In a testimony before a congressional panel, Stephen Russell, chairman and CEO of Celadon Group, said there needs to be an improvement to border infrastructure and procedures in order to up security and efficiency of freight transportation across borders.


Russell, who spoke on behalf of the American Trucking Associations, called for more funds for infrastructure, more enforcement of trade security program rules, and an increased role in coordinating federal efforts to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.

He told the House Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, House Homeland Security Committee that "closer cooperation and understanding between industry and government will yield an even higher degree of security at our nation's borders and will improve cross-border operations and the international supply chain."

Russell applauded such programs as Free and Secure Trade (FAST) and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program (C-TPAT). To participate in FAST, motor carriers must become C-TPAT certified and their drivers must undergo a background check. Carriers can get expedited clearance of their equipment, driver, and cargo - as long as it belongs to a C-TPAT importer - in addition to getting access to a lane dedicated for FAST participants.

"The biggest challenge trucking companies continue to face with the C-TPAT/FAST program is the lack of 'true' FAST lanes," said Russell. "This results in low-risk C-TPAT carriers being stuck in the same traffic as non-C-TPAT certified carriers."

"The end goals of security and efficiency are not mutually exclusive. Though it is impossible to achieve absolute security without bringing trade to a standstill, we can greatly reduce the potential of being targeted by our enemies by managing risk, increasing security awareness among company personnel, and implementing simple cost-effective security measures," Russell said.

In addition, if a carrier has a single security incident, its C-TPAT status is immediately take away, even before an investigation takes place. If an inspection finds contraband on a C-TPAT carrier's truck, the carrier can be suspended from the program without knowing if the contraband was placed on the truck during loading of freight or at another point in the supply chain.

Russell urged Congress to address these issues, suggesting that the carrier get an investigation first, instead of being suspended immediately. If after an investigation the carrier is found not at fault, the company would be put on probation. If it is found to be at fault, the government can suspend the carrier and require it to reapply and undergo again a full validation of program requirements.

Russell also voiced his support of the development of Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), an electronic manifest system that captures trade data, clears cargo entering the U.S., and provides Customs and Border Protection with an improved system for targeting, risk analysis, and release of cargo.

"The trucking industry encourages the U.S. government, in cooperation with both Canada and Mexico, to improve and to facilitate the capture and exchange of information on goods and people crossing our land borders," Russell said. ATA recommends that the U.S. government quickly implement the Smart Border Accord between the U.S. and Canada, the 22 Point Plan between the U.S. and Mexico, and recommendations of the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership.