Home

Truckers against terrorism

Aug. 14, 2002

Officials in Pennsylvania have recruited 50 truck drivers who will be responsible for reporting any suspicious activity on high

Officials in Pennsylvania have recruited 50 truck drivers who will be responsible for reporting any suspicious activity on highways in the state that might threaten lives or infrastructure.

Officials in Pennsylvania have recruited 50 truck drivers who will be responsible for reporting any suspicious activity on high

Officials in Pennsylvania have recruited 50 truck drivers who will be responsible for reporting any suspicious activity on highways in the state that might threaten lives or infrastructure.

Earl Freilino, Pennsylvania's homeland security director, said the state has formed a "trucking army" by putting the 50 drivers through a course on counter terrorism. The concept is authorized under a federally funded program to report suspicious activity to authorities.

The Highway Watch program now covers 13 states and is administered by the American Trucking Association (ATA). It started in 1998 as a lookout system to alert authorities to dangerous road conditions and stranded motorists. The ATA added an anti-terrorism component after last year's Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. To date, 2,000 truckers nationwide are authorized to report activity to a toll-free number from which dispatchers direct calls to the appropriate federal or state law enforcement agency.