Download your complimentary PDF here: http://bit.ly/HVxuYw

Eyefortranspor’s annual report, which normally retails for $1,499 USD, provides a strategic analysis of the latest market opportunities and trends for logistics providers, including:

• detailed financial and market coverage data for the top 25 North American 3PLs for the 2011 financial year
• new 3PL-customer contracts list
• segment by segment 3PL rankings
• sample of recent merger and acquisition activity involving North American 3PLs

Eyefortransport was established in 1999 and builds and maintains communities of elite, industry-specific, supply chain executives and facilitates interaction with these key decision makers, their suppliers and peers. The company provides business intelligence & executive events for the global transportation, supply chain & logistics industry.

This post was submitted by Katharine O'Reilly.

Buck Black, founder of TruckerTherapy.com, knew he wanted to become a therapist when he was in fifth grade. Buck says about how he got started, “I have always enjoyed helping people and talking with people. The more I studied psychology, the more interested I became. Once I started volunteering at a crisis hotline, I was hooked.”

Buck’s educational background includes a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from Indiana University. Buck adds, “I earned my Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University (Lafayette, Indiana campus), where I double majored in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Computer Technology. In addition, I have received training on a variety of clinical subjects including anger management, anxiety, couples counseling, codependency, personality disorders, PTSD and various types of sexual issues. I continue to learn more about counseling and therapy by participating in anger management workshops and various trainings, as well as reading and lecturing about various topics related to counseling and online coaching.”

Most therapists only work with their clients face to face; Buck did too for a while. Then he had several truckers as clients and quickly learned that with their erratic schedules, they missed many appointments. Buck knew the importance of those truckers continuing with their therapy so came up with the idea of offering phone and Skype counseling. It worked so well for those driver clients that Buck started TruckerTherapy.com to offer those services to more drivers.

There is a difference though between face-to-face counseling and phone or Skype work. “Services are a bit different over Skype. I think the biggest challenge is the client’s quality of equipment (mike, camera, computer, and internet connection stability/speed) and the occasional unavoidable technical glitches. Therefore, that is something you usually do not have to deal with in an office setting. I always give my clients my phone number and keep my phone next to my computer when doing a session. If the connection fails, the phone is a good backup.” Buck relates.

“The phone obviously cuts out the body language, but is still quite effective.” He adds. “I encourage my clients to stop me if they disagree with what I am saying. Sometimes, there is a miscommunication; maybe the phone broke up or I used the wrong choice of words. This cannot be addressed if the client does not speak up. I believe there is a good sense of relationship between the client and me when using Skype or phone; however, the client must want to use Skype or phone. If the client does not like the technology, then the relationship would be very difficult to form. I do continue my in-office practice for those truckers who can make it to Lafayette Indiana and of course, my non trucking clients.”

Truck drivers are under a tremendous amount of stress from the job and from being away from home so much, this can lead to mental health issues. This is such a common problem that the FMCSA Medical Review Board has suggested regulations be enacted so that doctors performing DOT physicals look for signs of depression.

Buck says, “if you are having issues that you are not dealing well with, contact me or another licensed therapist to help you. If the person is in emergency crisis and is suicidal or homicidal, or has a chronic mental illness, distant services probably are not the best options. I screen each client to ensure his or her goals are attainable over the phone or with Skype. If I feel there may need to be a need for emergency services or a high level of care, then I refer the client to face-to-face therapy, but either way, I will try to assist in getting a driver the help he or she needs.”

Buck Black’s appointments can be adjusted to accommodate a truck driver’s schedule. “I take “call ins,” like “walk-ins” for lack of a better term, Monday through Friday; however, I’m usually booked all day long, so I cannot accommodate this very often. I am able to guarantee an appointment within two business days or it is free except for when my voicemail and website states I am on vacation. I work until 10pm ET and I am usually able to be talked into a Sunday evening appointment.” He laughs.

Though Buck does accept some insurance plans, most insurance companies will not pay for phone or Skype counseling. However, the cost per session is not exorbitant, only $50.00, not a great amount to spend per session for a driver to get their lives back on track. Furthermore, by working on a cash basis, the only person who will see a driver’s file is Buck himself, no reporting to insurance companies or the driver’s carrier.

