ATA Tells Congress Security Efforts Must Be Risk Based
While testifying on the Transportation Security Administration's Surface Transportation Inspection Program, Phil Byrd, president of Bulldog Hiway Express, Charleston, S.C., and vice chairman of American Trucking Associations, told the congressional subcommittee that efforts to secure the nation's transportation system should be deployed based on specific and credible intelligence
While testifying on the Transportation Security Administration's Surface Transportation Inspection Program, Phil Byrd, president of Bulldog Hiway Express, Charleston, S.C., and vice chairman of American Trucking Associations, told the congressional subcommittee that efforts to secure the nation's transportation system should be deployed based on specific and credible intelligence.
"ATA has followed with some interest TSA's efforts to establish higher visibility operations in surface transportation," Byrd said of the Transportation Security Administration's Visible Intermodal Preparedness and Response program.
Last October, TSA deployed VIPR teams at several locations along highways in Tennessee. A similar "counter-terrorism exercise" was conducted in the fall of 2010 in Douglas County, Ga., on Interstate 20, which also involved the participation of VIPR teams that stopped and inspected commercial vehicles . The inspections that took place in Georgia involved more intensive inspections, including sending trucks through equipment measuring radiation.
"TSA officials informed industry that the presence of VIPR teams at highway facilities, such as weigh stations, was not due to any specific threat or intelligence," he added. "ATA supports such operations as long as they are based on intelligence or specific risks that require increased vigilance and security on our highways."
If TSA is going to conduct operations or exercises as those described in Georgia and Tennessee, Byrd said, ATA requests that the agency inform industry representatives, such as the Motor Carrier Sector Coordinating Council, of the timeframes and locations of the initiatives so commercial trucking operations can plan accordingly and not face disruptions for time-sensitive deliveries. Byrd added, "Involving or raising awareness about such operations with trucking companies could improve the outcomes of such exercises, especially if the goal of such operations is to provide commercial drivers with information about security awareness."
Byrd said the committee should request the results of these exercises so the public and policymakers can judge their effectiveness.
To read all of Byrd's testimony, click here.
More Drivers
Why Hiring Truck Drivers Is Getting Harder
Higher recruiting costs, a shrinking driver pool, and renewed pay competition are raising the stakes for fleets heading into 2027.
Read More →
Roehl Offers Truck Drivers $10,000 Retention Incentive
Payments begin after the first load and continue in mileage-based installments for eligible experienced drivers joining the fleet.
Read More →
Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools
Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
Samsara Launches Custom AI Agent Builder
Agent Studio lets fleets create AI tools for hours-of-service monitoring, reporting and driver support, including agents that communicate by phone.
Read More →
Trucker Path Expands Reserved Parking Network
Trucker Path has added close to 6,000 more truck parking spaces to its Trucker Path Reserved Parking Network with the addition of Safe Truck Parking.
Read More →
EEOC Sues Texas Trucking Company Over Driver Age Limits
The agency says Trancasa USA rejected applicants over 65 and applied tougher driving-record standards to those over 60.
Read More →
Nussbaum, Roehl Announce Second Driver Pay Increase This Year
This year has seen a swath of major truck driver pay increases as freight capacity has tightened.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
Truck Drivers Need More Than Another Alert
Fleets have more visibility into truck health, safety events, and driver activity than ever. The next challenge is turning all that information into useful guidance for the person who has to decide what to do next.
Read More →