Speed Up FAST Lanes, Trucker Tells Congress

More federal funding and more “reasonable” regulation are needed to speed freight across the U.S. border, says the chief of one of the largest cross-border trucking operations in the U.S.

In particular, more “Free and Secure Trade” lanes are needed to speed freight between the U.S. and Canada, the largest U.S. trading partner, Stephen Russell, chairman and CEO of Celadon Group, told a House subcommittee today.

"The biggest problem trucking companies continue to face" with the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism and FAST "is the lack of true 'FAST' lanes," said Russell, who testified on behalf of the American Trucking Associations.

Few FAST lanes extend far back from the port of entry, he said, with most beginning a few yards before the initial inspection booth. That means truckers meant to benefit from the FAST lanes are stuck in traffic with other vehicles until shortly before their arrival at the border.

"C-TPAT certified motor carriers with drivers who have undergone FAST background checks are not getting the benefits that were promised for investing to comply with the program," Russell told the House Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism.

That's no small issue for Russell, whose Indianapolis-based company gets about 40 percent of its business through cross-border trade with Canada and Mexico. He also urged greater use of technology to collect data on trucks, truck drivers and freight before it reaches the border.

He also raised the issue of how U.S. Customs and Border Protection deals with C-TPAT violations. A carrier can lose its C-TPAT status after a single security incident, even before an investigation, Russell said.

For example, if an inspector 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 CBP to investigate incidents first, and to put carriers that are cleared of fault on probation — a procedure advocated by ATA. If an investigation shows a carrier "willfully disregarded" C-TPAT security criteria, Customs could suspend the carrier and require it to reapply for the program.