Are You Ready for 100% Screening of All Cargo on Passenger Planes?
Earlier this month, the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) sent a letter to air cargo shippers reminding them that the congressionally-mandated August 2010 deadline for 100% screening of all cargo on passenger planes is now less than a year away.
The ATA also urged shippers to learn more about the benefits of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP). The letter states:
To date, airlines have been able to screen shipments from customers who have not yet qualified for participation in the CCSP program. However, as we transition from meeting last February’s requirement that 50 percent of all shipments be screened, to the pending 100 percent screening deadline, screening capacity, time constraints and other factors raise concerns that non-CCSP shipments will face delays. Given the volume of shipments involved, any effort that seeks to centralize the entire screening process at the airports would likely result in unacceptable delays for shippers.
According to the ATA, the CCSP solves this problem by spreading the security process across the supply chain. But, the time to start participating in the program is now. The TSA needs time to process application requests. And, your company needs time to adjust supply chain management operations to accommodate the new regulations.
Again, from the ATA letter:
The risks are particularly high for businesses that ship special commodities, many of which were previously allowed to be transported without being subjected to full physical screening processes. Sealed shipments of pharmaceuticals, high-tech commodities, perishables and any commodity transported on shrink-wrapped or banded skids or pallets on wide-body aircraft will be affected by the new TSA requirements.
CCSP creates additional screening capacity upstream in the supply chain, ensuring security while avoiding screening bottlenecks at airports.
Certainly, on paper, it seems like a sensible approach –all part and parcel of managing a business post-9/11.
However, there’s no doubt that the 100% screening mandate poses serious challenges, as significant gaps in resources, technology, understanding, and awareness still exist. Can all of these gaps be closed by August 2010? I don’t know. But, these are problems that shippers –and the companies that depend on them –should be working to solve now to avoid supply chain disruptions next fall.
