TSA starts background checks on all hazardous materials truckers
New rule, affecting about 2.7 million truckers, is final phase of Hazmat Threat Assessment Program.
Commercial truck drivers who want to renew or transfer their licenses to transport hazardous materials must undergo mandatory fingerprint and background checks, under a new rule implemented by the Transportation Security Administration this week.
TSA estimates there are about 2.7 million truckers licensed to carry hazardous materials. The new rule is the third and final phase of the agency's Hazmat Threat Assessment Program. In January, TSA began requiring truckers applying for the first time for a license to ship hazardous materials to submit fingerprints and undergo a background check.
"TSA has successfully vetted tens of thousands of new applicants who began the process in January 2005, and we look forward to beginning the process for renewing and transferring driver endorsements," said TSA Administrator David Stone.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the largest national organization of truckers, recently called on TSA to protect the privacy of hazmat drivers. The association has more than 118,000 members.
"Privacy is the most important issue for truck drivers concerned about the impending background checks," the association said in comments to TSA in December. "Their biggest worry is that private information will be misused or that incorrect or ambiguous information will become attached to their professional reputation and work history. Either scenario could put an end to a trucking career."
The top priority for truckers is that TSA will not give the information used to assess their backgrounds to third parties, the association said.
Truckers must renew licenses to carry hazardous materials at least once every five years, although a state may require more frequent renewals. If TSA disqualifies an applicant, the driver can appeal the finding or seek a waiver from the agency.
TSA implemented the program to meet the requirements of the USA Patriot Act, which prohibits states from issuing a hazardous materials endorsement to a trucker without first determining whether or not the individual poses a security risk.