New York became the 12th state to join the national Highway Watch program this week.

The state of New York, the New York State Motor Truck Assn. (NYSMTA) and the American Trucking Assns. (ATA) joined the safety and security program in cooperation with New York State Police.
Truck drivers based in New York will receive special Highway Watch safety and anti-terrorism security training. Their lessons will enable them to observe and report national security and highway safety threats to proper authorities in New York. As it is with their 3 million fellow truck drivers across the U.S., the New York drivers' goal is to make certain that a truck is never used as a weapon.
"It is very gratifying to see the trucking community working in close cooperation with members of law enforcement to improve the safety of our roadways and the security of the citizens of the State of New York," said James W. McMahon, superintendent of the New York State Police.
Initially, truck drivers will report security-related sightings to an industry-sponsored 800 number. The information will then be screened and sent quickly to proper federal and state authorities for prompt action. A full-fledged Highway Watch Operations Center is planned for the next phase of the security action plan.
The dependency of the U.S. economy on trucking -- and the desire to contribute to the war against terrorism -- is the main motivation behind their security plan, say its backers. The industry hauls 68% of all the freight moved in the U.S., and more than 75% of America's communities depend solely on trucking for safe receipt of their goods.