WASHINGTON (Dec. 9, 2002, Via Truckinginfo.com) — The U.S. federal government is planning to adopt a rule requiring the locking of all trucks on the road, according to the Daily Press in Newport News, Va.

The Transportation Security Administration, created after the Sept. 11 attacks, said it wanted the rule because it was worried about terrorists secretly accessing unlocked trucks to hide remote-controlled bombs or other weapons aimed at cities or strategically sensitive locations. Federal officials said that currently, only 20 to 30 per cent of truck trailers and cargo areas were locked consistently.

Under the proposed change, trucking and shipping companies would be required to install locks on their trailers and storage areas, and would have to use them on federal, state and local roads. Drivers would be allowed to unlock the trucks to retrieve and pick up items, but would have to keep them locked most other times including when the truck is moving and when the driver walks away to make deliveries. Those who do not comply would be ticketed and face federal fines.

The fear of terrorists exploiting unlocked trailer doors has been a concern since Sept. 11. Kris Phillips, U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration state director for Montana, told Today’s Trucking last year that very few carriers lock trailer doors and some states have reported problems with thieves who open doors while trucks idle in traffic. “People simply open the doors and take stuff out while the truck is sitting in the middle of the street,” she said. “How easy would it be to put something in? You really want to consider these kind of things.”

But the idea, which could become official by the end of next year, is meeting resistance from some trucking and shipping companies that have to make frequent daily stops.

“That would kill us,” said Richard Goodridge, a senior business analyst with United Parcel Service. “If a driver has to lock the truck every time he goes into a building, and if a cop will give you a ticket if he pulls up and finds the door unlocked I don’t agree with that. That’s overkill.”

Goodridge said locks on the backs of trucks would prevent thieves but wouldn’t do anything to stop terrorists determined on carrying out a coordinated plan of attack. “If a terrorist wants to get access to one of our trailers or trucks, a padlock isn’t going to stop them,” he said. “They’re going to try to find a way to get inside the company, to come work for us, and get access to it another way.”

For the next six months, the Transportation Security Administration will be talking about the proposed rule internally, as well as with shipping and trucking companies. They’ll come up with the actual wording on the regulation in mid-2003.

–Truckinginfo.com