Buck invites every driver who is having mental health issues to visit TruckerTherapy.com and check out the site for more information. He will tell anyone that truckers give so much of themselves to do their job that he feels that he should assist them when he can. It is a novel concept, someone wanting to help truck drivers; Buck Black has come up with a way to do so.

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact Jeff Platts at contact@nation2nation.net.

This post was submitted by Sandy Long.

FREE DOWNLOAD – C-TPAT COSTS & SAVINGS REPORT – 2011

- / N2N / – The 2011 C-TPAT Costs & Savings Survey (CSS) is a drill-down view of the detailed costs and savings experiences of a small sample of C-TPAT members. The CSS was developed and executed separately from the larger membership survey that was done in 2010. This approach was intended to enhance the response rate of the 2010 membership survey by simplifying it, and it was successful – the response rate to the 2010 membership survey was substantially higher than in the 2006 survey.

The tremendous range and detail of the experiences reported in the 2011 CSS illustrates very well the variety and scope of issues confronted by C-TPAT members. But this range also limits the generalizability of the results. For example, direct cost savings as a result of C-TPAT membership ranged from $50 to $52 million among the roughly one-quarter of respondents
who reported direct cost savings. Implementation costs ranged from $280 to $4 million among the three-quarters of respondents who said they incurred such costs.

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact Jeff Platts at contact@nation2nation.net.

On February 6, 2012, a meeting was held between the FMCSA Medical Review Board and the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee to discuss, once again, sleep apnea, BMI and truck drivers. The upshot of that meeting, citing the possibility of fatigue related accidents, is that drivers with a BMI (body mass index) of 35 or more will have to have a mandatory sleep study done if the FMCSA takes the recommendations to regulation. This though studies and statistics show that fatigue is related to approximately 1.4% of all truck related crashes. What is really going on?

Health

It is a fact that Americans are growing larger in both height and weight. Three of the major factors in an increase of weight are availability of food, decrease of physical activity and a prevalence of car usage. However, there are other factors; (from wikidpedia.com) “(1) insufficient sleep, (2) endocrine disruptors (environmental pollutants that interfere with lipid metabolism), (3) decreased variability in ambient temperature, (4) decreased rates of smoking, because smoking suppresses appetite, (5) increased use of medications that can cause weight gain (e.g., atypical antipsychotics)…” Then there is stress.

Stress causes an increase in a hormone called cortisol that can cause obesity. People’s bodies, those who experience high levels of work related stress, release cortisol in response to the ‘flight or fight’ factors found in the brain. Cortisol causes excess belly fat. A study done on the difference between regular shift workers and irregular shift truck drivers shows a marked increase in cortisol production for irregular shift truck drivers.

Sleep apnea is the current disease du jour and much has been written on this condition. While obese people are perhaps more susceptible to developing sleep apnea, it is not only fat people who do get it; many are susceptible. “According to the American Sleep Apnea Association (quoted at yahoo voices), people who are at a “normal” weight (with a BMI of less than 25) are at a 16.4 percent risk of sleep apnea. People who are “overweight” (with a BMI of 25 to 30) are at a 38.1 percent risk of sleep apnea, while those who are “obese” (with a BMI of more than 30) are at a 45.5 percent risk of sleep apnea. Other factors that can cause sleep apnea are high blood pressure, being over the age of 65, being male, a large neck circumference, alcohol, tranquilizer and sedative use, smoking, sitting for long periods of time, stroke, brain tumor or heart disorders.”

Safety

In a webinar presented by Ralph Craft, Ph.D., Senior Transportation Specialist, FMCSA Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology (ART) with Kirse Kelly, Web Conference Host, FMCSA ART, Kelly spoke about misconceptions involved in large truck crash statistics. In the presentation, Kelly stated, “Being unable to perform the task of driving means you are asleep, you are in diabetic shock so you can’t drive, or you have had a heart attack, or passed out, or any other medical condition that hits you and now you are no longer able to perform the task of driving.” Notice that being obese was not mentioned.

Finland did a study on truck crash causation as did the FMCSA using statistics from the Michigan State Patrol, neither showed a predominance of fatigue as factors causing the accidents cited. Finland 2%, Michigan 2.4%. Overall, accidents involving commercial vehicles has gone down and stayed relatively flat over the last 3 years.

