Selling PreCheck, C-TPAT

   U.S. trusted traveler programs are having the same problem as trusted trader ones in getting enough volunteers to improve overall security efficiency at ports of entry, while justifying the expense.
   In both cases the goal is to learn something in advance about cross-border travelers or shippers so they don’t have to be subjected to one-size-fits-all screening and inspections. It’s called risk management and it’s the way modern border management is conducted. But convincing people of the benefits can be difficult.
   U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials ideally would like tens of thousands of businesses to enroll in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, but in the past dozen years the program has only grown to fewer than 11,000 companies. Companies often cite the expense of applying and setting up internal compliance controls to implement their approved security plan. Furthermore, many who do participate question whether they are receiving all the trade facilitation benefits they were promised. An effort to create a more holistic green lane that reduces border bureaucracy beyond the security function eventually should help.
   The Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program is having similar growing pains. According to Scott McCartney, who writes the Wall Street Journal’s “The Middle Seat” column, the program is severely undersubscribed after three years in existence. Currently about 600,000 people are enrolled in PreCheck and more than 1.3 million more have expedited screening privileges at airports through enrollment in CBP’s Global Entry program for international travelers. 
   TSA needs millions more PreCheck participants to fully utilize the special PreCheck lanes, where people who have paid a fee, provided fingerprints and registered in person are supposed to enjoy a shorter line and avoid hassles such as taking off shoes and removing laptops from bags. 
   Unless more people join PreCheck the TSA is faced with several choices: Have personnel standing around empty lanes, which creates the impression the agency is wasting money, or funnel none PreCheck passengers to the fast lane during slow periods to reduce normal security lines. But, then, TSA runs the danger of angering PreCheck customers who may arrive to a longer line than they expected.
   I was pleasantly surprised to be routed through a PreCheck line a couple months ago. 
   It reminds of the supermarket quandary. It’s annoying when I show up with five items at the express line and someone is ahead of me with 30 things in their cart. Hello, can’t you read the sign? 
   Former Saturday Night Live actor Rich Hall had a word for people like that: “expressholes.”
   The TSA is trying to avoid the “expresshole” syndrome at airports.

This column was published in the January 2015 issue of American Shipper.