To the air cargo shipping industry, the 100% screening mandate increases complexity. Recognizing this, the TSA adopted a flexible “supply chain” approach that considers both security requirements and unique industry needs in the design of practical, workable screening systems. To enable this, the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) was established. The CCSP is a voluntary, facility-based, program in which shipping and freight forwarding actors can become certified to screen cargo. The process to become certified involves implementing facility security standards, vetting necessary employees who will have access to screened cargo, training employees to perform security and screening roles, and implementing the processes and technology needed to screen cargo. Once certified, CCSP locations, known as Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF), can tender screened cargo through the air cargo supply chain, directly to air carriers, with no need for it to be screened at the airport. Properly implemented, the CCSP promises to maintain supply chain velocity and the overall flow of commerce without loss from theft, terrorism or other threats.
The CCSP program is open to three primary participants in the air cargo supply chain:
Manufacturers (OEM) and shippers from all industries that move enough cargo by air can join the program and screen their goods as they are being packaged, thereby avoiding the need for specialized screening equipment and having others open and tamper with their goods.
Freight forwarding companies and Independent Air Carriers (IAC) can participate in the program to provide screening and maintain secure custody of cargo on behalf of their shipping customers.
Independent Cargo Screening Facilities (ICSF), a new business model that specializes in screening cargo destined for passenger aircraft on behalf of air carriers and indirect air carriers.
A simplified schematic view of the CCSP supply chain depicting product flow options and the chain of custody can be found in Appendix II (1).
TSA has recognized that there is not a “one size fits all” screening solution in the air cargo shipping environment. CCSP, unlike the on-airport, Federal or air carrier screening approaches, builds flexibility into the screening process in many ways. First, it provides the option for shippers to screen their products themselves; it also allows different types of commodities to be screened with processes and procedures that meet their specific and unique needs. Secondly, CCSP allows for a variety of screening methods and technologies to be used – including physical search – which many of the shipper participants can readily build into their existing packaging and shipping processes.
In securing the air cargo supply chain, screening alone is not enough. TSA’s supply chain approach is layered with other countermeasures against air cargo threats, such as vetting shipping companies and employees, facility security controls, chain of custody methods, and secondary screening. It is especially critical to establish and maintain a secure chain of custody that ensures cargo is not subject to tampering and compromise as it passes along the supply chain after it has been screened.
In summary, TSA has taken an approach that allows industry to participate in securing the air cargo supply chain in a manner that minimizes costs and best suits their needs. By varying the nodes in which screening can take place there are many more options available to air cargo supply chain participants that provide for special circumstances and give more control over their products and logistics costs.