Delivering to a military base

Look for the signs as you approach the base. Some bases have a designated entrance for trucks.

If no signs, pull up to the gate and tell em youre making a delivery. Theyll more than likely ask for your manifest/whatever

 

Depends on the base, but generally have your CDL, truck and trailer registration, insurance card and bills ready. You may be directed to an office to get a visitor's pass. Try to find out, before you get there, if there is a truck gate, or if they use the main gate. Be prepared to open your hood and all compartments, for a search by security. They may or may not do a search, depends on the base and the current threat level. Security personnel should be able to direct you to your destination building.
It's not a big deal, I did ammo and explosives for 12 years, just depends on how tight security is on the base.

 

I saw an explosives hauler get searched and arrested for a handgun and drugs at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The guys with the M-16s are scary at the Groton Sub Base. They are also very anal about making an appointment. At fort drum NY you can drive around and around and check out all the cool stuff and nobody notices. At Leterkenny Army depot down in PA they had a scheduled time when they stopped all incoming trucks to be searched, the surplus people advised coming before it started. Some system. They all seem to be different, but: leave your guns at home.....

 

The Military personal are very professional and to the point. Just follow there instructions and you will zip right through. It's the civilian staff you could have the problems with. They tend to be a little temperamental at times and work at there pace not yours.

 

If you have any cameras or other video or audio recording devices, you'll most likely have to check those in at the guard shack, and you will get them back when you leave the premises. This is for
security reasons of course, don't take that personally. They did this when I delivered to an army ammo
plant in KC once. Just be professional, I'm sure everything will go smoothly.

 

i deliver to military bases weekly. You need to call your POC and get the correct gate to enter at, and what the protocol is. Every base is different... some require just a drivers license and others require that PLUS your TWIC to get on base. Some will require your POC comes ot the gate and escorts you to the delivery site, others will just tell you where to go. Your truck WILL be searched and you'll also be asked to open all compartments and the hood.

the bases with "civilian" security forces are the real pain in the butt tho...

 

Yea, they don't want you bringing guns, drugs and alcohol on base. They have enough of those, already.

 

You'll get through it just fine Sequoia! Just take to heart the comments above, be professional, and provide the security forces a sweet smile. Guys appreciate that no matter who they work for.

 

I once delivered some boxed beef to the commisary at the Mayport Naval base. It was a very easy procedure. The thing that erked me was, i could not buy a cup of coffee from the commisary coffee shop because i didn't have a military ID. Never mind the fact i spent 4 years in the Navy, and jeez, it was just a cup of coffee, not a weeks worth of groceries.