Money

Sleep apnea is a big business ticket. NPR reports, “Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General.” In the same report, “Dr. Fred Holt, an expert on fraud and abuse and a medical director of Blue Cross Blue Shield in North Carolina, says some patients aren’t having basic exams done first and are therefore being prescribed expensive tests they don’t need. Not everyone who snores has a chronic disorder, he says. In other cases, Holt says, the labs prescribe CPAP machines right away without first suggesting other strategies that could reduce apnea, such as losing weight or sleeping on your side.”

Sleep apnea became an issue under the first head of the FMCSA’s Medical Review Board Barbara Phillips, M.D. who was also the Chair of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). NSF receives funding from sources including foundations, corporations and federal agencies. Dr. Phillips has also been affiliated with Astra Zeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, ResMed, and Sanofi-Aventis; has participated as a consultant for Ogden, Newell & Welch, PLLC; has received speaking honoraria from Boehringer-Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Cephalon, JewishHeart Lung Institutes, Orphan Medical, Pfizer, ResMed, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Swedish Medical Center, and Sepracor.

Today’s head of the Medical Review Board is Benjamin H. Hoffman, M.D. M.P.H. (Texas) who is the Global Chief Medical Officer at GE Energy. GE Energy develops and markets sleep apnea aid parts.

A sleep study costs between $2,000-3,000.00. A C-PAP machine, the only corrective device suggested by the Medical Review Board, can cost over $5,000.00. Some insurance companies pay for the studies and machines, some do not.

Summary

It is true that obesity is on the rise overall in America. It is true that there are many factors that cause a truck driver and others to be obese. It is true that obesity can cause health issues such as sleep apnea. It is true that many who are not obese may suffer from sleep apnea. It is untrue that sleep apnea or fatigue causes a substantial amount of unsafe driving among truck drivers. It is very true that there is a huge amount of money to be made from the promotion of regulations requiring truck drivers to have to take mandatory sleep studies using BMI as an indicator. Therefore, it is true that it is about money.

This post was submitted by Sandy Long.

Hair follicle testing allows testing for drug use for up to a year previously though the trucking industry says it will only test back 90 days. To do the test, anyone trained to do so may take 50 to 120 strands of hair, preferably from the head but other body hair will work also, and then seal those hairs into an envelope and send it to the laboratory for testing. The follicle test is thought of as more accurate than urine testing being able to detect substances dating back 1 month for every 1/2 inch of hair tested. Drugs tested for by federal mandate are Cocaine (Cocaine and Benzoylecgonine), Marijuana, Opiates (Codeine, Morphine and 6-Monacteyl Morphine), Methamphetamine (Methamphetamine/Amphetamine & Ecstasy), and Phencyclidine (PCP).

A few of the reasons stated for adapting hair follicle testing over the common urine testing are that the company can see drug use further back in a person’s history, the hair can be collected at the business instead of an employee going to the clinic thereby saving time and productivity, and increased highway safety. A few people are concerned about urine testing due to hygiene concerns where they may urinate on their hands while using the cup and not able to wash their hands until they return to the lab.

In June of 2011, Gordon Klemp, president of the National Transportation Institute (NTI) said that carriers who have adopted hair follicle testing have had a 10% increase in applicants failing the hair follicle test though they passed the urine test. Klemp went on to say that in his opinion, hair follicle testing would also lead to a further driver shortage. “Roughly 25 percent of the driver work force has exited the industry during the past 10 years as a result of demographic and health issues, Klemp said. The NTI, which Klemp founded 16 years ago, conducts periodic studies of truck driver availability, compensation, and turnover, among other topics.”

Urine testing for drugs costs approximately $40 a test, hair follicle testing costs approximately $150.00.
There are drawbacks to hair follicle testing. If a root is attached to the hair collected, DNA on the person may be obtained. According to DrugTestingNetwork.com, hair tests provide “nearly twice the number of positives as urine testing,” but they are not infallible because “after a drug is used, it takes about 7-10 days for the hair containing the drug to grow out of the scalp enough to be cut. Therefore, the hair test will not include drugs used in the week prior to the test.”

