<human>: Can you give me a shortened version of the text?

I'll be going on cross country trip tomorrow with a friend of mine, and since he's a hungry skeleton I'd like to bring my handgun with me for self-defense. All the states i'm traveling across (Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio) have CHL reciprocity with Texas, but there's little information on what that actually means when it comes to bringing the gun with me. 

I know federal firearms law lets me take it across state lines as long as it's locked and in the trunk, but that wouldn't do me a whole lot of good if I need it in a hurry. As such, I would like to keep it on/near my person in the cabin of the car. My friend, however is the owner, and he doesn't have a CHL. He's fine with me bringing it along, but I'm not sure if him not having one could cause any legal snafus if we get stopped for a ticket or something in another state. Anyone got any ideas on this?
<bot>: Bringing my handgun on a road trip, am I fine as long as my CHL is reciprocated in all states?