CAFES will make it possible for cargo crossing U.S. land borders at Laredo, TX and Port Huron to experience a primary release. If the driver has the CAFES form prior to entering, he or she can receive an immediate release from the primary lane without having to park the truck in secondary lanes for additional paperwork exchanges. Trucks with numerous or mixed in-bond movements will still have the advantage of not having to wait in line for additional in-bond paperwork.
"Much of the truck congestion at the busiest land border crossings can be attributed to in-bond shipment processing," said Bob Carr, vp of international for Roadway Express. "The CAFES program streamlines this process for carriers and provides internal benefits to the Customs Service as well."
During a 60-day U.S. Customs Service pilot of this new automated process, waiting periods and port congestion are expected to be reduced and service improved for trucks crossing into the U.S.
According to Paul Schwartz, director of the In-Bond program at U.S. Customs, informal nationwide surveys indicate that the average downtime for one referred in-bond truck transaction is 17 minutes. During peak business hours, combined broker and Customs wait times can change this to over 60 minutes. This is all eliminated, or significantly reduced, with CAFES.
