Truck Cargo Pre-Inspection to Increase Security and Reduce Border Congestion

In an effort to improve the integration of North American infrastructure and transport networks, the United States and Canada have initiated the Beyond the Border action plan. First launched in 2011, it is intended to improve the coordination of transport facilities on both sides of the border, and the first step has been to begin processing south-bound trucks on the Canadian side of the border before they enter the US. This is the initial stage of a wider reaching cooperation and common approach to border management by the two countries. Critics of the plan point out that by integrating their information sharing systems, Canada has allowed itself to be absorbed into the US-dominated security perimeter. The main focus of the new scheme is to address any potential security threats at the earliest possible point and to ensure that the movement of people and freight between the US and Canada complies with all of the local laws. At the same time it is aimed at increasing the speed and efficiency of transport across the border for legitimate trade and travel. Phase one of the program was launched in mid June 2013 and has the set objective of determining the viability of, and potential for, information sharing between the two nations along the border. The initial inspection point is on the Pacific Highway crossing adjacent to Surrey in British Columbia. This pilot program is intended to provide proof of the concept and is intended to be used to collect data on wait times at the border, and to provide traffic mitigation as required. Trucks will be inspected on the Canadian side of the border to determine whether they comply with US legislation at one way pre-inspection booths, where they will be screened for radiation and pass through basic primary processing. Following the establishment of the initial station in British Columbia there are plans to establish a similar post on the Peace Bridge that connects Fort Erie in Ontario with Buffalo in New York. Findings from these first efforts will also contribute to the management plan for another new bridge that is being planned to connect Detroit with Windsor, Ontario. The reassignment of the Peace Bridge in particular has raised questions about how the funding for the maintenance of these shared facilities will be managed under the new scheme. While there seems to be a long list of issues still to be worked out, the new pre-inspection scheme is a definite step towards a more integrated approach by both countries to finding new solutions to managing the border that divides them.