MINNESOTA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

TWIC Compliance Deadline October 31, 2008 for Duluth Port

Minneapolis/St. Paul Expected to be December 2008-January 2009

As announced in the June issue of Trucking Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that the final compliance date for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program will be April 15, 2009, which reflects a realignment of the Sept. 25, 2008 compliance date set in the final rule. However, the program is on track to complete enrollment for a substantial number of jurisdictions by the end of 2008, and several ports (including Minnesota ports) will be required to comply with TWIC regulations yet this year.

It was announced this week that the compliance date for the Duluth port will be October 31, 2008 and the deadline for the ports in Minneapolis and St. Paul are expected to be in December 2008 – January 2009.

The ports with early compliance deadlines were selected based on favorable conditions that facilitate near-term implementation. These ports are ideal for initial compliance based upon geographic proximity, the size of their TWIC enrollment population, and respective enrollment efforts to date. Additional ports will be announced in the coming weeks, and the Coast Guard will provide at least 90 days notice prior to enforcement.

Workers can pre-enroll online at www.tsa.gov/twic. Pre-enrollment can accelerate credentialing by allowing workers to provide biographic information and schedule a time to complete the application process in person. This eliminates delays at enrollment centers and reduces total enrollment time for each worker.
Workers are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible. Additional information can be found on the Transportation Security Administration’s web site at www.tsa.gov/twic or by calling the Minnesota Trucking Association office at (651) 646-7351.

Posted July 11, 2008