The critical flow of commercial traffic across US borders with Canada and Mexico has been an economic victim of the 11 September terrorist attacks. Heightened security has resulted in massive delays crippling trans-border commerce. There are technological solutions available today to improve traffic flow and increase security. EDS expert Al Decker explains.
About $1 million in goods crosses the Canadian-US border each minute, so neither country is keen on having commerce slowed to a crawl by stepped-up security measures. However, that is the new reality after 11 September. Truckers used to wait 15 to 30 minutes at US-Canadian border checkpoints; now delays of six to eight hours have been reported. Worse delays have been experienced at the Mexico-US border.
Manufacturers, business owners and state, provincial and local officials desperately want to speed up the flow of traffic. For manufacturers, the traffic snarls increase the time needed to get their products to market. They put a large kink in the supply chain. Business owners must still deliver products to their customers quickly. For commercial trucking companies, time is money. The slowdowns are a serious issue because the United States is Canada's largest trading partner, and delays in getting goods to consumers have important implications for the countries' economies.
For example, trade between New York State and Ontario is estimated at $20 bn annually. Another $1 billion in trade passes between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, each day. The statistics with Mexican trade are similar. In a recent survey, nearly 75% of San Diego businesses said sales to Mexican residents have plummeted since security restrictions were tightened after 11 September.
Electronic cargo identification
We all know, despite the need to quicken the flow of goods across the borders, security must remain a top priority for all three nations. Fortunately, there are technological remedies for ensuring security without sacrificing speed. One solution is electronic cargo identification. A data file is created as cargo is loaded for shipment. Cargo loaded onto a truck, for instance, can be tracked so customs agents know what is aboard when the vehicle arrives at the border.
Sensors on the truck can send an electronic alert if the trailer's doors are opened or removed before the vehicle reaches its destination. And with a global positioning system, the truck can be tracked along its journey. All the shipment's data is stored at a data centre, processed and transmitted by wireless technology in realtime to border agents. They can tell immediately whether the doors were opened, the truck deviated from its intended course or the cargo was tampered with.
If a trailer's doors were opened en route or if the driver made an unplanned stop, the truck and its contents would be inspected. Otherwise, no inspection would be needed, saving precious time. Customs and immigration agents can then focus their attention on shipments and individuals not previously screened.
Biometrics
As in the airline industry, biometrics are another important piece of the security solution. Using the truck driver's facial, retina or hand features and voice recognition technology, inspectors can quickly determine if the driver is who he says he is. Voice recognition also helps indicate whether he is driving under duress.
EDS employs biometric kiosks at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, one of the world's busiest. The Ben Gurion system uses hand geometry to identify frequent travellers. Security and immigration waits have been sliced from a couple of hours to 15 seconds, speeding passengers to their destinations. Airport and border security officials can devote more of their limited resources to unknown passengers.
Using biometrics and tracking technologies can pare the wait at borders from hours to a few minutes, keeping commerce rolling. The 11 September attacks showed us that security is a critical part of any business plan. But the need for security does not have to cripple the movement of goods. Applying the right technologies we can ensure security while economies continue to thrive.
For further details contact James van den Heever, EDS South Africa on tel: 011 239 0073.
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