Trucks are "the engines of the economy," and increased security is necessary to keep them from becoming "engines of destruction." That was the message from Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta
during a five-minute satellite address to attendees at the American Trucking Associations' annual management conference Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.
Mineta told trucking executives that the Transportation Department is preparing for high alert after Monday's warning from the federal government that another terrorist event could happen within the next few days, and asked them to be on a high state of alert.
"Every truck driver must realize his vehicle is a possible weapon of terror," Mineta said.
He announced the formation of the National Infrastructure Security Administration and the Surface Transportation Direct Action Group, which will look for ways to keep trucks and other forms of ground transportation from being used as terrorist weapons.