False returns can occur, According to a U.S. Army study, the amount of secondhand cannabis smoke needed to cause a false positive result (failure) is quite large indeed, and would require being sealed in an unventilated car or small room filled with marijuana smokers for several hours. Hair testing however is a different matter, particularly with passive exposure to crack/cocaine, which can deposit onto hair and be readily incorporated into it. Though for cannabis, typically only metabolites (produced by the body and thus not found in smoke) are tested rather than THC, so failure is unlikely to result from non-extreme passive exposure.

From EHow.com: “Medical research described in the publication titled “Drug Testing In Hair” reveals a potential bias that appears to be inherent in hair-follicle testing. According to these findings, hair belonging to people of Caucasian ancestry, particularly blond hair, does not retain drug metabolites as well as that belonging to people of other ancestries. Such findings open the possibility of future litigation as the previous drug practices of non-Caucasians would be detectable and punishable for longer periods of time.”

While drug testing has been around since Ronald Reagan enacted drug testing in the workplace laws for safety related employees such as airline pilots and truck drivers and will continue to be done in pre-employment and random scenarios, drug testing has spread throughout industry and business. Many feel that drug testing is invasive and goes into a person’s private lives too far. It is a moot point, illegal drug use is just that, illegal, it does not matter how a person is found out; though I would rather pee in a cup rather than lose 50 to 120 strands of hair each time my name came up.

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact Jeff Platts at contact@nation2nation.net.

This post was submitted by Sandy Long.

The White House has released a report entitled NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY.

- / N2N / – International trade has been and continues to be a powerful engine of United States and global economic growth. In recent years, communications technology advances and trade barrier and production cost reductions have contributed to global capital market expansion and new economic opportunity. The global supply chain system that supports this trade is essential to the United States’ economy and is a critical global asset.
Through the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security (the Strategy), we articulate the United States Government’s policy to strengthen the global supply chain in order to protect the welfare and interests of the American people and secure our Nation’s economic prosperity. Our focus in this Strategy is the worldwide network of transportation, postal, and shipping pathways, assets, and infrastructures by which goods are moved from the point of manufacture until they reach an end consumer, as well as supporting communications infrastructure and systems.

The Strategy includes two goals:
Goal 1: Promote the Efficient and Secure Movement of Goods – The first goal of the Strategy is to promote the timely, efficient flow of legitimate commerce while protecting and securing the supply chain from exploitation, and reducing its vulnerability to disruption. To achieve this goal we will enhance the integrity of goods as they move through the global supply chain. We will also understand and resolve threats early in the process, and strengthen the security of physical infrastructures, conveyances and information assets, while seeking to maximize trade through modernizing supply chain infrastructures and processes.

Goal 2: Foster a Resilient Supply Chain – The second goal of the Strategy is to foster a global supply chain system that is prepared for, and can withstand, evolving threats and hazards and can recover rapidly from disruptions. To achieve this we will prioritize efforts to mitigate systemic vulnerabilities and refine plans to reconstitute the flow of commerce after disruptions.

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact Jeff Platts at contact@nation2nation.net.

Yuan Zi observes the activity outside his specially-designed travel enclosure after a direct flight from Chengdu, China, to Paris France, aboard the specially-chartered FedEx Panda Express. The two pandas safely delivered to France today will reside at the ZooParc de Beauval, where conservationists hope they will breed. Experts estimate there are just 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild today.

PARIS – / N2N / – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, safely delivered two three-year-old giant pandas from Chengdu, China, to Paris, France. The pandas, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, arrived on a specially-chartered Boeing 777F flight known as the “FedEx Panda Express” and landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport at noon Paris time, 6 a.m. Eastern time. The arrival of these special animals marks the first time in 10 years that giant pandas will reside in France.

The non-stop flight was chartered especially for the VIPs—Very Important Pandas—and the pair travelled in custom-built enclosures provided by FedEx Express. In-flight, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi spent the journey snoozing and eating bamboo. They were accompanied by a Chinese veterinarian and animal handler as well as the managing director from ZooParc de Beauval to look after their needs throughout the journey.

Source: Businesswire

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact Jeff Platts at contact@nation2nation.net.

After a direct flight on the FedEx Panda Express from Chengdu, China, to Paris France, giant panda Huan Huan is prepared for her trip to a new home at the ZooParc de Beauval. FedEx Express is provided full-service air and ground transportation for the pandas to ensure their safe delivery.

