OTTAWA — As predicted, U.S. authorities have extended the deadline for Canadian hazmat truckers to undergo biometric background checks in order to haul south of the border.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance announces that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will delay the deadline for Canadian truckers from today, Feb. 10, 2006 to Aug. 10, 2006.

The requirement is currently being phased in for U.S. hazmat drivers, who must pass a background security check before obtaining or renewing their hazardous materials endorsements on their commercial drivers’ licences (CDLs).

CTA hints that decision imminent on allowing
FAST as hazmat card substitute

In a major transportation bill last summer, the Bush Administration declared that a hazmat check for foreign drivers would have to be “similar” to the U.S. check. The government gave the TSA six months to come up with the program, but officials told Today’s Trucking at the time that the deadline would likely be pushed up another six months.

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

The trucking association has spent the last two years trying to convince U.S. regulators to accept the FAST card in lieu of a hazmat endorsement since FAST applicants must also be fingerprinted and have background checks performed and approved by both the U.S. and Canada.

A system to process FAST cards is already in place, and over 50,000 have been issued, says CTA. It is expected TSA will make a further announcement regarding the use of the FAST driver card as a means for foreign hazmat drivers to meet its requirement.

“The extension of the deadline, and the expected announcement that the FAST card will be accepted by TSA, is great news for Canada and for Canadian carriers,” said CTA CEO David Bradley. “The FAST card option we proposed more than two years ago, if accepted by TSA, would not only solve the hazmat security check dilemma, but also add value to the FAST program.”

Meanwhile U.S. hazmat carriers say the costs associated with the process are deterring drivers from obtaining hazmat endorsements.

Testifying before Congress on behalf of the American Trucking Associations late last year, Steve Russell, chairman and CEO of Indianapolis truckload carrier Celadon Group and Kitchener, Ont.-based Celadon Canada, said that while the trucking industry supports the security objective, the current background check program has been “marred by a number of bad decisions.”

The endorsement and the background check are required for drivers transporting not only explosives, but also non-threatening commodities like paint, nail polish, chewing gum extract and soft drink syrup.

A proposal to scale back the list of hazmats covered by the requirement to only the most dangerous commodities is being considered by Congress.

Trucks move more than 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials across the U.S. each day, with hazmat shipments accounting for 14.8 percent of all truck tonnage moved annually.