OTTAWA — It’s just a matter of time before U.S. authorities finally agree to accept the FAST card as a substitute for upcoming hazardous material background checks, says the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

While he thinks a final decision should have already been made within the last five years, CTA boss Bradley expects the U.S. government will finally accept the FAST card, at least on an interim basis, just months before the Aug. 10 deadline of the hazmat requirement.

“Drivers and carriers should have had more time to prepare themselves to comply with the law. However, our sources in government tell us it is just a matter of time before the U.S. announces that the FAST card will, indeed, be accepted as proof of compliance,” he said. “This is something CTA has long fought for, not because we are anxious to have more drivers security screened, but because we see little other option in the short term. An infrastructure to issue the cards already exists, and more than 65,000 are already in the hands of commercial truck drivers.”

Canadian security protocol will be accepted for US
hazmat rule. But you better get it FAST, says CTA

The rule, a clause in the Patriot Act, mandates biometric security checks on truck drivers moving hazardous materials. An initial phase in of the process for U.S. drivers began in May 2005, while the requirement for Canadian drivers to comply was postponed until August 2006.

The CTA has been arguing that a parallel endorsement for Canadian hazmat truck drivers is problematic because, unlike drivers in the U.S., Canadian truckers are not required to have a hazmat endorsement on their commercial licences.

However, knowing that the American trucking industry will not tolerate a situation where U.S. drivers have to meet requirements that Canadian drivers do not, CTA proposed Canadian drivers use their FAST cards as evidence of having undergone virtually identical security checks.

The Alliance has said for years that most U.S. officials warmed to the idea, but the Canadian group to date hasn’t been able to get an official decision to come out of Washington.

In addition, it is expected that this interim solution will also apply to drivers hauling explosives into and throughout the U.S., instead of the TC-ERD drivers’ list [a process jointly operated by Transport Canada and NRCAN to permit Canadian driver compliance with the US Safe Explosives Act.]

In the meantime, the CTA is strongly recommending that dangerous goods drivers licenced in Canada apply for FAST as soon as possible to allow for adequate processing time of a potentially large number of new applicants.

“It is not the ideal situation, and we know sending drivers now to obtain a FAST card comes with some risks,” said Bradley. “But the continued delays have pushed the industry into a corner. Those who don’t act now could find their hazmat drivers shut out of cross border traffic in less than three months.”

In order to cut down on further redundancy, the CTA has also been lobbying U.S. officials to accept the FAST card in lieu of a separate Transportation Security Administration mandate to require a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for truckers transporting cargo in and out of “safety sensitive” areas such as seaports and intermodal facilities.

Information on how to apply for a FAST card can be obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/fast/menu-e.html