Security & Safety Briefs - June 30 - July 6
The Latest Headlines:
- Highway Watch Training Tops 100,000 Mark
- TRALA Issues Security Guide for Rentals
- Bush Adopting Most 9/11 Panel Recommendations
- U.S. Confirms First Native Mad-Cow Case
- TRALA Issues Security Guide for Rentals
Highway Watch Training Tops 100,000 Mark
American Trucking Associations’ Highway Watch anti-terrorism program has completed training more than 100,000 truck drivers and transportation professionals, ATA said last week.“These transportation professionals and the thousands who will join them are the first line of defense in protecting the transportation industry and ensuring that no commercial motor vehicle is ever used as a weapon,” said Highway Watch Vice President Bill Jacobs.
Schneider National, the largest U.S. truckload carrier and No. 7 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers, said Wednesday that it would join the program.
In 2004, ATA entered into a cooperative agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to expand the program to the entire transportation sector. Transport Topics
TRALA Issues Security Guide for Rentals
The Truck Renting and Leasing Association said it posted a new pamphlet on its Web site outlining how employees of truck rental companies can recognize potential security threats.“Safeguarding America’s Transportation System — Security Guide for Truck Rental Company Employees” was written in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, TRALA said.
In addition to being available online, TRALA said DHS was distributing printed copies to truck renting and leasing industry companies. Transport Topics
Bush Adopting Most 9/11 Panel Recommendations
President Bush will adopt 70 of 74 recommendations from the 9/11 commission he asked to examine whether the U.S. intelligence community, including the FBI and CIA, is equipped to prevent an attack by terrorists with weapons of mass destruction, Bloomberg reported.The president Wednesday directed the FBI to create a division focused on national security and said he would establish a center to counter the spread of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, Bloomberg reported.
The moves consolidate more authority with Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte to direct the gathering and analysis of intelligence about terrorists. He will set the priorities for the new FBI division and have a say in choosing its chief, Bloomberg said.
FBI Director Robert Mueller and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the changes won't diminish the FBI's authority but would make the agency more effective at tracking threats. Transport Topics
U.S. Confirms First Native Mad-Cow Case
A recently confirmed first U.S. case of mad cow disease has been traced to a 12-year-old Texas-born cow destined to become pet food, the Associated Press reported Thursday.t was the first time the disease has been confirmed in a U.S.-born cow. The other U.S. case, in December 2003 in Washington state, was in a dairy cow imported from Canada.
The animal did not enter the human or pet food supply, AP said, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture officials.
Some countries have banned U.S. beef as a result, including Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, which banned U.S. beef starting Thursday, AP said.
Trucking companies that haul beef could to see smaller profits because of such bans. Transport Topics (Click here for previous coverage.)
