In the wake of Sept. 11, cargo security has become the foremost challenge facing shippers, carriers, third-party logistics providers, port authorities, and government. On Feb. 1,2011, less-than-truckload carrier Con-way Freight's security protocols were put to the test when an employee noted a shipment of explosive materials at its Lubbock, Texas, terminal. Authorities theorized the shipment, ordered by Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, a 20-year-old Saudi student in Texas, was part of an alleged al-Qaeda plot to build improvised explosives and blow up targets including West Coast reservoirs, dams, and nuclear power plants. Thanks to Con-way's handling of the situation, Aldawsari was arrested and charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. He is currently awaiting trial. Curt Shewchuck, chief security officer for the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based motor carrier, talked with Inbound Logistics about the incident and Con-way's collaboration with shippers and government authorities to identify and prevent potential security threats.
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