The federal government in March of last year mandated that all "haz-mat" carriers in the country develop written, updated security plans by Sept. 25, 2003.

Michael Bell, director of the Alaska Trucking Association, said many of the organization's 350 member companies had to meet the deadline.

"It applies to big, medium and small sized companies," Bell said. "Anybody who hauls any placarded, recordable load, they need to make sure they have a security plan in place and that it is implementable. They need to take into consideration all the contingencies and possible scenarios that they may face."

"Once we get the federal MCSA knocking on doors and asking them where is their security plan, people are going to become quickly under compliance," he said.

Rob Chambers, a dispatcher with Big State Logistics Inc. in Fairbanks said they are "well aware" of the government's decree affecting their fuel hauling and freight contracting business.

He said Sept. 25 was a deadline for management, and companies will have additional time to conduct specific training for drivers and other employees. But Chambers was not thrilled with the process.

"It's been an absolute pain in the neck. A lot of work," he said. "You know, we live in Alaska, what are we worried about?

"I told my drivers part of the security plan is that I have to train them how to react to hijacking. They laughed at me," Chambers said. "They thought maybe they could take care of themselves. I've got two drivers in particular, there ain't nobody crawling up into their trucks."

He said the company is taking the government requirement seriously, and time will tell. "We've got a plan in place. Whether they'll be pleased with it or not, I don't know," he said.

The documentation required of companies must cover three main areas: Personnel security, unauthorized access to facilities, and enroute security, said Lisa Marquiss, regulatory compliance director for Carlile Transportation Systems in Anchorage.

She said those demands already are being met by the company.

"Carlile hauls a lot of security-sensitive materials, in the realm of haz-mat," she said. "We've been working with the Department of Defense and groups of that nature for years, so for us it wasn't difficult," to comply with the deadline.

Surveillance cameras, in-depth background checks on potential employees, strict ID procedures and satellite tracking of assets are some of the tools the company uses to avoid problems.

There are nine classifications of hazardous transportable materials, as defined by the DOT, Marquiss said, and Carlile hauls all of them. "There are explosives, there are gases. A lot of this stuff, you don't want it to go astray."

The most common cargos of concern just about anywhere and anytime, she said, are "flammables and corrosives," including paint and batteries. Other loads on the manifest can require special attention.

"There is a lot of radioactive material that moves into the state," she said, adding that she didn't want to be more specific for security reasons.

Enhanced security and safety protocols are long-standing, common practices at Suburban Propane, said the New Jersey-based company's Anchorage manager Kevin Frederic.

"We've always been an industry leader when it comes to safety -- either meeting or exceeding the rules and specs that are required," he said.

He said the MCSA's new rules have prompted some changes, including installation of additional safety shutoff valves on trucks and other automated systems.

"And as far as terrorism is concerned, a big part of that is making sure everything is locked up and really keeping an eye out for anything suspicious," he said. "We've had some people come walking through the yard and the first thing we do is ask them what they are doing on private property, and then make sure they are directed outside."

The company also has "close relationships" with local fire and police departments to help maintain security, Frederic said.

John Quartuccio, Alaska Division Administrator for the MCSA, said companies who fail to comply with the new written requirements will be subject to punitive measures.

"Sure, if there is a violation, if appropriate, a penalty will be issued," he said. "We look at the overall circumstances, but my understanding is that they (MCSA) haven't yet identified the range of penalties for the security violations. Those thresholds haven't been set."

He said the MCSA will be taking a "common sense approach" to enforcing the new regulations, and company owners won't see troops of bureaucrats rifling through their files. The agency has one safety investigator who will also be handling security inspections.

"It's not like he's going to be out there tomorrow saying 'if you don't have your plan, here's your fine,' that's not going to take place," he said. He also pointed out that trucking firms have about another three months to train their employees under the new regulations.

For most larger companies, Quartucciao said, compliance will be a matter of adjusting their current security plans. And he said thousands of small and mid-sized firms across the country will more than likely find an industry-driven solution to meeting the requirements.

"Everybody developing their own plans is probably not the way it's going to go," he said. "You're going to have to just pay somebody a hundred bucks or five hundred bucks and buy an off-the-shelf, canned security plan."