SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Late at night on an icy road in a remote area west of Charlotte, North Carolina, a commercial truck carrying a load of DOD ammunition slid off the road and into a deep ditch unseen by other vehicles traveling in the area.
Less than two minutes later, nearly 700 miles away, a member of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, made a phone call to police in the Charlotte area and directed them to the location of the truck and trailer. Within moments, the police arrived at the site of the accident and requested an ambulance to transport the injured drivers to the hospital.
Thanks to SDDC's Defense Transportation Tracking System (DTTS), the driver team in this true scenario received prompt medical support, the ammunition shipment was secured, and the commercial trucking company moving the shipment, along with the shipper and receiver of the ammunition, were all informed of the situation.
SDDC also quickly made arrangements to get a qualified tractor-trailer and driver team to take the shipment to its final destination in time to meet its required delivery date the next day.
DTTS is a vital system that enables SDDC to track and monitor DOD's sensitive and hazardous materials in transit, while also providing instant communication to help the command -- as well as drivers and emergency responders -- deal with unexpected situations.
"DTTS is just one of the many ways the trusted professionals of SDDC deliver readiness," said Maj. Gen. Kurt J. Ryan, SDDC commanding general. "It's a critical function in SDDC's support to DOD and the warfighter."
DTTS provides a closed-loop tracking system for much of its high security risk cargo. When an installation transportation officer requests satellite tracking, the system tracks the shipment from departure at origin until it arrives at the intended destination. If a shipment is delayed due to an emergency, such as an accident or even a mechanical breakdown, DTTS is involved and takes action to help keep the shipment moving.
"We stay connected to the shipment until it arrives at destination," said Jessica Snyder, DTTS Policy and Technology Branch chief.
Using satellite communications, DTTS tracks DOD Arms, Ammunition and Explosives (AA&E) and other sensitive material traveling across North America via commercial carriers. The system supports SDDC's objective to provide in-transit visibility and total asset visibility on AA&E shipments and other sensitive or classified cargo.
As part of SDDC's support of the total force, DTTS approved carriers operate trucks for every U.S. military service. DTTS receives periodic updates around the clock from satellite-equipped trucks in transit. These updates provide DTTS with information on the truck's position and status, and the satellite data is matched with information from a DTTS database that provides data linkage to the truck's cargo, origin and destination.
Additionally, each truck is equipped with a "panic" button that allows drivers to inform DTTS within seconds of any emergency that may occur during transport. If DTTS analysts receive a message about a potential issue, they engage with all appropriate agencies to immediately mitigate the situation.
"The ability to provide DOD leadership or civilian first responders with up-to-the-minute information about any incident is central to the DTTS mission," said Travis Jungewaelter, DTTS Operations and Data Quality Branch chief.
In the event of a major emergency, DTTS personnel contact civilian first responders -- typically the police who contact fire, emergency medical technicians, and others as needed -- and make them aware of the type of cargo on the truck. This information can be critical on-site, as it may dictate how emergency personnel respond to the accident scene.
In 2010, DTTS implemented trailer tracking as an added measure to increase the security of DOD's
high risk shipments. In addition to the ability to independently track trailers, the system informs DTTS analysts when a trailer is unhitched from its truck or if the trailer door is opened. With trailer tracking, DTTS can track a shipment even if the trailer is separated from the truck, allowing even greater in-transit visibility.
This capability is how DTTS personnel were alerted to the Charlotte incident. During the accident, the tractor and trailer became untethered, and SDDC's DTTS analysts received a satellite message indicating an unplanned untether event, prompting the analyst to call local police to investigate.
"There are many systems that provide in-transit visibility for DOD cargo, but our DTTS team can do more with that information than just tell you when the shipment departed origin or arrived at destination," said Navy Capt. Aaron Stanley, SDDC's Operations director.
"DTTS ensures these shipments have the proper safety and security oversight. And with our unique standard operating procedures, if an emergency does happen, we can respond like a precision drill team."
Most shipments are completed without a problem, but with tens of thousands of sensitive and hazardous materials shipments conducted every year, issues are bound to arise. When they do, SDDC is ready to respond and keep the shipments moving.
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