Carry on a Tour Bus?

[waynesan]

I will be going on a week long tour this summer from TN to New Orleans with several stops along the way and back. I have my permit and am good to go in each state we visit and pass through. However, the tour company has this posted on their website: "Due to Federal and State laws, no firearms are allowed on motor coaches." Anyone know of state or federal laws pertaining to "motor coaches?" If there is not, I'm suspecting this is the tour company's way of shifting the blame to the governments for their not allowing guns on their buses.

[kcruisin]

I've always heard it's against federal law to have a gun on any commercial vehicle.
I hope our next president will change that. Most OTR drivers live in a truck.

[DaveTN]

The Department of Transportation has said you must obey the laws of the state you are in. But they are not the ones you would be dealing with.

If the bus lines says you can’t have a gun; they could leave you standing on the side of the road. I don’t believe they would do that, but if the gun became an issue; they would deal with it in their own way.

[BrasilNuts]

There is no federal law against having firearms in a commercial vehicle.

I would like to know what federal/state law they cite for not allowing guns. I guess it would be illegal in some states, NY and Cali for example. Maybe they think it's just easier for them to say it's a complete ban instead of saying "It may be illegal in certain states..." and leaving it up Joe Citizen to know. (I doubt that would end well)

I wonder if a carrier that transported a person with a pistol into one of those states would be violating any laws? Edited April 16, 2016 by BrasilNuts

[TripleDigitRide]

There are no federal laws that say you cannot carry a firearm in a commercial vehicle. You just have to make sure that you follow the laws within each jurisdiction said commercial vehicle will traveling.

I have legally carried in a commercial vehicle every day for several years, unless I know I'll be delivering to Ft. Campbell, where I know I'm prohibited from carrying a firearm. Edited April 16, 2016 by TripleDigitRide

[Oh Shoot]

.... I'm suspecting this is the tour company's way of shifting the blame to the governments for their not allowing guns on their buses.

 

Well, there is the "common or contract carrier" section of 18 USC 922 regarding interstate transport.

 

"It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce, to persons other than licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped; except that any passenger who owns or legally possesses a firearm or ammunition being transported aboard any common or contract carrier for movement with the passenger in interstate or foreign commerce may deliver said firearm or ammunition into the custody of the pilot, captain, conductor or operator of such common or contract carrier for the duration of the trip without violating any of the provisions of this chapter. No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm."

 

- OS

Edited April 16, 2016 by Oh Shoot

[glowdotGlock]

There are no federal laws that say you cannot carry a firearm in a commercial vehicle. You just have to make sure that you follow the laws within each jurisdiction said commercial vehicle will traveling.

I have legally carried in a commercial vehicle every day for several years, unless I know I'll be delivering to Ft. Campbell, where I know I'm prohibited from carrying a firearm.

This exactly. I carry in my OTR truck all week except if I'm going to the Northeast which is rare.

[waynesan]

Oh Shoot, it looks like you gave me just what I was looking for. The way I read that, I can't transport a firearm without notifying the tour company, and they already say no. I don't like it, but that's the way it is.

[nightrunner]

Oh Shoot, it looks like you gave me just what I was looking for. The way I read that, I can't transport a firearm without notifying the tour company, and they already say no. I don't like it, but that's the way it is.

Situational awareness and a good blade is a decent compromise.

[A.J. Holst]

Oh Shoot, it looks like you gave me just what I was looking for. The way I read that, I can't transport a firearm without notifying the tour company, and they already say no. I don't like it, but that's the way it is.

Obviously not going on tour with Nugent...

[suspiciousmind]

I'm on a tour bus right now and have two guns on board. If there were such a fed law then all the musicians I know would be in deep doodoo if pulled over and searched.

[suspiciousmind]

Are you going on tour with a band? If so, that's pretty ridiculous that they would tell you no. The artist I work for and all people I've worked with feel safer knowing I'm carrying always.

Is this a country band? If so, how disappointing..

[Chucktshoes]

This exactly. I carry in my OTR truck all week except if I'm going to the Northeast which is rare.

Oh, you're not supposed to carry firearms to northeastern states? [emoji56]

[Will]

It is their way of getting out of liability in case you shoot someone on bus by accident or not. Tour Busses now have a huge target on them now with Willie/Rappers Drugs&Guns and are under a microscope. Example Feds/Local LE now use Log

Book and a dozen other reasons to pull driver over for inspection on road or weigh station and run dogs. If they ask any

weapons ??  If you lie you stay for jail for false information,tell truth,bus company boots you off rest of tour. to make a short story long this

is just one example.

[suspiciousmind]

Lots of buses used by musicians are privately owned by the artist or owned by the drivers themselves.

