Bad guys move swiftly and quietly. They come over walls, fences and, believe it or not, into the cabs of trucks. Shady-looking characters wander around trucks selling drugs, jewelry or women, and they seemingly disappear into the shadows, eluding police and security guards.
Safety should be a driver’s top priority on the road and during breaks. Thieves know that truckers carry a lot of cash and have expensive equipment, such as refrigerators, TVs, CB radios and jewelry that can be pawned. “Spider,” a trucker from Oklahoma, says, “I remember an incident at a truck stop in Toledo, Ohio. A young driver decided to take a prostitute with him to the showers; an hour or so later they found the driver dead on the floor with his throat cut.” Then there are the hardship stories such as “My car ran out of gas” or “My daughter needs medicine.” If these poor souls truly needed help, no one would believe them.
Women drivers are also targets of criminals and risk being assaulted or robbed. Bad guys aren’t particular about gender; their goal is to fulfill their own selfish needs.
Did you know that one in three drivers is attacked while asleep, and 7.4 percent of those drivers are injured during the attack? Ten percent of drivers have had or will have their cabs broken into more than once and 90 percent of the cabs were locked at the time.
Regardless of how safe an area appears to be, drivers need to take precautions. Find a well-lit area, don’t get too comfortable in the security of your truck and remember, you’re most vulnerable when exiting or entering your cab. Although establishments have taken measures to improve safety by lighting entire parking areas, employing full-time security guards and requesting more police presence, in their absence, you can become a statistic very quickly.
Dave Smiley, a manager for Kris-Way Truck Leasing in Maine, offers the following safety tips: Lock your doors, make sure your phone is handy and know where you are. Don’t worry about your personal belongings; nothing is more valuable than your life. Don’t carry a gun, because you will be arrested. Instead, carry Mace, pepper spray or a chemical repellant and remember this phrase: “situational awareness.”
I’ve been over-the-road for quite a few years and I have to admit, I’ve been taken a few times. Fortunately, I’ve never encountered an individual with more devilish motives. As they say, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” Drivers, you can chew on this information and take it or leave it. But I would advise you to be careful on the highways, for you never know what’s around the next bend.
