In The News

Feds give Highway Watch mixed rating

Federal reviewers supported Highway Watch’s purpose, but gave the American Trucking Associations’ stewardship of the program a mixed report.


Richard Skinner, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, released the report in September that recently was made public. It examined the performance, efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Trucking Industry Security Grant Program and its need.


Under the ATA’s leadership, Highway Watch achieved target enrollment of more than 800,000 members, but security incident reporting was fewer than 200 calls per month. Also, the association costs in acquiring state trucking associations’ assistance were not well documented.


“Therefore, we cannot say definitively whether the benefits achieved so far have been worth the costs,” the report concluded. “DHS’ inconsistent oversight has also hindered the program.”


But the reviewers believe the program is needed and made recommendations that it:
•Develop a sound trucking security strategy.
•Spend funds wisely and in a transparent manner.
•Improve internal coordination, communication and administration of the grant.


In 1998, the ATA established the Highway Watch program to train transportation workers to safeguard U.S. roadways and communities. With Department of Transportation funding provided through a cooperative agreement, it recruited and trained transportation workers to recognize and report hazardous conditions, vehicle crashes and criminal activity.


In 2003, the Transportation Security Administration began funding an expanded Highway Watch. Because the ATA trademarked the term Highway Watch and congressional grant authorization language referred specifically to the Highway Watch program, the TSA awarded ATA $63 million for the program from 2003-2007.


The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 appropriated an additional $16 million for the Trucking Industry Security Grant Program. The act did not refer to the trademarked term Highway Watch and it required funding be competitively awarded. Later, it awarded $15.5 million to HMS Company.


HMS, a Washington, D.C.-area company, will administer an anti-terrorism and security awareness program with a team that includes Total Security US, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Teamsters.

The ATA suspended Highway Watch, while it explores whether to continue this program in without this primary source of funding, according to the association’s website. ATA suspended its call center and is no longer processing incident reports.