The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has now begun Phase 2 of its "Security Sensitivity Visits."

A Security Sensitivity Visit (SSV) is a face-to-face meeting between the FMCSA or state investigators and top carrier officials to assess security vulnerabilities and countermeasures that can improve security.
Last year, the agency conducted more than 36,000 of these visits with motor carriers that transport hazardous materials. During these visits, the agency inspectors were told to provide constructive advice to the motor carrier community and "leave their ticket books in the car."
In Phase 2, the FMCSA inspectors will be using a Security Contact Review Form to determine a carrier’s compliance with the security plan and training requirements mandated under Docket HM-232.
The Security Contact Review Form should provide carriers with insight into the type of issues that could result in an enforcement action. For now, the agency will treat these visits as informal. But after Dec. 23, 2003 -- the date by which in-depth security training must be completed –- the FMCSA may begin writing citations for a carrier’s failure to properly implement the security plan and training requirements mandated by HM-232.
For details, or to obtain a copy of the FMCSA Security Contact Review Form, call TCA’s Rich Clemente at (703) 838-8847 or e-mail him at rclemente@truckload.org.