Trucking Companies Seek Simpler Anti-Terrorist Tools

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ith the federal government requiring an aggressive anti-terrorist program based on high-technology solutions, trucking executives are also exploring other, less complicated methods of protecting hazardous materials cargo, drivers and fleets.

As a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, federal agencies have been requiring drivers and carriers to meet regulatory requirements to prevent terrorists from using hazmat-laden trucks as weapons.

However, technological fixes, such as a national identification system, are still not a universal remedy for preventing commercial trucks from being turned into weapons, said Clifford Harvison, president of the National Tank Truck Carriers.

“We need to do some creative thinking about how to use the technology we already have on trucks” to get effective, low-cost security protection, Harvison said in an interview.

This article appears in the Dec. 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.