DHL Global Forwarding and American Airlines Cargo prepare Pharmaceutical Shippers for August Screening Mandates
Two-day Session Educates Customers regarding 100% Screening Compliance
DHL, the world's leading logistics company, in partnership with American Airlines Cargo is supporting pharmaceutical industry customers to prepare for the implementation of a new regulation regarding the screening of cargo. With half a year to go before the regulation takes effect, both companies have started offering joint trainings to educate pharmaceutical customers on how best to comply with the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP).
The TSA Cargo Screening Mandates will go into effect on August 1, this year. From that date, 100% of cargo transported on passenger aircraft will be screened at the piece level. As the TSA defines, “piece level cargo is the individual item within a shipment.” This could pose major obstacles regarding cut-off times and costs, as many shipments typically consist of several pieces that are wrapped or containerized/ palletized, that need to be disassembled for screening and re-assembled afterwards. The CCSP was set up to maintain the integrity of a shipment throughout the supply chain and enable shippers to incorporate physical screening into the packing process.
Furthermore, the training includes discussion on the required process for becoming a Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF). Facilities that volunteer to participate in the CCSP program will be able to tender cargo directly to a passenger air carrier or freight forwarder. Shipper certification in the program is critical to enable the industry to achieve compliance with the 100 percent screening mandate set by the U.S. Congress, as part of the 9/11 Act.
DHL and American Airlines Cargo hosted a training session, which took place in Dallas, Texas, at the beginning of the year strongly focused on the operational flow of cargo through the airline’s network, piece level screening and the impact to handling processes when the 100 percent screening mandates take effect later this year. Customers shared concerns regarding the impact additional screening might have on timely delivery of their shipments.
Participating customers were required to take the Security Sensitive Information (SSI) course prior to attending the training, as this would help ensure that the details of the program could be openly discussed. Both DHL Global Forwarding and American Airlines Cargo committed to strongly supporting the TSA’s program with technology investments for explosive trace detection (ETD) and annually recurrent training of all personnel working with the screening process.
“DHL’s partnership with American Airlines and the TSA is designed to provide important information to customers regarding the most efficient way to screen freight to meet the new mandates, while also meeting critical delivery deadlines,” said Gary Schultheis, Senior Vice President Airfreight DHL Global Forwarding, Americas. “As an outcome of this meeting, we strongly recommend that customers become certified to provide pre-screened shipments.”
“We are very pleased that DHL Global Forwarding is working with American Airlines and the TSA to educate customers toward a ‘best practice’ approach to preparing for the 100 percent screening mandates,” said Dave Brooks, president of American Airlines Cargo. “By putting the proper processes in place through the TSA’s CCSP program, shippers can ensure that their shipments are handled most efficiently at the airport—thus avoiding delays or unpleasant surprises next August.”
DHL has built up considerable health care logistics expertise over the years. Customers from the health care industry include large and medium sized pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as well as clinical research organizations. They benefit from DHL’s business units working together to provide all aspects required to manage a global pharmaceutical supply chain; from inbound transport logistics to storage, to customs brokerage and network design, right through to the final mile. Based onDHL’s global presence and unrivalled transport infrastructure, the health care teams combine knowledge of import laws, regulatory insight and local expertise to design customized health care supply chains.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Pakradooni
DHL Global Forwarding, Americas
Corporate Communications
Tel: +1-954-888-7396
E-Mail: jennifer.pakradooni@dhl.com
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DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and “The Logistics company for the world”. DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 300,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting climate protection, disaster management and education.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenue of more than 46 billion euros in 2009.
About American Airlines Cargo
American Airlines CargoSM, a division of American Airlines, Inc., provides over 100 million pounds of weekly cargo lift capacity to major cities in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® regional airlines serve more than 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American provides one of the largest cargo networks in the world, with cargo terminals and interline connections available across the globe. For more information visit www.AACargo.com.
