U.S. Proposes Tougher Identification Requirements For Crossborder Drivers
These requirements are still in the proposal stage, so they may change and other forms of identification may be added. But drivers will have to cope with new rules in order to tighten border controls.
Oliver B.Patton
Washington Editor
Crossborder truck drivers will face tougher identification requirements when they enter the United States under a proposal by the Departments of State and Homeland Security.
The agencies are proposing that in 2008, everyone who enters, or re-enters, the U.S. have either a passport or, in the case of truck drivers, an identification card under the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program. Mexican drivers would be able to use the Border Crossing Card (BBC) or "laser visa" that now serves as a substitute for a passport.
Also under consideration for approved documentation are the Secure Electronic Network of Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) and NEXUS, which covers low-risk, pre-approved travelers. Truck drivers generally do not use these programs.
These requirements are still in the proposal stage, so they may change and other forms of identification may be added. But drivers will have to cope with new rules, since the agencies are following directions from Congress to tighten border controls for the sake of national security.
"The overarching need is to implement this legal requirement in a way that strengthens security while facilitating the movement of persons and goods," said Maura Harty, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs.
Under the proposal, tougher security for land border crossings would take effect Dec. 31, 2007. That gives truck drivers a little over two and a half years to either obtain a passport or a FAST card, or in the case of Mexican drivers, the BBC card.
Truck drivers in the course of business are not affected by the first phase of the proposal, which kicks in at the end of this year. It would require all travelers from the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central and South America to have a passport or an approved form of identification.
Neither are drivers affected by the second phase, which starts Dec. 31, 2006. It requires air and sea travelers from Canada and Mexico to meet the requirement.
There is reason for the industry to be concerned, however, said Margaret Irwin, director of customs, immigration and cross border operations at American Trucking Assns.
U.S. Border and Customs Protection is scrambling to issue 50,000 FAST cards to truck drivers by May 1, but the process has been difficult because drivers have a hard time fitting the application process into their schedules, Irwin said. The same problem will arise when drivers have to apply for passports, she said.
The current push to obtain FAST cards is driven by the requirement that Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) shipment drivers (for low-risk, high-volume repetitive shipments) have the card by May 1.
Officials are relying on the FAST card to give them a better sense of how many drivers actually are working in the cross-border trade, Irwin said. No one knows for sure, but she cited one estimate of 70,000.
Another unknown is where the Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC) will fit into this picture, Irwin said. The TWIC, which is being developed by the Department of Homeland Security for U.S. drivers, will eventually serve as a universal security card that could double as a commercial license. It might be in use by 2008.
The agencies said they will publish an advanced version of the proposal soon. When they do, any interested party will have a chance to submit comments and suggestions. After they review the comments, the agencies will issue their proposal and accept more comments. Only then will a final rule be issued. The process is likely to take until the end of this year.