[Will]

True some are private owned,most are leased from a company with a contract as mentioned,but once it leaves the parking lot they all are under DOT,State&

Federal Control&Rules&Regulations. 

[300winmag]

I don't see why you couldn't carry.  Are the tour bus folks running your carry on bags and you through metal detectors and X Ray machines?  If they are not doing that, I don't see how they would know just like any other place.

[m16ty]

I don't know where that rumor started that you can't carry in a commercial vehicle but I've had several truck drivers tell me it's so. 

 

I've been stopped several times in several states in a commercial vehicles and the cops all said I was fine with carrying. Now there may be some states that say you can't carry in a CMV but it's not one I've been to.

 

As far as the tour bus goes, I'd just carry concealed and not worry about it but that's just me. I carry all the time at places that while it's not illegal to do so, it's against the wishes of the owners. I just conceal and not all that deep either. 

[teecro]

You know the no guns in commercial trucks rumor is a nationwide rumor as I've heard it many times over and any falsehood repeated enough becomes a well known fact....

[QuietDan]

Keep it deep in your pocket and keep your mouth shut.

[monkeylizard]

That's good advice for prison, too.

[Oh Shoot]

You know the no guns in commercial trucks rumor is a nationwide rumor as I've heard it many times over and any falsehood repeated enough becomes a well known fact....

 

The thing that's pretty much universally true is simply that trucking companies do not allow their drivers to carry by policy, which includes owner operators leased to them. So for that part, it's simple -- don't tell and hide well.

 

- OS

[bersaguy]

I have a buddy that drove his own personal 18 wheeler and hauled Livestock from Tennessee to Texas rwice a month. There was an attempted hi jacking of his truck and load  just outside Texarcana Texas one night while he was pull off in a rest area. It went bad for the bad guys with 3 shot, 2 dead and one got away in a pickup truck. No charges were ever filed against my friend. There had been several hi jackings of live stock rigs in that area with 1 driver killed and the Sheriff in that jurisdiction almost wanted to pin a medal on my buddy but knew better of it. Now with that said , My friend was drivng his own personal rig with his own insurance and was hauling livestock for Beltex Corporation in Texas  and the families of the bad guys did try and sue him but judges in Texas through all the cases out. This has been 10+ years ago also.

[Chucktshoes]

I have a buddy that drove his own personal 18 wheeler and hauled Livestock from Tennessee to Texas rwice a month. There was an attempted hi jacking of his truck and load just outside Texarcana Texas one night while he was pull off in a rest area. It went bad for the bad guys with 3 shot, 2 dead and one got away in a pickup truck. No charges were ever filed against my friend. There had been several hi jackings of live stock rigs in that area with 1 driver killed and the Sheriff in that jurisdiction almost wanted to pin a medal on my buddy but knew better of it. Now with that said , My friend was drivng his own personal rig with his own insurance and was hauling livestock for Beltex Corporation in Texas and the families of the bad guys did try and sue him but judges in Texas through all the cases out. This has been 10+ years ago also.

If I found myself in a similar situation I'd have to find a new job. Of course that's been the case and a known risk at any job I've had since I started carrying. Companies have their policies, I have mine. If they ever come into conflict then I'll just mosey on down the road to drive a truck somewhere else. Edited April 27, 2016 by Chucktshoes

[bersaguy]

If I found myself in a similar situation I'd have to find a new job. Of course that's been the case and a known risk at any job I've had since I started carrying. Companies have their policies, I have mine. If they ever come into conflict then I'll just mosey on down the road to drive a truck somewhere else.

Well, my buddy didn't have that issue because he was not driving a company truck but his own rig and the company Bel-Tex Corporation was thrilled with his actions and he didn't lose a 45 foot bullnosed trailer which also belonged to my friend along with Bel-Tex livestock on board. All I can say from what I learned back then. He was pulled over in rest area catching up his log book when he felt the truck cab shake. He looked to the right and saw a guy with a small caliber gun pointing it at him and he looked at his side and there was a guy with a long knife. He had his dirty Harry 44 in a sleeve beside his seat. He had his hand on it when he felt the cab shake. He brought out the gun and shot the guy with the gun in the face first  through the glass and shot the guy on his door in the gut through the door as the guy was jumping down and shot one more coming at him as he got out of the truck and pickup truck took off. he hit the 3rd guy center mass dead in the chest with 1 round. The only one that survived was the one he shot through the door with the knife. The dumb butt running at him had a tire iron from the PU truck. Insurance paid all the repairs to his Long Nosed KW (Kenworth tractor). All I can say is the guys picked the wrong truck.

 

I still visit my ole friend once in a while down on his ranch in Cheatham county when I am down that way. If I call and let him know I am coming he has grand kids go gig a bunch of Frogs and catch some big Shell Crackers out of one of the Ranch lakes and we have a feast.