U.S. Department of Homeland Security has allocated $3.2 million toward deploying radiation detectors at interstate weigh stations in the Southeast. The awards represent the first phase of a Southeastern pilot program from the department’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The two-year effort will develop a regional interdiction system to prevent radiological or nuclear attack.
Tennessee Highway Patrol led a multi-agency inspection effort targeting hazardous materials and overseas container haulers that placed 34 drivers and 74 trucks out of service statewide on Oct. 11. Operation United STOP – for Strategic Transportation Observation & Prevention – examined more than 2,200 trucks at 17 hazmat checkpoints. In addition to the out-of-service orders, authorities discovered two illegal immigrants, captured a driver who was on the FBI watch list, recovered a stolen backhoe, seized a weapon and made four misdemeanor drug arrests.
Con-Way Freight said its safety performance had been recognized recently by three state trucking groups – the Nebraska Trucking Association, the South Dakota Trucking Association and the Iowa Motor Trucking Association.
Distribution Technologies – with only one recordable accident for the more than 6.3 million miles driven by its fleet in Ohio in 2005 – earned the top honor in the 5,000,001-10,000,000-mile category from the Ohio Trucking Association. DistTech also recently earned the Outstanding Performance Trophy in the National Tank Truck Carriers Tank Truck Safety Contest.
The fall afternoon was sunny and comfortable, traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike was light, and trucker John Doe was in a happy mood
