Canada, U.S. make progress on border clearance; truckers still being held at crossings

FORT ERIE, Ont. (Oct. 15, 2004) — Canada and the U.S. have agreed on a pilot plan to pre-screen all U.S.-bound trucks on the Peace Bridge at a truck yard in Fort Erie instead of inspecting them in the crowded plaza on the west side of Buffalo, N.Y.

The plan came out of a two-day meeting between U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, and Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan on the implementation of the Smart Border Action Plan.

In addition, it was noted that two new dedicated FAST lanes are being created. One southbound at the Pacific Highway in B.C. and Blaine, Wash. crossing as of October 20, 2004 and in both directions at the Windsor-Detroit Ambassador Bridge starting November 1, 2004.

David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance said he was “encouraged” by the progress made by the two governments. “The prospect of pre-screening and eventually full pre-clearance away from the busiest border crossings would be a very positive measure in helping to alleviate congestion on the approaches to the bridges,” he said. “Obviously, the real work starts now, but for the longest time this issue seemed to be dead.”

However, he noted things are far from rosy at the border for truckers. Bradley — who was one of 10 Canadian business leaders to participate in a two-hour private discussion over lunch with McLellan, Ridge, and key officials responsible for border security — says there’s a host of new U.S. security measures being implemented over the next few months which could have a disruptive impact on trade flows and negate some of the gains made under the Smart Border Action Plan.

These include difficulty in getting enough drivers registered for FAST cards to handle the volume of freight starting on November 15th — the day new U.S. Customs pre-notification rules kick-in. Bradley said U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials committed to reviewing the current situation as early as next week.

He also urged Secretary Ridge and his staff to consider using the driver FAST registration card as the “platform” for Canadian compliance with upcoming programs requiring security background checks like USVISIT, hazardous materials driver licence credentialing, and a Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC).

“I got a positive response, so I am hopeful we can cut down on the number of times a driver has to get basically the same security clearance,” said Bradley.

Meanwhile back at the Peace Bridge, the lineup of trucks waiting to enter Canada extended south from the bridge along Porter Avenue and roughly a mile down Niagara Street to Virginia Street. The wait to cross the border was up to three hours at times.

Canada-bound trucks are being delayed at several border crossings — especially in Southern Ontario — by Canada Customs officials part of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which is representing 130,000 striking federal workers. The union covers six different PSAC sectors covering 26 occupational groups, including Customs, Immigration, and Revenue Canada workers.

While frontline border officers can’t walk off the job, they are staging a work-to-rule campaign — doing their jobs as meticulously as possible to slow down traffic. Other off-duty Customs workers are staging informational pickets, stopping and talking to each truck driver that comes through. However, it seems passenger vehicle drivers are not facing the same holdups.