Greg McKay, president of Griffin Inc, a Byhalia MS-based producer of armored vehicles, said his company increasingly will emphasize providing armored Class 8 over-the-road tractors for any companies, organizations, or governmental agencies responsible for shipping valuables or hazardous materials.
“Traditionally, transportation of cash and other high-value cargos was the primary application for armored commercial vehicles,” said McKay. “Recent terrorist activities have added another dimension to transportation security. The terrible tragedies that occurred Sept 11, 2001 have led to heightened security requirements for carriers of bulk gasoline, diesel, propane, compressed natural gas, and other hazardous materials. Remember, the terrorists in New York and Washington DC used the fuel aboard the aircraft to increase the intensity of their attacks.”
Griffin upfits all makes of tractors to stop ballistic and forced entry threats. The same technologies and manufacturing processes used to provide armored vehicles for the cash-in-transit and precious metals industries are employed to create armored tractors. Features of these tractors include: bullet-resistant glass; Kevlar panels, bullet-resistant metal; deadbolt locks, secondary locking mechanisms, run-flat tire inserts, and remote fuel shut-off devices.