WASHINGTON — Truck regulators in the U.S. have published a final Untethered Trailer Tracking System pilot report, which examines technology and methods to improve safety and security of trailers and shipments all over the U.S.

As directed by Congress after Sept. 11, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration administered a pilot test for the development of a UTT system for monitoring trailers at every phase of movement — pick up, delivery, receipt, and storage.

Another independent group of experts provided their opinions about security-related vulnerabilities of trailers containing shipments of explosives.

Regulators want to keep closer eye on trailers

The FMCSA and government officials hope the project, when voluntarily implemented by carriers, will reduce the vulnerability of truck operations to acts of terrorism, since trucks could be identified as potential targets of attack, utilized as a means of transferring destructive materials within the country, and used as weapons to attack other targets, the FMCSA states.

“While commercially available technology can track a trailer when it is tethered to a cab, technologies are needed to track and control an untethered trailer,” the FMCSA says.

The government is concerned at how easily trailers are lost. It notes when a trailer is removed from its dropped location and erroneously moved or parked, the trucking company typically conducts lengthy searches to locate it. Also, carriers often subcontract other trucking companies to haul for them, thereby losing trailer visibility at the switch. Furthermore, shippers may not inform trucking companies when trailers are empty, causing an unnecessary delay in the return of the trailer for productive use.

The UTT system is meant to reduce these vulnerabilities by addressing the potential threats of stolen trailers, which could be used to convey weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the theft of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) cargo.

The system, conducted with three participating motor carriers, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and QUALCOMM, includes: Near real-time trailer identification; Accurate time of connection and disconnection activities; Location and mapping of trailers; Geo-fencing to identify a risk area; Unscheduled movement notification; Remote sensing of a loaded or empty trailer; Cargo and door sensors; and alerts.

The FMCSA concludes that the UTT system test highlighted various security improvements. According to test participants, the system can effectively monitor cargo and trailer integrity by providing alerts of intrusion, diversion, or theft events. In assessing the security benefits of the UTT system for hazardous loads of explosives, a panel of experts stated “that the UTT system has the ability to reduce inherent shipment vulnerabilities through enhanced visibility of cargo and equipment location and status.”

The UTT system did not address safety improvements in the traditional sense of directly preventing crashes, however. Nevertheless, the system demonstrated an enhanced ability to monitor trailers; thus, miles traveled for the purpose of searching for trailers or hauling misdirected loads could be reduced through the use of the system. This theoretical reduction in miles may result in a reduction in crash risk, the FMCSA report states.

The entire report can be read by following the FMCSA link below. fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/untethered-dec05/index.htm