Giant panda Huan Huan is carefully unloaded after a direct flight from Chengdu, China, to Paris France, aboard the specially-chartered FedEx Panda Express. The safe arrival of the two pandas at Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport marks the fifth delivery FedEx Express has made of this endangered species.

Russia is a large and growing market that offers a huge potential for U.S. exporters. In 2010, Russia imported $10.7 billion in goods from the United States making it Russia’s fourth largest source of imports. Companies and farms from all 50 states export a wide variety of goods and services to Russia.

Below are Sector Opportunity Reports that ITA produced to highlight the tariff and non-tariff commitments Russia is undertaking in key U.S. export sectors. In addition, ITA’sState Opportunity Reports outline the opportunities and benefits for Russia’s WTO accession for all 50 states, their companies, workers, farmers, and ranchers.

For additional information about Russia’s WTO accession and the benefits to the United States, please click the links

Sector Opportunity Reports

State Opportunity Reports

U.S.-Russia Trade Facts

Russia is currently our 23rd largest goods trading partner with $31.7 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2010. Goods exports totaled $6.0 billion; Goods imports totaled $25.7 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Russia was $19.7 billion in 2010.

Exports

Russia was the United States’ 37th largest goods export market in 2010.

U.S. goods exports to Russia in 2010 were $6.0 billion, up 12.6% ($674 million) from 2009.

The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2010 were: Machinery ($1.7 billion), Meat (poultry and pork) ($642 million), Vehicles ($484 million), Electrical Machinery ($395 million), and Optic and Medical Instruments ($383 million).

U.S. exports of agricultural products to Russia totaled $1.1 billion in 2010 the 17th largest U.S. Ag export market. Leading categories include: red meats, fresh/chilled/frozen ($336 million), and poultry meat ($311 million).

Imports

Russia was the United States’ 17th largest supplier of goods imports in 2010.

U.S. goods imports from Russia totaled $25.7 billion in 2010, a 41.2% increase ($7.5 billion) from 2009. U.S. imports from Russia accounted for 1.3% of total U.S. imports in 2010.

Source: Commerce.Gov

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact Jeff Platts at contact@nation2nation.net.

Freight Cargo Map of the United States

- / N2N / – I have an acquaintance who owns a small, non-asset third party logistics (3PL) company.  He is constantly complaining to me about how cutthroat the transportation business is and how his customers and vendors are always cheating him out of money.  He spends a great deal of time trying to collect money and often ends up having to sue companies in order to get them to pay.

I’ve been involved in the transportation industry for a little over three years now and I can tell you that my experience has been exactly the opposite of that of my friend’s.  In three years I haven’t had a single customer stiff me for so much as a penny.  Sure, there’ve been a few slow-pays, but that’s to be expected.  In these 3 years I’ve met a lot of good people and I now consider many of them to be friends.

As a consultant that helps companies get C-TPAT certified my primary customers are importers, NVOCC’s (non vessel operating common carriers / international freight forwarders), U.S. Customs Brokers and Cross-Border Highway Carriers.  I also offer a program called “C-TPAT Compliant” for those companies that aren’t eligible for C-TPAT certification such as draymen, customs bonded warehouses, domestic trucking companies, most 3PL’s and domestic shipping and distribution companies. I think that’s a pretty good cross-section of the industry.  Even so, I’ve never encountered anyone who’s tried to cheat me.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky or maybe I’m just plain naive.  But what about you?  I’d be very interested to hear about your experiences.  I’m sure there are probably a lot of horror stories out there, but I’ll bet there are also some nice stories about transportation companies watching out for each other and stepping up to do the right thing.

——

Jeff Platts is the president of Combination Sales, Inc., a consulting firm with locations in California & New York.  Jeff can be contacted at 714-788-1531 or jeff@combinationsales.com.

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  contact@nation2nation.net.

1) My company is too small to be C-TPAT Certified – The size of a company or the number of employees has no bearing on a company’s eligibility for C-TPAT Certification.  I’ve successfully assisted companies with as few as 3 employees.

