The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a new safety warning advising trucking and bus companies to be suspicious of potential terrorists that may want to turn a big vehicle into a deadly weapon. The Arizona Trucking Association says this is something that is at the forefront of their minds and part of their training.
TSA issued the document that highlights 17 vehicle ramming attacks that killed 173 people since 2014, mostly in Europe. They said the use of the tools of terror are on the rise and no community is immune to a potential attack.
"It's something that the industry has been working on for decades, frankly," said President and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association Tony Bradley.
Bradley says he has actually been in contact with the TSA giving feedback about how they train employees. He said workers know how to spot fake IDs and are very in tune with their customers.
"Looking to see if someone is acting nervous, or if their credit card doesn't work, or they want to pay cash," said Bradley. "A lot of those things may trigger suspicion in someone who has been trained to look out for it."
One trucking company, based out of Phoenix, said they actually had photos of their trucks featured in ISIS propaganda, as followers were told, "it's a weapon you may want to consider."
And while there may be many potential weapons on the road, Bradley says truckers are the eyes and ears for police.
"We are going to do everything we can to stop terrorism here in the U.S.," said Bradley. "You will see law enforcement adapt and you will see the trucking industry right there with them."
