Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/778830
February 2017 | Overdrive | 31 tors weigh against that. One is the check- erboard pattern of state laws pertaining to commercial drivers carrying a gun. The other is that most fleets have zero tolerance for weapons in trucks because the liability is too great. They consider any breach, even by leased drivers, to be a fireable offense. That's the case even if the driver was carrying the weapon in a state that allows a gun on a commercial truck. Carrying a gun is not the only solu- tion to the risks of overnight parking. Jason's Law, passed as part of the 2012 Transportation Reauthorization Bill, provided federal funding for states to improve safe truck parking. The law developed in response to the 2009 robbery and murder of trucker Jason Rivenburg while he was parked at an abandoned lot in South Carolina after failing to find a parking place. The National Coalition on Truck Parking also continues to work for parking safety measures, but while the industry applauds such initiatives, they go only so far to neutralize criminal threats against truckers. In an Overdrive survey last year with 990 respondents, about three in four drivers said they have felt endangered while on the road and wished they had been armed at some point in their trucking career. Apart from the risk of carrying a gun when leased to a carrier that forbids it, the patchwork of state laws, including varied reciprocity agreements, creates other risks. For starters, troopers have the right to search your truck without cause. If you carry a gun in your truck but have no concealed-carry permit, you're breaking the law no matter which state you're in. Even with a concealed-carry permit, you have to navigate each state's laws, which can get complicated. Some states issue permits only to residents, while others also issue to non- residents. Some states have "permitless carry" laws, which means that anyone legally possessing a firearm can carry it concealed. Some states accept outside permits from only one or more certain other states. And there are many excep- tions or qualifications. USACarry.com has a map that shows state-by-state reciprocity, as well as excep- tions and other details for certain states. If you know you are crossing into a state without the right to carry, you should have your firearms unloaded, In an Overdrive survey about personal safety last year, 990 truckers responded. On the yes/no questions, responses total less than 100 percent because some respondents chose "prefer not to answer." Do you have a concealed-carry license that allows you to carry a concealed weapon? Have you ever felt you were in danger while parked/ delivering/driving? Has there been an occasion when you were unarmed and wished you were armed? Have you ever been attacked by a robber or someone trying to cause you personal harm while trucking? Have you ever been forced to use a form of self-defense while trucking? YES 33% YES 76% YES 73% YES 24% YES 35% NO 61% NO 23% NO 25% NO 74% NO 63% Tire thumper or bat Knife Gun Mace Dog Other None Prefer not to answer Rest areas Metro truck stops Parked on roadside Rural truck stops Docks In transit Never feel vulnerable What forms of protection do you carry? Where do you feel most vulnerable? 60% 54% 27% 9% 8% 12% 11% 9% 53% 52% 50% 21% 10% 10% 8%