Handle with care - Trism, hauler of military ammunition and explosives

Fleet Owner Magazine
By Deborah Mcguffie, July, 2001

Fleets exercise caution in hauling sensitive military cargo

Transporting arms, ammunition and explosives for the military is a major part of Trism's extensive North American operations, which also include heavy hauling and hazardous-materials transport. In fact, the Trism Secured Transportation group--the munitions and hazardous-materials arm of Trism--has more than 25% of the military munitions market.

The carrier got its start in truck transportation in 1990 when it acquired Tri-State Motor Transit. Today, Tri-State and two additional Trism operating companies--Diablo Transportation and C.I. Whitten Transfer Co.--make up the Trism Secured group.

On the munitions side, there are 215 tractors and 674 trailers at the disposal of Trism Secured, for which 339 company drivers and 86 owner-operators haul freight. According to Eddie Prince, senior vp-maintenance and equipment purchasing, the munitions division utilizes all 42 of Trism's nationwide terminals and drop yards, which include 7 such maintenance facilities.

"The military is very strict about equipment and driver safety," Prince explains. "Trism Secured's tractors are required to have larger-than-average fire extinguishers both in and outside the cab. Explosives are often moved on "twistlock" trailers, which have built-in fasteners that lock preloaded containers into place. Munitions are carried in vans that are locked and sealed by the shipper according to military specifications.

A number of security measures must also be provided by carriers hauling military freight classified as "secret," including all munitions. "Our power units, for example, are equipped with Qualcomm two-way satellite communications systems with a panic button linked directly to the military," Prince reports.

Prince also points out that two drivers are always used for these types of shipments; during stops, only one member of the ream leaves the truck at a time so the cargo is never left unattended. The only exception is for stops at approved revetted areas with full-tine security available such as at Trism's Joplin, MO, facility.

"Sensitive freight is policed by the military very closely," Prince says. "They routinely send unscheduled escorts to follow our trucks and monitor our performance and compliance with regulations. You simply have to have the best drivers on these types of high-security runs."

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