WASHINGTON, — A second in a series of meetings to better harmonize the North American Standard for Protection Against Shifting or Falling Cargo between Canada and the U.S. has been called by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Last year, both the FMCSA and Transport Canada introduced versions of the new cargo securement standards. Canada’s Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety approved a new National Safety Code Standard for cargo securement and full implementation in Canada began this summer.

The purpose of this public meeting — which was moved from Hurricane-devastated Biloxi, Miss. To Indianapolis for Sept. 29 — is to discuss the process for ensuring the consistent interpretation of the harmonized cargo securement standards by FMCSA and the Canadian Provinces and to address potential implementation issues for Canada. Also, stakeholders will deal with issues raised by enforcement agencies and motor carriers as they’ve experienced enforcement to date.

“FMCSA believes it is necessary to continue working with U.S. and Canadian industry experts, federal, state and provincial enforcement officials, and other interested parties to maintain to the greatest extent practicable, harmonization of U.S. and Canadian cargo securement standards,” FMCSA stated.

This is the second in a series of public meetings on this subject. The first meeting was held April 21-22 in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 1, 2005.