In the past, truckers were known as "knights of the road". They used to have a reputation of helping people whose cars became disabled and had to pull their vehicles to the side of the road. People always expected a trucker to aid them when they were in distress on the highway, and their big rigs were seen like the heroic mounts of the always-helpful truckers. These dark ages are long forgotten, though, and through time; however, truckers and their vehicles have lost their reputation of old and are now not so often depicted in a positive light. Just a moment ago, trucks seemed to be seen only as huge boxes rolling on the roads of the country. Nevertheless, this situation looks like it is getting worse and worse with the recent waves of terrorism.
Recently, a series of warnings and bans related to the trucking industry have arisen as a direct consequence of terrorism; lately a policy banned truck drivers from operating in the immediate vicinity of the White House. This has turned the former honorable warriors and their steeds into frightful, dangerous monsters. Terrorist have been known to use trucks to fabricate bombs and disguise them until they are detonated. This frightful presence of trucks has not been ignored by groups inside the trucking industry, and their members are struggling to improve the way truckers and their vehicles are seen. Precisely, and due to the war against terrorism, the celebrated knights of the road may rise again.
Groups are organizing truckers to keep an eye on tunnels, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure, as well as to provide a first line of defense against any attempt of hijacking vehicles and other acts of terrorism. The trucking industry has already implemented antiterrorism action plans in several parts of the country to train drivers in procedures in observation and communication. These programs are often a lot of talk; they appear in the news and press releases, thus improving the image of the industry. Consequently, we can hope to see again the reputation of truckers as knights of the road (this time against terrorism), a good thing, indeed, for truckers, trucks, and the whole trucking industry.