TSA executive: review necessary for surface transportation security

Translog: Journal of Military Transportation Management, Jan-Feb, 2003 by John Randt

George Rodriguez has a favorite story about his days as a trucking line security manager.

Freight was disappearing off the shipping docks of the carrier's terminals.

Security specialists went to work, reviewing video surveillance videos. They were in for a surprise.

The missing freight was disappearing into what appeared to be one of the firm's own trucks. On closer review, however, the truck turned out to be an absolute counterfeit decoy.

"They had leased the truck and put on our decals," said Rodriguez, Director of Security for the new Transportation Security Administration.

Rodriguez used the story as an example in explaining the challenges of the new agency to members of the National Defense Transportation Association. Rodriguez was part of a panel discussion Oct. 1 at the association's annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C.

Other panelists included: Darryl Deel, Chief Executive Officer, R&R Trucking; Charles Dettman, Executive Vice President, the American Association of Railroads; and Bill Lucas, Deputy to the Commander, Military Traffic Management Command. Panel moderator was Gary Hartter, President, Landstar Carrier Group.

"The problem with law enforcement is that the entire focus is to investigate something after it happens," said Rodriguez, whose career spans 30 years of law enforcement and security work. "When I went to work (for private industry), I found a very proactive attitude toward prevention."

Rodriguez told association members that the proactive stance is one of the attitudes he is stressing at his new job.

The task is daunting.

"Nine million tractor trailers run the streets of the United Stated every day," said Rodriguez. "Think of that!"

A more secure transportation environment is going to be achieved by innovation, he said.

"Things are constantly changing," said Rodriguez. "We need an infrastructure that can accommodate change--and we do not want to put all the burden on one segment of the industry, such as the carriers or the shippers.

"It is the responsibility of all. There is a tremendous amount of information available within the transportation community."

The solution, said Rodriguez, will lie in part on a review of anomalies within the transportation system.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Rodriguez said he sent a message to his firm's terminal managers to be on the lookout for several anomalies: False addresses and loading dock pick-ups. The result was the identification of 20 suspicious packages, 17 of which proved to contain illegal narcotics. The trucking firm promptly turned the information and packages over to law enforcement officials.

"We have to establish a system that reminds us of anomalies," said Rodriguez. "The final thing is that the infrastructure that handles changes also accommodates new automation.

Some basic security features provide multi-faceted results, he said.

As an example, video surveillance cameras reduce external thefts, and cut internal losses as well, he said.

"They provide a magnificent deterrence system," said Rodriguez.

Challenges in the future include a standardization of loading seals, said Rodriguez. Electronic seals cost $10 each while paper or tape seals costs a few cents each.

"We have to make a decision," he said. "We have to keep security up, but we also have to make a decision all modes can accept as a good standard."

The transportation worker security cards are coming, said Rodriguez.

"This is doable," said Rodriguez. "There is a collateral cost. It will not occur overnight.

The cards alone are not the solution.

"You have to have a person or system to check it."

MTMC Munitions Shipments

The Military Traffic Management Command has taken a number of steps to reduce the vulnerabilities of its arms, ammunitions and explosives shipments. On average, the command has 42,000 such shipments a year--mostly by truck.

"One of our goals has been to reduce exposure on the highways," said Lucas.

Shipment times of munitions have been greatly reduced, he said.

"We had a baseline of 89 hours per average (munitions) shipment time in April 2001," said Lucas. "We've cut it in half."

Army Reservists, who have been assisting MTMC operations in the shipments, are a part of that solution. The soldiers help orchestrate shipment schedules to reduce the time and distance of munitions movements.

Additional surveillance, said Lucas, is provided by MTMC's Intelligent Road/Rail Server. The Web-based system provides instant access to numerous existing highway, traffic and weather databases.

The server also provides in-transit visibility for the munitions shipments.

In addition, MTMC is requiring all munitions drivers to have secret clearances.

"I'd like to see a requirement for a national identification card," said Lucas. "If we did, we'd probably default to them."

Currently 80 percent of munitions drivers have the clearances.

"It's a constant challenge," said Lucas.

American Railroads

The railroad industry has put a heavy emphasis on the security of its shipments, said Dettman.

"After 9-11, the chief executive officers (of American railroads) got together to look at vulnerabilities," said Dettman. "We didn't know what we were up against."