Top Secret Transport--How it is REALLY done.

reply to post by tonyb1968

I did not SEE it loaded, all I have is the bills of lading.

Would you be so kind as to let me take a look at the bill of lading ?

:-)
leolady

reply to post by leolady




I'll back you up in that one Leolady

reply to post by mactaties


Eventually all US trucks will have electronic logs. No more cheating.

reply to post by Zaphod58


I gotta say Zaph, thats as sore a point for me as anything in our nation today. Trucking was..past tense now..a profession that demanded sacrifice like few others..but in return, it gave a freedom like few others. Do what you want, when you want, how you want and why you want....as long as what's in the trailer gets picked up and delivered on time.

Sure..Log books mattered on paper and to 4 figure reminders, depending on the state one might get caught sideways in...but it wasn't micromanaged by electronic leash with reports to people a thousand miles away with the ability to shut the truck down with a keystroke. I got out right before the ERB's started becoming the new norm ...and for all I miss and have some hard times with what I left? The changes since remind me that I'm in love with a memory ...not what it is today.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Oh God, not the shut the truck down myth. I love that one, but it frustrates the hell out of me.

The problem was brought on by the DOT as much as the drivers. I've heard so many stories of drivers giving the wrong logbook to the DOT(the one with the real logs that would get them in trouble, and the officer sliding it back, saying something along the lines of, "now give me the other one", and letting them go.

more then not you could have been hauling old cash set for destruction.
This happens a lot and the public never knows to keep you from being robbed/killed.
You could have a s stated been the decoy. Nothing out of the ordinary, just another
Govt. run.

reply to post by Violater1


They have nuclear powered worms now that dig straight down and to the sides(side excavation is greatly limited). These things look like moving buildings when running. They erect shells as they dig also.
As an architect it amazes me how the evolution of these structures has changed over the years, though I have limited info. on most of them. But in the long run it took a very special insect to figure out the best way to do it!
Amazing when you think about it. . .

AB

reply to post by Zaphod58


Myth in your company maybe...It was a factual tool I saw on the computer screens myself, in two I worked for. It couldn't do a thing or impact anything if the truck was moving. Had to be parked, brakes set. It could be shut down through a command into the ECM though. The same as they could read every metric on the truck in real time (well a second or two delay anyway). It's almost stupid for how it was at the last one because their satellite system was cheesy (Not QC) and tracked by Zip code for log/location checking. Ever seen the size of some western zip codes? Utah and Nevada..for instance? lol... They could tell me my RPM while I was sitting there idling tho.

I'd heard the rumors about one that could do it while moving for security or hijack..whatever...but that wouldn't even be realistic to design IMO, for the nightmare liability of it malfunctioning...just once.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I've seen ones that could adjust the governor, but I've never seen one that could shut the truck off. There's not much reason for it with the idle limiter.

Those zip codes are used all the time to screw us on mileage. This run has a 70 mile difference between their mileage, and the GPS mileage, using their routing.

reply to post by Zaphod58


For what it's worth, it was a diagnostic option, not a punitive one..but you could always wonder about abuse, eh? lol...

I think what annoyed me with the Zip code tracking was throwing in the usual satellite fudge factor on top of that. One had me in Kingman when I was in Seligman and another time..I was in Delta, Utah and it showed me across in Nevada. Always a warm and fuzzy feeling to come win a fight with logs ...and then realize, if I wrecked out there? They might not have even known which state to start looking in for that system's accuracy. (I know..the comm company could track closer in an emergency..but still).

I had an online service tracking me by my phone, like Google latitude but with records kept, for my own backup, as a side note. (wonder how that would go on a security load like the OP had? I imagine it's a 'better left unsaid' topic at the security briefing)

reply to post by tonyb1968


OP thanks for that story, it gave me insights into the whole thing, thanks, those who boo you, ignore them

reply to post by tonyb1968


I'm thinkin' Ebola virus samples.

Maybe prions.

I was a truck driver in the past and have carried a few non gov't loads that required that we not stop for for the first 200 miles due to extremely high $$$ value of the load. One load was Victoria's Secret which was probably a few million $$ load. They had a past history of hijackings and I believe we were followed for about 75 miles or so.

I also have seen convoys of regular Tractor Trailers being escorted by Humvees, MP cars and a helicopter.

Anything is possible with our gov't

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Wrabbit; Zaphod; OP: I'm finding this thread interersting, & I would like to read more trucking-re: threads of general interest or similar even if not trucking.

Any threads you recommend? Ive seen you in other threads in which I've participated, I probably have some of the same taste in what I find interesting on ATS, as you do.
In fact, Zaphod posted one of my on my first (& few) threads, about the ML Airship ( I think the craft explains some ufo sightings, being a giant silver sky whale-looking thing).

Thread recommendations?

reply to post by kkrattiger


I don't think there are a lot of threads about it. We should do a "There I was" thread about the job. I'm sure between all the truck drivers on the site we can come up with some crazy stuff.

a truck driver friend of mine was pulled over at a border stop recently and they searched his load,

inside they found thousands of specially prepared birds that were being used as a food supply for what we later found out were dolphins being used in some kind of longevity research..

they arrested him for smuggling young gulls across state lines for immortal porpoises

reply to post by mactaties


I'm being serious. If I can read the bill of lading and see what nmfc code was used we might be able to discern the content on the truck load.

This thread is extremely interesting ! Keep the stories and info coming please ! & Thanks for sharing everyone.


leolady

Well, it's obviously top secret. Anything the governed ships that is top secret can only be delivered by a defense courier. Now, assuming the weight it too much for the courier (their vans are pretty weak), then I would assume they would have some sort of protocol in which they need to contract out to the civilian sector. In that case, the procedures for what you were carrying would be pretty common. Especially with the electronic signatures and all. I assume whatever you were carrying was important, but I highly doubt it's was earth-shatteringly interesting.

One thing you can not stop with in large town or cities is explosives.

A truck driver i know one time hauled a government load.

The trucking company he worked for gave a list of drivers they had to a government agency and a few days later the government agent called and gave the trucking company 3 drivers names that could drive the trip.

One driver was out of town so my friend and another driver were picked. and the load was in a government owned trailer.

No stopping except at government picked truck stops and there was a government car waiting with a couple big dudes.

There were no locks on the trailer the doors were bolted shut with about 50 1/2 inch hardened bolts that took a special socket like you find on car lug nuts.

Also on top of the trailer was about 8 inch white dome like you see on satellite antennas
www.lamit.ro...

My friend and the other driver talked while on the trip and found they had two things in common.
They were both ex marines and both had top secret clearances while in the military

Hmmm...

More important than could be handled
by a common carrier, but not quite
important enough to call in the
Ghost Fleet...

www.thetruckersreport.com...