Hazmat Truckers Take Extra Precautions

Danielle Jackson

Newark, N.J. -- An increased awareness of more possible terrorist attacks has spurred heightened truck safety around the country, with highway police and security officers at loading docks checking drivers' backgrounds, licenses and the actual trucks carrying hazardous materials.

Some truckers and trucking company owners say they're not worried about terrorists stealing the trucks because most are equipped with global positioning satellite (GPS) devices that pinpoint their location. The bigger threat, they say, is that terrorists would train for and obtain trucking jobs.

Still, though, many truckers now watch their trucks more closely and lock their doors when they leave the vehicles.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies have begun to scrutinize 2.5 million licenses to carry hazardous material, specifically looking for recent hires to see if some licenses were obtained improperly.