The Transportation Worker Identification Credential — a federal I.D. required for unescorted port access — is turning five this year, meaning the cards issued to most truckers and other port workers in 2008 and 2009 are expiring and will need to be renewed.
Red-tape delays in renewals appear to be causing serious delays at other major ports.
Gail Toth, executive director of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association, told the Journal of Commerce those delays would create “a potential national disaster” if owner-operator drivers could not get access to the ports.
At the Port of New York/New Jersey, TWIC cards are linked to the port authority’s SeaLink driver identification cards. If a driver’s TWIC expires, he and his load are automatically denied access, according to Journal of Commerce editor Joe Bonney.
At other ports, such as Los Angeles and Long Beach in California, questions have been raised about the ability of the Transportation Safety Administration, which oversees the program, to keep up with the surge in renewal requests.
Some 60,000 TWIC cards expire this year at those two ports alone.
At Georgia Ports Authority, it’s so far, so good, according to Kevin Doyle, director of protective services.
“We haven’t seen any issues here so far,” he said. “And, hopefully, we won’t have any as the year ends.”
According to the rolling starts in place when TWIC was introduced, the Port of Savannah had to be TWIC compliant by Dec. 1, 2008. That means most TWIC holders in this area will need to have their new TWIC by Dec. 1 of this year.
“We’ve been blitzing anyone who comes into the port with reminders,” Doyle said. “And we’ll continue to do that through the rest of the year.
“The independent truckers are handling their own renewals, the ILA has done a great job of getting their folks renewed, our vendors seem to be good and most GPA employees are done as well,” he said.
In fact, the GPA had a credentialing office open on port earlier this year that was available to anyone.
“We finally closed it when the demand dwindled,” he said.
Workers can apply for either three-year “extended expiration date” renewals, which cost $60, or the standard five-year renewal for $130.
Port drivers to rally
Savannah port truck drivers are expected to gather from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Coastal Georgia Center to address a panel of politicians, government officials and others regarding working conditions they say prevent them from sharing in the profits generated by one of the largest and fastest growing ports in the country.
“This is a nationwide problem that goes back to the deregulation of the trucking industry around 1980,” said Ben Speight, an organizer for Teamsters Local 728, which represents First Student and SCAD bus drivers in Savannah.
“It stems from the fact that most port drivers are misclassified as independent contractors when, in fact, they are subject to an employer — usually a trucking company — that exercises control over every aspect of their employment,” he said.
“As a result, their wages are low, operating costs high and hours dangerously long.”
Panel members coming out Saturday to hear the truckers’ concerns include Savannah City Council member Carolyn Bell, state Rep. Bob Bryant, state Sen. Lester Jackson and County Commission Chairman Al Scott.
For more information, go to www.standupforsavannah.com.
Cranes here next week
Ships Operations at Georgia Ports has advised that the arrival of four new Super Post Panamax container cranes is tentatively scheduled for midday Wednesday.
The Dockwise heavy equipment carrier Teal is expected to arrive in the outer harbor Tuesday.
She will begin her inbound transit about 10 a.m. Wednesday, passing River Street between 12:15 and 1:30 p.m. on the way to Garden City Terminal Berth 8.
Times may change due to weather or other uncontrollable factors.
Follow me on Twitter @MaryMayle for updates.
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.
SHIPPING SCHEDULE
These are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean Terminals in the next week. Sailing schedules are provided by Georgia Ports Authority and are subject to change.
Terminal Ship name Arrival
GCT APL KENNEDY Today
GCT ASC SHUAIBA Today
GCT DALIAN EXPRESS Today
OT ATLANTIC ARROW Today
GCT MAERSK IOWA Saturday
GCT APL SPINEL Saturday
GCT YM GREAT Saturday
GCT LUTETIA Saturday
GCT EVER DELIGHT Saturday
GCT SAIGON EXPRESS Saturday
GCT WASHINGTON EXPRESS Saturday
GCT MSC KRYSTAL Saturday
GCT YM PORTLAND Saturday
OT PACIFIC BLESS Saturday
GCT ARISTARCHOS Sunday
OT TARAGO Sunday
GCT CMA CGM FIGARO Monday
GCT MARFRET SORMIOU Monday
GCT NYK DEMETER Monday
GCT MAERSK CHICAGO Monday
GCT CAFER DEDE Monday
GCT RIO THELON Monday
GCT HANJIN IRENE Monday
GCT NYK LAURA Monday
OT TONSBERG Monday
GCT MSC ESTHI Tuesday
GCT MSC MELISSA Tuesday
GCT ROME EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT MAERSK KOKURA Tuesday
GCT MOL EFFICIENCY Tuesday
GCT HOECHST EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT LONDON EXPRESS Tuesday
GCT MSC SARAH Tuesday
GCT MSC MAEVA Tuesday
GCT ZIM TARRAGONA Tuesday
GCT NYK DAEDALUS Tuesday
GCT SKIATHOS Tuesday
GCT HANJIN WILMINGTON Tuesday
OT SAUDI TABUK Tuesday
GCT FOUMA Wednesday
GCT HYUNDAI GLORY Wednesday
GCT MOL PROGRESS Wednesday
GCT TEAL Wednesday
GCT YM MARCH Wednesday
GCT ZIM MOSKVA Thursday
GCT CSCL NEW YORK Thursday
GCT HANJIN NAGOYA Thursday
GCT SEA-LAND EAGLE Thursday
GCT ISLANDIA Thursday
GCT CATHRINE RICKMERS Thursday
GCT CSAV LARAQUETE Thursday
GCT BUSAN EXPRESS Thursday
GCT YM EFFICIENCY Thursday
OT TAMPA Thursday