Inefficient technologies, potential bottlenecks are the issues

By Peter A. Buxbaum, AJOT

The Transportation Security Administration's mandate for screening 100 percent of air cargo loaded onto passenger aircraft is now three months off and represents a major challenge for U.S. air carriers, shippers, and forwarders. The TSA regulations require that each shipment must be screened individually at the piece, and not at the pallet or container, level.

The requirements have been introduced incrementally, first at the 50-percent level and then at 75 percent, the level which will prevail until August.

The 100-percent mandate is likely to have a greater impact on shippers and carriers of perishable cargoes such as produce, seafood, flowers, fruits, and pharmaceuticals, than on other air cargo sectors. The density of the commodities means that shipments must be broken down before they are screened. At this point, technologies which would allow screening of containers or skids have not been certified by the TSA.

Screening can be accomplished before the shipments are consolidated at the shipper location and the TSA is pushing for such a solution, through its Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP), especially for shippers of perishables. CCSP participants must carry out a TSA approved security program and adhere to strict chain of custody requirements to secure the cargo from the time it is screened until it is tendered for transport on a passenger aircraft.

But few shippers, or forwarders, for that matter, have become certified, leading to the prospect of creating supply chain bottlenecks which could have a disastrous effect on perishable cargo. Acceptance of these types of commodities may be contingent upon meeting certain transit times. Transportation schedules could be compromised if there are delays getting the shipments screened.

"We are aware of the sensitivities of screening perishable goods," said TSA spokesperson James Fotenos. "TSA has worked closely with stakeholders across a wide variety of industries. The Certified Cargo Screening Program is ideal for these types of shippers since it allows a facility to become certified to screen its own cargo, thereby avoiding any potential delays at the airport."

"Our organization has been working with TSA since the spring of 2007," said Mark Powers, vice president of the Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima, Wash., which promotes exports for tree fruit growers across the Northwest. "Since the requirements started getting rolled in 2008, the TSA has been meeting with freight forwarders and shippers to talk about what needed to be done."

Screening of Washington State cherries, which are often shipped by air, went smoothly last year has gone smoothly so far this year. But this year's harvest will be 90 percent done before the 100-percent mandate kicks in, leaving Powers to wonder what situation will prevail next year.

"Many of the cherries weren't screened this year but there won't be that flexibility in the system next year," he said. "Anytime there is a new regulation, there is the potential for commercial problems, especially in the air freight business, which is very time sensitive. Service can be impacted by new requirements on shippers."

TSA's 100-percent cargo screening program is one of a mix of issues bedeviling the pharmaceuticals industry, according to Kevin O'Donnell, director and chief technical advisor to industry for ThermoSafe Brands, a line of thermal packaging products from Tegrant Corp. "Similar security programs are likely to be adapted and enacted by other countries," he said. "All this will surely lead to longer lock-out times at airports, delays, missed flights, bumped and waylaid cargo. All of these are obstacles for predictable and reliable delivery of time- and temperature-sensitive drugs."

Commodities Forwarders International operates a TSA-certified screening station at Los Angeles International Airport which specializes in screening perishable cargoes prior to flight. T