International Cargo Conundrum

By Leslie K. Downey

Regulation is Useless Without Enforcement
"Trust, but verify" is a byword at CBP. Conferees agreed that the U.S. government must spend the resources to verify that C-TPAT applicants are actually using the procedures and technology they say they're using. Even after C-TPAT certification, however, some companies, eager to reduce cost, dispense with rigor—and human nature is to seek the most expedient path. "Seals are sometimes given to drivers to affix to containers after they are loaded," remarked one attendee. CBP says it is committed to "revalidating" C-TPAT-certified companies, but has not yet begun doing so.

A roundtable of attendees agreed that, in addition to more public sector investment in enforcement, both the public and private sectors must invest in additional training in order for cargo security technology and policies to deliver results. Even the best-designed e-seals cannot function well unless transportation and logistics personnel are trained to use them. "Installers and inspectors must get hands-on practice testing for likely attack scenarios," observed one member.

And what if disaster is not averted? The final, but best, session at the conference highlighted the critical need for more and better training of public and private sector personnel in managing disasters. The session featured the demonstration of an innovative new crisis simulation product from Crisis Simulations International (CSI). The demonstration was based on a simulation developed by CSI for the city of Portland, Oregon, designed for city leaders to practice managing a crisis involving terrorist attacks on the city's transportation infrastructure. Two conference attendees acted as mayor and chief of police in coordinating the city's response to a vividly portrayed bridge bombing. The audience, which could see each person's decisions on a large screen, was riveted.

"Typical crisis training exercises in companies and governments require the memorization of a series of steps appropriate to each person's role, and minimal interaction with others in a rapidly changing environment—'If this happens, do that,'" noted Chris Hatzi, senior director at CSI. "They do not sufficiently take into account the surprises that result from the decisions of others. Our simulations, which utilize our patent-pending DXMA, allow for unanticipated outcomes which better represent the kind of real-world chaos that senior leaders must respond to in real time."

Cargo Security is a Collective Obligation
Eyefortransport's North American Cargo Security 2005 Forum evidenced no clear consensus on how much investment would "sufficiently" protect cargo. However, all concurred that much more needs to be done—and that the U.S. government must play a central role. "Shippers and logistics companies are willing to assume their fair share of responsibility," observed YRC's Scott, "but the fact is that the cargo security challenge is enormous. In the increasingly competitive and congested international shipping environment, more government assistance with priorities and cost sharing is key."

Leslie Downey is a principal and founder of RFID Revolution, a Washington, D.C., firm providing RFID marketplace consulting services to RFID vendors and end users. She can be reached at 301-589-9791 or LDowney@rfidrevolution.com.