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The unmarked 18-wheelers ply the nation's interstates and two-lane highways, logging 3 million miles a year hauling the most lethal cargo there is: nuclear bombs.
The covert fleet, which shuttles warheads from missile silos, bomber bases and submarine docks to nuclear weapons labs across the country, is operated by the Office of Secure Transportation, a troubled agency within the U.S. Department of Energy so cloaked in secrecy that few people outside the government know it exists.
The $237-million-a-year agency operates a fleet of 42 tractor-trailers, staffed by highly armed couriers, many of them veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, responsible for making sure nuclear weapons and components pass through foggy mountain passes and urban traffic jams without incident.
The transportation office is about to become more crucial than ever as the U.S. embarks on a $1-trillion upgrade of the nuclear arsenal that will require thousands of additional warhead shipments over the next 15 years.
The increased workload will hit an agency already struggling with problems of forced overtime, high driver turnover, old trucks and poor worker morale — raising questions about its ability to keep nuclear shipments safe from attack in an era of more sophisticated terrorism.
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 2) by fliptop on Saturday March 18 2017, @01:04AM (14 children)
If they're hauling nuclear material, which is classified hazardous, w/o the proper Class 7 placards [gclabels.net], that is a major violation of many laws regulation the transportation of hazardous materials. I'd be very surprised if the trucks had no placards.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
(Score: 1) by qzm on Saturday March 18 2017, @01:13AM (9 children)
Military, special rules.
You think they have to comply with such things? really?
The bigger shock is, 1/4 of a billion dollars a year, and they are suffering from old trucks, and poor morale?
FFS, what a god damn joke. They need expansion for 'thousands' of additional shipments over the next 15 years? implying thats
a significant number compared to what they do now?
Someone is drinking deeply at the public through here, and obviously wants more, MORE I tell you!
(Score: 2) by fliptop on Saturday March 18 2017, @02:29AM (7 children)
Yes, they do. In the event of an accident, 1st responders need to know what they're dealing with.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Techwolf on Saturday March 18 2017, @02:47AM (2 children)
In this case, a big NO. They have there own system with dealing with any type of emersity. This is due first responders do have have any training on dealing with that type of haz-mat load.
Those loads are excorted by at lease two cars/vans/suvs and is consent commutations with home base. They also have full remote GPS tracking all all vieciuls at all times. There is even a big red button in the dash where the driver can push that will alert folks in seconds, not minutes, but seconds.
(Score: 5, Funny) by qzm on Saturday March 18 2017, @03:41AM
Wow. While your points are correct, the writing.. Just wow.
I am actually impressed..
At to the parent poster. Yes. First responders are more likely to get arrested by military police if they tried to respond than anything else. This is far far out of their league.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 19 2017, @02:28AM
I think you meant to write "and is in" rather than "and is," am I right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 18 2017, @05:41AM (3 children)
The 1st responders find out what they're dealing with when people point full-auto guns at them.
This is good, because the 1st responders need to be kept safe: the truck comes with exploding axles, some sort of sticky foam that can burst out in enough quantity to bury people to death, electric shocks, and supposedly some extra hazards.
Say, what is the appropriate hazard placard for all that? I found one for explosives, but it probably doesn't cover axles. I can't find sticky foam or electric shocks really.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 18 2017, @09:14AM (2 children)
Say, what is the appropriate hazard placard for all that?
I supposed a sign on the door saying "beware of the leopard" should suffice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 19 2017, @02:30AM (1 child)
A leopard? In America?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 20 2017, @11:37AM
We have these things called zoos.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday March 18 2017, @04:30AM
250 million a year, divided as administered salary among 1000 decorated veterans, it's virtually all spent on personnel, and the office staff that oversees the money - there's nothing left over for things like new trucks or maintenance, why would we spend money on equipment when we can hire a few more good men instead?
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 18 2017, @01:16AM
There is usually a national security exception in the law.
(Score: 2) by Techwolf on Saturday March 18 2017, @02:44AM
Military. They technically own the Interstate system. They do have the legal authority to shut it down if they want do. Thats why Military convoys on the interstate system do not have much of the BS paperwork required by the states, like plates, licensed drivers, etc.
The Interstate system was created so it would not take three months for a military convoy to cross the USA. The President at the time remember that three month trip when he served in the forces and wanted to fix that.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday March 18 2017, @04:28AM
I think these guys seriously outclass "Gold Hat" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinking_badges [wikipedia.org]
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 18 2017, @02:55PM
Now there's a good idea...put a placard on the side of the truck so everyone knows there's a bomb inside.