Is enough being done to increase cargo, driver, and border security? Some truckers and trucking organizations are voicing concern about cumbersome regulations that don’t necessarily expedite the safe and secure movement of freight.

In the Pacific Northwest, for example, the Canadian Trucking Alliance says security and efficiency at the Canadian-U.S. border could be compromised if and when the economy recovers and high-volume traffic returns to the border crossing. David Bradley, the CEO of CTA, offered some solutions, but said overall, “trade facilitation” between the U.S. and Canadian governments can be improved through “modest, practical and achievable measures” without putting security at risk.

The Brookings Institution is also weighing in on border security, agreeing that better cooperation at the U.S.-Canadian border is needed to minimize frustrating delays. Brookings says local officials should be allowed to develop tailor-made plans that address the specific needs of their border, not this “one-size-fits-all” approach to north and south border security that has been the policy thus far.

Post-9/11, cargo security measures have naturally been amped up, but sometimes make it more difficult for truckers to apply for needed credentials. The SAFE Truckers Act, if approved by the Senate, could alleviate that process by easing up on a former Patriot Act requirement that all carriers of hazardous materials go through a federal background check. The SAFE Truckers Act would create a new hazmat category known as “security sensitive materials,” which would apply to roughly five percent of hazmat cargo haulers. Only those truckers who carry security-sensitive materials would have to undergo a background check under the new act.

What are your opinions on the government’s latest security-related compliance measures? In what ways do you think cargo, driver, and border security can be improved?