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The federal government’s new biometric ID card will be enforced
at 18 ports beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
The TWIC program eventually will require more than 1.5 million port employees, longshoremen, mariners, truckers and others who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports to have background checks before being issued cards with their biometric data and residency documentation.
Nationally, TWIC cards will be required for truckers and other port workers who need unescorted access into secure areas by April 15 although most ports are implementing earlier mandatory TWIC enforcement.
TWIC will be enforced at the following ports beginning Tuesday:
Baton Rouge, LA;
Houma, LA;
Lafayette, LA;
Morgan City, LA;
New Orleans;
Port Fourchon, LA;
South Louisiana (in LaPlace, LA);
Key West, FL;
Miami, FL;
Palm Beach, FL;
Port Everglades, FL;
Port Manatee, FL;
Tampa, FL;
Peoria, IL;
St. Louis, MO;
Newport News, VA;
Norfolk, VA; and
Kansas City, MO.
Problems with TWIC enrollment have spurred TSA to allow many ports to accept alternative identification until certain dates for workers who have applied but not yet received their TWIC card.
TSA has granted some truckers and other port workers the right to use alternative ID until later dates. Until Feb. 13, port workers who haven’t yet picked up their activated TWIC card may use alternative ID at ports in the regions of Hampton Roads, VA; Morgan City, LA; New Orleans; Upper Mississippi River, MS; Miami; Key West, FL; and St. Petersburg, FL.
Acceptable proof of activation-ready TWIC cards includes:
Printing the e-mail, sent by TSA during notification process that their TWIC is ready for pick-up.
Providing the facility security officer with the applicant’s TWIC application ID number, which can be checked on www.twicinformation.com.
Provide the facility security officer with the worker’s first and last name. That information will be checked using the password-protected portion of homeport.uscg.mil.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has been critical of several TSA processes during the TWIC rollout, including the price of enrollment and the ability of foreign nationals to access ports without background checks required by TWIC applicants from the U.S. One filing of the Association’s comments on TWIC can be found here.
Standard TWIC enrollment costs $132.50, although workers with “current, comparable” threat assessment background checks such as hazmat endorsements, Merchant Mariner Documents or Free and Secure Trade (FAST) cards may obtain a TWIC card for $105.25. The card is designed to last five years.
Replacement cards for those who lose or damage their TWIC card cost $60, according to the TWIC Web site at www.tsa.gov/twic.
According to TSA, as of Friday, Jan. 9, 801,831 workers nationally had enrolled in TWIC. Of those, 734,341 cards have been printed and 578,676 had been activated. About 136,000 truck drivers have enrolled.
Thinking of going to truck driving school?
I heard a talk show on the radio the other day with several callers talking about how in a bad economy trucking companies were always hiring and this was a good time to go to a truck driving school. Maybe in past economic downturns that was the case, but today we're in uncharted territory.
Here's the reality - Schneider one of the largest truckload carriers in the country just made a decision to stop training or hiring inexperienced drivers (Story Here). The large less than truckload carrier YRC just agreed with its union employees to cut their pay by 10% in exchange for 15% of the comany (Story Here). Companies representing thousands of trucks have either went out of business entirely or are desperately trying to survive through bankruptcy. Even those companies who are financially strong are reducing pay and asking more from drivers in an effort to survive.
The hard facts are that the trucking industry is in no better shape employment wise than the rest of the economy. And when companies do start hiring inexperienced drivers again, its likely they will only accept drivers who have completed driving school within 60-90 days. Since most driving schools take only 3-4 weeks to complete, it might be wise to wait till the economy starts to pick up before starting a school.
On the other hand, there are always local companies hiring in different areas of the country for different things, so if you have a job waiting after graduation - go for it. But, dont just believe the hype that trucking companies are always desperate for new drivers, cause today that's certainly NOT the case.
"How To Properly Switch From One Trucking Company To Another"
There are are plenty of articles on How to Get Started in Trucking, but very few give you advice on how to quit one trucking job to go to work for another trucking company. Here are some tips on leaving your trucking job without hurting yourself in the process.
Although everyone knows the trucking industry is a little different than other industries (complete with its own lingo), resigning from a trucking company should be no different than resigining from any other American company. First, if you have just completed trucking school, and this is your first job, you really need to think about sticking it out for at least one year, and if the company has an "open door" policy and they say it is OK to quit at any time, you might better re-think leaving your rig on the side of the road.
The thing to remember is that even though you might think that a company (any company) is treating someone unfairly, there is still a right way and a wrong way to go about anything. If the company is going about something wrong, it shouldn't give justification for the employee to do something wrong as well.
If you are in the heat of the moment and think about just leaving a company truck on the side of the road under dispatch, you can guarantee yourself that you will not get a job with another reputable company again.
Also, make sure you know how much notice you are supposed to give - the usual amount of time being two weeks, but your company may request only one week's noctice. This part is a little tricky, but it all really depends on how things are going with your employer. If you and your employer don't have any on-going disputes, then you may want to think about giving a little extra notice. However, if the waters are a little hostile, the absolute minimum amount of time may be in order. Again, this really is all up to how you and your employer are getting along.
"Condition Of The Truck Upon Leaving"
In addition, one thing many company truck drivers forget about is the condition of the truck upon leaving. Make sure you take pictures of your truck when they assign it to you. Go over it with an authorized member of the staff, pointing out items you find wrong with it - from body damage to scratches and cigarrett burns. Make sure any damage gets written down on the inspection sheet and ask that a copy be made for you. Keep that copy in your home with your other important papers. Make sure to keep
a copy of the truck pictures as well.
Then, do the same thing when you turn the truck back in to them. If there is any difference of opinion (fair wear &
tear or actual damage), get it cleared up in writing BEFORE you leave their facility. This way, you should get your
last paycheck.
Lastly, if you have given your notice and have another job waiting for you, make sure your last trip doesn't end on the other side of the USA. If it does, you better make sure you can get paid running back loaded or empty. If you don't have written verification of this, you may have to wait around for a load and miss the first day of your new job. Starting off on the wrong foot with your new employer may have you reading this article all over again.
Now, to find out how to get started on the right foot with a great trucking company, fill out the short online application by Clicking Here.
