Later this year August 3rd, 2010, legislation passed in 2007 as part of the 9/11 ACT will make it mandatory for cargo being shipped on commercial airlines originating from the United States to be screened/scanned at a level equal to the screening/checking the takes place for passenger luggage. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is charged with enforcing it the new law and the deadline for meeting this mandate is August 3rd, 2010.

 

If is possible for a freight forwarder or a manufacturer to become qualified to self screen the cargo that they ship via air freight. 

 

Some questions that a manufacturer or wholesaler or purchasing company might ask themselves include:

 

Why should we try to become a self screener of cargo?  How many of my air shipments are traveling on commercial/passenger aircraft and would my packages be compromised if they were opened during screening/transit?

Isn't cargo screening best left to the freight forwarder or airlines to handle?  

Wouldn't it be to expensive for a small or mid-size company to buy the machinery or equipment needed to do cargo screening?

Will delays in airline screening / air shipments represent an unacceptable risk or loss to my company? 

Is their a company out their that can help us to become a cargo screener, or that could give us guidance above and beyond the information that will be available from the TSA? 

 

The answer is in many cases different than you think.

 

Gateway International Transport, inc. is Certified Cargo Screening Facility based in Houston, Texas, and we might be able to help you answer some of the questions above, or some others you might have as well.  We became a CCSF without hiring an expensive outside firm to do the program for us, and we became certified without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on screening equipment.  The Gateway Logistics Group umbrella of companies that includes Gateway International Transport has a history of government compliance and in creating internal systems to meet the requirements of programs like CCSP, IACSSP, and CTPAT.  

 

So if you have been asking yourself some of the questions above, or would like to work with a freight forwarder that can help you answer those questions then please contact us at sales@gateway-group.com. If you would like assistance with starting the process to become a CCSF - Gateway can put you in touch with the correct TSA contacts We can help you analyze the cost benefit of doing screening on your own, or perhaps confirm that your logistics partner is the best answer when it comes to screening your cargo.  What we hope you decide is to not leave the screening of your important air shipments to the airlines to screen after the 100% deadline comes into place in August this year.

 

If you have questions do not hesitate to contact us at sales@gateway-group.com or  phone us in Houston Texas at 281-443-7447. You can ask for David Collins.

 

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