OTTAWA — The new chief at the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency is determined clean up inefficiencies at the border and says he’ll start with “low-hanging fruit.”

While there are a host of issues and priorities that could be implemented to help enhance the balance between security and trade facilitation, says the Canadian Trucking Alliance, they would like to see a focus on measures that do not denigrate security; that would help make the border more efficient or less frustrating; that would not require gobs of money; or legislation.

The CTA, along with the American Trucking Associations, compiled a short list of three points they figure would be helpful for the trucking industry.

Suspension of C-TPAT Benefits
Motor carriers participating in C-TPAT face the possibility of a single security incident resulting in the immediate revocation of a carriers’ C-TPAT status. Such a drastic measure occurs before an investigation is performed to uncover what led to the security incident.

The associations are proposing that in the event of a security incident, CBP should: not immediately suspend the motor carrier, and should not “turn off” its Status Verification Interface (SVI) number, until an investigation determines the nature of the illicit cargo and at what point it was introduced into the conveyance; and consider a “probation” period if the investigation demonstrates that the carrier was not at fault.

The probation can end once CBP is satisfied that the motor carrier has properly implemented the Minimum Security Criteria and considered establishing applicable best practices to reduce the risks of future security breaches.

A single security incident should not result in a motor carrier being automatically suspended unless an investigation demonstrates a “systemic security” problem and a lack of proper security measures by the trucking company, says the CTA, as well, individual incidents, even if perpetrated by a company employee, should not be treated as systemic problems.

Empty Trailer Repositioning
The trucking industry is seeking a minor change in the interpretation of immigration rules to allow foreign drivers to reposition a foreign-based trailer in the U.S. that did not enter and/or will not leave with the same driver.

“Such flexibility would greatly improve not only driver and equipment efficiency, but also improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions due to unnecessary extra tractor movements,” says David Bradley, CEO of the CTA. “Today, foreign drivers are allowed to reposition an empty piece of equipment that either enters or exits with them.”

The CTA is asking CBP provide this added flexibility to low-risk motor carriers that are members of the C-TPAT program as an added benefit to those carriers that have invested to participate in C-TPAT and/or PIP.

In-Transit Movements
With the introduction of CBP’s ACE Truck e-Manifest carriers moving goods in transit are required to submit complete shipment information electronically to customs in advance of arrival at the border.

To do this, carriers require full commercial invoice information for the shipment, which the CTA says is “a particularly daunting, if not impossible task for less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, where they may have the goods from literally hundreds of customers on-board.”

The CTA says shippers and consignees are already reluctant to produce this information for what is essentially a domestic shipment, the move towards electronic processes, a measure that should streamline border clearance, has instead created inefficiencies in the supply chain.

To help reduce inefficiencies in this system, CTA and ATA recommend that CBP remove the requirement for a carrier that is a member of the C-TPAT or PIP programs to submit full commercial information for domestic shipments that are part of an in transit movement and require only a limited data set for goods moving in transit.

“While on the surface these might seem like modest concessions, in combination they could have a meaningful impact on supply chain efficiency and provide additional value-added to companies that have invested in the myriad of border security programs that have been introduced over the past several years,” says Bradley.