Trucks haul tons of munitions on area roads. What are the risks?

This article was very comprehensive. I will print it for my files because it brings memories of the year I drove for Tri-State Motor Transit hauling munitions and commercial explosives during the Viet Nam era. We did not have "panic buttons", GPS, or even cell phones in 1968-69; but we did follow specified routes and worked with military and atomic energy commission escorts. I also felt that the commercial explosives and unstable materials from Hanford Works were more dangerous than munitions, as quoted in the article. Munitions carriers have a lower rate of driver turnover than other truckload carriers. The problem finding experienced drivers who can pass a security clearance is aggravated when trucking companies need to expand quickly at the beginning of a war. In my day, there were also explosions as described in the article.

 

Yes very excellent article,

Excellent at also letting anyone else know who when and where munitions are hauled across certain areas. Hope the government changes companies and cancels those contracts. Drivers and companies are not supposed to disclose any info.

 

My thoughts exactly!

 

Terrorism and hijacking are more of an issue than in my day. I also agree with the article about trucking terminals and truck-stop guarded parking as not being secure. Our primary concern was fire, not terrorism. However, let me say this about the article informing the wrong people about operations. Anyone can park near a munitions plant and follow the trucks from the source. These places were landmarks in my day, such as Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant in Texas and Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant in Iowa. The trucking companies can be identified leaving the shipper. It is better to stay with the carriers that have specialized in explosives for fifty years. We keep better secrecy about loads of whiskey or cigarettes than loads requiring placards.

 

That was a cool article, and very informative. Kinda funny, the 1.4 explosive placard is also used on loads of fireworks!

And guys, the article didn't reveal anything potentially useful to any wrongdoers out there, with the exception of naming TSMT,Baggett, and R&R as munitions haulers. But most drivers already know about TSMT and Baggett (I did, at least), so it's really nothing sensitive; as was stated, most company people wouldn't comment.

I remember reading the article about that wreck near Provo (I think it was just south of Spanish Fork, US6)

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,165348,00.html

ANd I didn't remember that crash in OK, but then again, I was a lot younger then ; sounds pretty darn horrible.