two as long as you're doing it legally and safely. For those that practically live on the road, what's wrong with popping into a bar on downtime? Esp if you're going to be stuck somewhere for a couple days. Doesn't make you an alchoholic.

 

Then theres being shut down for 2-3 days somewhere along I-80 due to weather.

 

Company I worked for you went for a blood alcohol / drug test even if someone else was at fault in a fender bender or accident. A insurance law suit thing.

Someone mentioned beer cans in truck stop garbage cans....Had some down time once and started to really clean the tractor up. Went to bed and next morning went to throw some stuff away in the 55 gallon drum nearby. Holy smokes! Empty the evening before and full in the morning of beer cans...Not mine!

 

yah, I'm reformed.

The BEST choice is to not consume alcohol at all.

What worries me is those rigs where you can see a pile of the famous red and white cans through the ankle window on hte passenger side.

 

They recycle them?

 

LOL - they're recycling SOMETHING.

 

The "key in the ignition" stuff only applies if you are parked on public streets. If you are on private property and you have not driven on public roads while having a beer you will not be convicted of DUI. You can be bombed off your keister, blowing your airhorn all night, you are simply a nuisance. It will be up to you to show that you never operated your vehicle on the streets. DUI cases are all pretty much guilty until innocent... If somebody hits you in the lot forcing a line 4... say, sorry I am off duty until 4 hours from now. If you are a company driver, you are screwed anyway, but an O/O reports to himself.

 

I'm drinking a cold one right now...in my motel room. Never in the truck. There's just too much at risk for many reasons already mentioned. If you're doing a restart, get a room if you want to drink. If you can't afford it, don't drink.

Just my opinion. I see other drivers getting a sixer and going back to the truck and I don't think much of it. Just not for me.

Incidentally, a few weeks ago I was going through a weigh station on I-25 north of Denver and a DOT officer was walking back from a truck carrying a six pack. It was probably left over from a damaged beer load, but that driver is screwed.

 

Herlsone yes they can. All the LEO's have to see you exhibit signs of intoxicatation while entering your car. By the time they get turned around most people will be in the car have the keys in the ignition . Granted this doesn't happen very often,but it does happen and people do get busted for it.

 

You are right, but if you have never operated your vehicle on a public road (or those gray area places that are sort of public)since you started drinking, you cannot be convicted for drunk driving. Remember, you don't even need a drivers license to drive on private property. (outside of insurance issues) On your own property or someone else's that doesn't mind, you can drink 59 beers and do 20 shots, drive your vehicle all you want. Its not illegal.
If they bust you on private property, and can prove that you drove the vehicle there and used any road at all (either from witnesses or from your smoking hot drive axles) then you get arrested. Its not just being on private property, its that you haven't operated on public roads where a license is required. Obviously if you are busted in a McDonalds drive thu, its private property, but you drove there to get in the drive through lane, so you are done.