2) Our company is a customs bonded warehouse and we handle a lot of international cargo.  That makes us eligible for C-TPAT Certification, right? – Wrong.  The largest factor in determining eligibility for C-TPAT Certification is whether or not the company has influence on cargo prior to it entering the U.S. (influence at the foreign factory, foreign trucking, foreign agent, etc.)  Most Customs Bonded Warehouses have nothing to do with cargo prior to it entering the U.S.

3) If our company becomes C-TPAT Certified and then later loses the certification U.S. Customs will penalize us. – Not True.  A company that loses its certification either by choice or because of non-compliance loses the benefits of being C-TPAT Certified, but U.S. Customs won’t treat you any differently than any other non-C-TPAT Certified company.  If a company has lost its certification due to security violations they may have some trouble because of those violations, but they would have had those problems whether they were certified or not.

4) I am an importer and my customs broker told me that being C-TPAT Certified is a big pain in the neck and could cause us trouble with U.S. Customs. – This simply isn’t true.  U.S. Customs loves for importers to be C-TPAT Certified because they have a high level of influence over the foreign factory where the containers are loaded.  Maintaining a C-TPAT Security Program shouldn’t take more than 2 or 3 hours a month for most small importers.  The truth is that Non-C-TPAT Certified customs brokers are afraid of losing their importer clients who become C-TPAT Certified because certified companies are encouraged to only use other C-TPAT Certified companies in their supply chain whenever possible.  It’s also less work for the importer if they use only C-TPAT Certified customs brokers because the screening process is much less work.  Non-C-TPAT Certified customs brokers realize that there is a strong possibility that they may lose a good customer if the importer becomes certified.  This also applies to Non-CTPAT certified NVOCC’s.

5) Having a C-TPAT Compliance program is just as good as being C-TPAT Certified. – Again, not true.  If a company is eligible for C-TPAT Certification, that is what they should do.  If they only go as far as being compliant without actually becoming certified they lose the benefits that come with being C-TPAT Certified.  Don’t get me wrong, being C-TPAT Compliant is a good thing for companies that aren’t eligible for C-TPAT Certification (domestic trucking, customs bonded warehouse, draymen, most 3PL’s).  I have helped many non-eligible companies to implement a C-TPAT Compliant program, so I understand the pluses and the minuses.  But if your company is eligible for certification (importers, NVOCC’s – International Freight Forwarders, Cross-Border Highway Carriers, Customs Brokers, some 3PL’s, some Foreign Manufacturers) you’ve already done 90% of what it takes to become C-TPAT Certified, so going the last mile makes good sense.

6) My company is an NVOCC, but we can’t get C-TPAT Certified because we don’t have a warehouse… we only process paperwork. – All NVOCC’s are eligible for C-TPAT Certification as long as they meet the other criteria.  Having a warehouse neither helps or hinders the process.  I have helped many NVOCC’s to obtain C-TPAT Certification, some with warehouses and some without.  Every NVOCC that we have set out to get certified has been successful in obtaining the certification.

7) I heard that when you’re C-TPAT Certified CBP conducts surprise visits.  This would be very disruptive to my business.  – I have never heard of CBP conducting a surprise visit for C-TPAT purposes.  Here’s how the process works: No agent visit is required to be approved for C-TPAT Certification.  Companies are certified based on review of their security profile on the CBP Portal and review of supporting documentation and evidence of compliance that is also uploaded to the portal.  The Certification process usually takes 2 to 3 months.  It can happen in as little as one month (I had this happen once) or it can go longer than 4 months.  There are some waiting periods involved where the applicant can do little or nothing to hasten the process.  After Certification the CBP is supposed to conduct an on-site validation survey within one year.  It’s not unusual for it to take even longer than a year.  The CBP agent (Supply Chain Security Specialist – SCSS) makes an appointment with the company, usually 1 to 3 months in advance.

Jeff Platts is the president of Combination Sales, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in assisting companies with C-TPAT Certification, C-TPAT Compliance and ITAR (international Traffic in Arms Regulations) Compliance.  Jeff can be reached at jeff@combinationsales.com or 714-788-1531

Nation2Nation publishes articles of interest to professionals involved in Supply Chain Security, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Import Export, International Trade, Border Security, Transportation, Transportation Safety, Trucking, Railroad, Air Freight, Maritime and Cargo Management.  Contact us at: contact@nation2nation.net.