CBP not the main culprit for border delays, Ahern says

CBP not the main culprit for border delays, Ahern says Frustrated that his agency continues to bear the brunt of blame for delays entering the United States on the northern and southern border, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's second in command said Monday that most of the problem can be attributed to inadequate capacity at border checkpoints and an unwillingness by businesses to shift truck trips to non-peak periods.
   In recent weeks, a surge of traffic during busy travel periods has caused wait times of one to two hours at several crossing points.
   Deputy Commissioner Jayson Ahern said Customs has increased to the maximum extent possible its efficiency processing travelers and commercial vehicles entering from Canada and Mexico.
   “We'll take responsibility for our part of it, but we won’t take the responsibility for others,” Ahern said in a speech to the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America’s fall conference in Washington.
   In recent years CBP has:
   ' Hired more Customs officers to staff checkpoint booths.
   ' Instituted the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program to expedite clearance for pre-certified truck drivers.
   ' Deployed a new computer program to handle advance electronic truck manifests rather than paper documents at the border station.
   ' Established the NEXUS and SENTRI programs that allow registered travelers to speed through checkpoints.
   Ahern, who was promoted from assistant commissioner of field operations in August, said it takes the agency on average 45 seconds to check and clear a vehicle for entry at the primary inspection lane despite increased immigration and security requirements.
   “It’s not just a matter of the border agency going quicker. I think we’ve gone about as quickly as we can go with some of these processes and now it’s time we focus on some of the core issues out there,” he said.
   One of the key constraints to smooth cross-border movements is the poor state of infrastructure at ports of entry, he noted. Businesses and transportation officials have decried in recent years the lack of investment to maintain and expand transportation networks in the United States, but less attention has been paid to infrastructure along the border with the country’s top trading partners.
   Roads leading to the Customs plazas at high-volume ports of entry are often unable to handle the volume of traffic during heavy periods, causing truckers and travelers with expedited clearance privileges to sit in traffic along with other motorists until they can reach the compound and enter an express lane.
   And many of the facilities themselves are more than 40 years old and not set up to handle today’s volume of traffic.
   The infrastructure problem needs to be addressed in conjunction with state departments of transportation, the federal Department of Transportation and the General Services Administration, which is responsible for managing federal property and constructing facilities.
   Ahern said he will travel to Milwaukee later this week for the annual conference of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to talk about how to address highway access to border crossings.
   Shippers are also part of the problem because they have proven unwilling to conduct business during off-peak periods, Ahern said.
   “One of the things that I find very frustrating is we have seen a reluctance for people to change their patterns. A lot of businesses on both sides of the border need to take a look at adjusting their business practices” or deal with long delays, he said.
   Shipping during off-peak periods poses challenges for packing, truck transfers, warehousing and securing trucks overnight, Ahern acknowledged, but added they need to be overcome to deal with the capacity problem at the border.
   “One of the things that has to change is expanding the facilities and getting greater use of the facilities during the hours that they’re open ' I ask the industry to take a look at its business and trading patterns to help use facilities more efficiently,” he said.
   Other steps need to be taken if CBP has consistent cycle times and has optimized staffing for all lanes and there are still delays, he emphasized.
   Ahern spoke to the Border Trade Alliance conference in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, where he was expected to be peppered with complaints about border delays.
   The Border Trade Alliance recently charged on its Web site and in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that CBP officers have recently begun checking and manually entering driver’s license information for most U.S. citizens entering the United States, furthering contributing to border backups.
   The BTA said that Customs booths are not adequately staffed, multiple lanes are often closed and drivers directed to another port of entry. It urged members to complain to members of Congress about the delays.
   “It’s very tiring for people to just point to the border agency” as the root cause for long wait times, Ahern said in a brief interview following his presentation. “We want to get a dialogue going with all the stakeholders” to improve the situation.