"Black" Truck Drivers

No I am not talking about the driver's race either. I was watching a show in the Discovery Channel and it was about transportation of hazmats. One of the trucking companies interviewed said they have a "Black" division that works directly with the government moving sensitive items around the country. These drivers don't have to listen to the regular transportation laws, and basically don't answer to anyone except their goverment employer.

Has anyone heard anything about these types of truckers, or maybe is one? I would love to hear some info about the "Black" transportation network.

I believe what you are referring to is the "Ghost Fleet" at TSMT...and they do have to operate within the regular transportation laws...all commerical haulers do, but basically while they are hauling for the government, they dont have to answer to their employer, basically all TSMT knows is when they deliver a load and when they pick-up a load and when they receive their timecards...other than that, they are not allowed to track the truck with GPS or anything else, prior military hauling experience helps, and you need a buttload of CDL's and quite a few years safe driving before you would even be considered for "Ghost Fleet"

Yea ive heard of them before, actually i know one of them. my uncle transported parts of the space shuttle back in the day when it was still secretive(sp?). Hes got pics too. Its interesting.

I wonder if anyone would get the guts to see what they were actually transporting.

Wow masterofpuppets, your own uncle used to do that! I bet you have some cool stories to share...

is that the fleet that hauls cargo like nuclear bombs? i remember watching some program a while ago that said that the government employs certain hazmat drivers to transport chemicals, nuclear materials(such as bombs), and other stuff like that, and they use regular trucks without hazmat signs for secrecy reasons(still not 100% sure on that though)

Do these "Ghost Fleet" trucks drive in trucks with a fake cover label on the side like say a McDonalds truck or Budwieser or whatever to cover their true nature.

I would think all black trucks unmarked would look out of place

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
Do these "Ghost Fleet" trucks drive in trucks with a fake cover label on the side like say a McDonalds truck or Budwieser or whatever to cover their true nature.

I would think all black trucks unmarked would look out of place

They are probably just plain white, black, whatever. I doubt that the lawyers for Mcd's would stand for false ad's on these trucks.

Well maybe not McDs but perhaps a made up company

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Irene

or maybe

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But really wouldnt a unmarked truck stand out? I would think making a cover company would be safer and less suspicious looking. Something that would be important to transporting secret stuff.

True. Those names are pretty good

Would this "Ghost Fleet" still have to check in at weigh-stations?

Never heard of this before until now. Interesting, sometimes they haul hazardous material by train also, maybe that is not as safe as in a semi trailer.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
Well maybe not McDs but perhaps a made up company

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By
Irene

or maybe

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But really wouldnt a unmarked truck stand out? I would think making a cover company would be safer and less suspicious looking. Something that would be important to transporting secret stuff.

LOL, that was from the Simpsons, they had a white van parked outside after bart was working for the mob stealing and smuggling cigarettes.

[edit on 25-8-2004 by TACHYON]

Yeah that was pretty funny the FBI letters were all in bold, and there was like a radio dish on the top of the van.

I love that show

Originally posted by VanishingPoint
Would this "Ghost Fleet" still have to check in at weigh-stations?

My impression was that they didn't have to do the normal transportation junk, just point A to point B fast and quiet.

As a trucker who happens to talk to ALOT of other people and companies out of sheer curiosity, I can lend a bit here, I think

Truckhaul carriers and general contractors operating on government contracts are, to my knowledge, required to carry the PrePass system, which allows them to bypass weigh stations. I know a driver (retired now) who hauled engines and such for experimental aircraft. He was not allowed to look at his freight, it would be tarped on a flatbed trailer and strapped/secured before he arrived. he backed under the trailer, filled out his logbook, and took off. Many times he would be followed, and he had to carry food and restroom conveniences with him in the truck (he had a sleeper berth large enough to accomodate a small private shower and restroom and refrigerator. These exist commonly, look at the big sleepers on some Mayflower or Reliable trucks). In any case, many government contracts, especially the 'Ghost Fleet' have specific escort (know and unknown) requirements, and are given a pass on tracking software installed on modern trucks and have very tight delivery schedules in order to facilitate a lack of time for unneccessary stops. Some even have very specific fueling locations in order to keep the questioning public from prying too much.

Maybe one day I'll be good enough to get a job like that (or bad enough, as it were). Until then, I'll just keep hauling car parts and chemicals.

Hmmm, Wondering, If they are being followed cant the person whos following them just drive the truck would save money on petrol, Just a thought lol

saw a convoy once in arkansas... funny... it would have looked like 3 ordinary moving van company trucks (with a fake name, i think it was norcam moving van lines or some such...) if it hadn't had a bevy of humvies a mile back and a mile in front of it...very spaced apart....
guess they figured people wouldn't notice the 3 "normal" trucks spaced apart in the middle.... in the middle of night... when i had seen no one else on the road for hours... in the middle of a state highway...
and when i say bevy... i mean probably 12 vehicles in each group... various types...
someone didn't know the meaning of covert... but then, i don't think they were so much worried about sneaking the trucks through as protecting them... i drove the rest of the night wondering if i had just passed another roswell event...

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
saw a convoy once in arkansas... funny... it would have looked like 3 ordinary moving van company trucks (with a fake name, i think it was norcam moving van lines or some such...) if it hadn't had a bevy of humvies a mile back and a mile in front of it...very spaced apart....
guess they figured people wouldn't notice the 3 "normal" trucks spaced apart in the middle.... in the middle of night... when i had seen no one else on the road for hours... in the middle of a state highway...

You just haven't lived around the military long enough (seriously.) It's not that unusual for a convoy that's a mile or more long to allow a trucker or cars to enter the middle of the convoy. You probably saw three that entered from a rest stop or side road.

The military does use commercial vans to haul soldiers' furniture and so forth around, but it's private contract. Large stuff is moved in large military vans (and they can put a lot of stuff in there) or transported by plane.

wasn't there a controversial rail shipment of something really nasty about ten years ago? then these protestors threatened to obstruct the shipment and the government made it clear the train would run over whoever stood in front of the train.

i wonder- if the protestors kidnapped high ranking government officials and chained them to the rails, would the train stop??

sometimes i think government secrecy causes more problems than it solves.