Return of the Terrible Terrorist Truck Tapper
The new version stops big rigs remotely. But it's still scary.
Back in 2001, a scientist introduced a device that would slam on a trailer's air brake system when the rear bumper was tapped by another vehicle. It was designed so police could stop big rig hijackers, especially terrorists who might use trucks to make bombing runs.
Following a successful demonstration using an empty tanker rig in California, the state's highway patrol and other officials suggested that the device (estimated cost: $200 per) should be standard equipment on hazardous materials trucks.
The system had a two-foot horizontal bar affixed to the trailer's ICC bumper. All a pursuing police car had to do was tap that bar with its own front bumper, and the rig's air would be dumped, bringing the it to a screeching halt.
The tanker in the demonstration was stopped within 50 yards from 50 mph by a California Highway Patrol cruiser's tap. The CHP's endorsement touched off a hoopla in the media.
But it quickly attracted a host of critics, including this magazine. Would a fully loaded fuel tanker be stopped as easily as the empty one had? The demonstration was on an empty, dry desert road; how would it work in a heavy traffic situation or on a slick freeway?
And wouldn't it be tempting for four-wheelers with an attitude toward big trucks to give 'em a tap and dynamite the brakes? To say nothing of the huge potential for problems when a trailer inadvertently backs into a dock.
Not much more was heard about the truck-tapping terrorist stopper, until now. It has resurfaced, having morphed into a higher-tech fourth generation that can be remotely operated without need of a car bumping the rear of the trailer.
The announcement of its arrival came from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, which is part of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
The new generation truck stopper reportedly works much like a radio-controlled model car or airplane. The tractor's gladhands are connected to the device, which is mounted behind the cab. A radio signal from the officer's hand-held controller "applies full-service braking power to the trailer," says a spokesman in a demonstration video.
The controller can be operated from a pager, a personal information device (like a Blackberry), or even from a remote web site. In the latter case, an officer in the field would identify the hijacked truck (by license number, for example) and call it in to a central location for the stop.
And there's more.
The folks at Lawrence Livermore have come up with a system of antennas that could be placed around important buildings. When the hijacked rig - equipped with the new stopping device - tries to ram the building, the continuous signal from the antenna system dumps the air.
If you're interested, the new fourth-generation remotely activated device costs around $800. That's up a tad from the original bumper-tap version's $200 pricetag. With tens of thousands of trailers operating in hazmat, we're talking big bucks.
And most of the same concerns we voiced in 2001 are still with us. How will the system work on a loaded gasoline tanker, on a crowded highway in bad weather?
We'd all be better served with trailer tracking systems on all hazmat trailers, so dispatchers can quickly report suspicious actions or theft. If government wants to help, give hazmat fleets a per-trailer tax credit - say $200 - for installing tracking systems.
The truck tapper wasn't the answer in 2001. Its new generation isn't the answer now.
Doug Condra
President
E-mail Doug Condra at dcondra@truckinginfo.com, or write PO Box W. Newport Beach, Calif. 92656.
