The American Trucking Associations Highway Watch program has announced that more than 250,000 transportation professionals nationwide have received the program’s anti-terrorism and safety training. Formed by ATA in 1998, Highway Watch began as a safety awareness program for truck drivers; and since spring 2002, the program has included anti-terrorism training.
In March 2004, ATA entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to expand Highway Watch and provide anti-terrorism and safety training to the entire surface transportation sector, including truck drivers, mass transit workers, emergency first responders, law enforcement personnel and school bus drivers, among others.
“These transportation professionals, and the thousands more who will join them, are the first line of defense in protecting the transportation industry and helping to ensure commercial motor vehicles cannot be used as weapons,” says Bill Graves, president and chief executive officer of the American Trucking Associations. “The Highway Watch program’s Highway ISAC has proven to be an indispensable tool in America’s war on terror. Calls from Highway Watch trainees continue to feed the national intelligence structure with valuable information that is being used to keep our country safe and secure. This program has already prompted several domestic investigations, and we expect more to come from future reports.”
For more information on Highway Watch, call 866-821-3444 or go to www.highwaywatch.com.
