Utah's truckers gain terrorist-spotting tools in national program

If a truck loaded with explosives could accidentally cause the type of destruction that occurred on U.S. 6 last week, what is to stop a terrorist from hijacking similar cargo and creating even more chaos?

That is a question members of Utah's trucking industry have been hearing a lot since a speeding truck driver lost control and crashed while carrying 38,000 pounds of explosives in Spanish Fork Canyon on Aug. 10.

Fortunately, no one was killed when the explosives ignited and ripped a 30-foot-deep, 70-foot-wide crater into the roadway. But the potential for a deadly, purposeful event certainly exists.

This past week, the Utah Trucking Association outlined its involvement in the national Highway Watch program, which trains truck drivers how to spot possible terrorist activity — or any other suspicious behavior that could lead to disaster.

Dan England, president of the association and CEO of CR England trucking company, said truck drivers are good citizens who want to do all they can to ensure the safety of their country and fellow Americans. The Highway Watch program simply gives them a tool and the needed training to spot and report suspected problems.

"What Highway Watch does is to heighten that interest and heighten that sense of responsibility to look out for the citizens of this country, so we endorse it," England said.

David Creer, executive director of the association, said truck drivers are the safest drivers on the road, and they also know things to look for that other citizens might ignore.

For example, Creer said, a truck cab hauling a trailer that is identified as belonging to a different freight company might not seem unusual to many motorists, but truck operators recognize that as a red flag.

Truckers also would notice when a truck carrying hazardous materials is on a route where hazmat trucks are not permitted, Creer noted. And when trucks are parked beside a school, where they are not allowed, or abandoned under bridges or near other structures where they should not be, truckers likely would be the first ones to take note.

"The main objective of Highway Watch is to prevent commercial vehicles from being used as a weapon," Creer said. "It focuses on activities that are out of the norm . . . and they (truck drivers) are the ones who can see these types of activities."