TSA Admits It Won't Meet Deadline for Fingerprinting

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AN ANTONIO — The Transportation Security Administration made official what virtually all sectors of trucking already knew: The agency will not meet its self-imposed deadline to begin conducting fingerprint background checks for drivers certified to haul hazardous materials.

“We are not in a position to start 16 days from now,” Justin Oberman, director of TSA’s credentialing unit, told motor carrier executives at the ATA Management Conference & Exhibition here on Oct. 20.

The agency had set a Nov. 3 deadline for states to begin fingerprinting anyone renewing or applying for a new commercial driver license with a hazmat endorsement. There are an estimated 3.2-million drivers who currently haul hazardous materials, while some 5 million drivers hold certifications on their commercial drivers licenses to do so.

For the full story, see the Oct. 27 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.