Unease as Truckers Not Included in Security Net

(Cargonews Asia – Ian Putzger)

With a deadline of having to screen all bellyhold air cargo by the summer of 2010 looming, the U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has begun to flesh out details of its air freight security strategy. Some of the elements, plus the absence of any government funding for operators’ efforts to comply, have forwarders worried.

At first glance, the TSA’s strategy came as a relief for industry executives who had warned about bottlenecks at airports as a result of mandatory screening. “We’re moving screening back into the supply chain,” the TSA announced, a strategy that is in line with calls from the industry for a multi-layered security regime. “The focus is on shippers and warehousing,” specified Ed Kelly, the TSA’s general manager for cargo, transportation sector network management.

Trucking companies, on the other hand, are left out of the picture. The TSA cited time constraints for its decision not to include the road aspect into the regime. This has forwarders wondering how much responsibility they are going to shoulder once they get certified. Even if they invested in screening equipment for their own facilities, they would have to find ways to ensure that the cargo is secure on the truck from their warehouse to the airline.

“This is something you would certainly want your lawyers to look into very closely,” said Dave Wirsing, president of industry consulting firm Phoenix Marketing, who had previously headed the U.S. Airforwarders Association and has been involved in negotiations with the TSA since the agency’s inception. Wirsing welcomed the TSA’s strategy as a move in the right direction but voiced strong reservations about the decision to leave truckers out of the loop. “You can’t exclude any part of the supply chain in that process and certify only certain elements of it,” he said.

Shipper clearance is another element that has seen some progress but still faces hurdles. The TSA has confirmed that it is moving towards a certified shipper programme in the long run, but as an interim solution it is tweaking the current known shipper regime. Read the complete article.