TWIC; are you serious?

yes.....(to your questions/comments)

i'm done too.....(with this BS we have to go thru)

 

It goes hand in hand with Homeland Security. It's just another way to grub money from the working man. Isn't our National Guard and Armed Forces supposed to provide our "Homeland Security"? ...and aren't our police force/FBI types supposed to be providing the "common man" protection from from the "bad" elements of society?

 

Exactly same I reason I let my Hazmat endorsement drop in 05--even with the security clearence's I already held due to other work I did--wasn't gonna pay a what I considered an absurd amount of money--for what in essence was going to take the FL DMV--through the trooper stationed there--by just running my D/L through NCIC!

 

My TWIC was $125. That wasn't 3x the cost of a passport. But I agree it's a redundant check (especially when I already have a Hazmat that I was *just* fingerprinted for...My UCR is around $81/yr. At least the TWIC seems to have some reasoning behind it...(but UCR???) - Anyway, I just consider some of these costs the cost of doing business.
It's not the end of the world in costs - but if you don't NEED it..then don't get it. Right?

 

And if you aren't reimbursed for it, or paid extra for the occasions it is specifically needed then you are being taken advantage of.

 

It isn't really a matter of being paid extra for having a TWIC. It is a matter of sometimes not being able to take a load because of it picking up or delivering at a port. Some shippers who ship their products to ports are also require drivers to have a TWIC. You cannot pick up or deliver to them without having a TWIC. It is my understand that it is the Coast Guard that requires the card and there are stiff fines to the shipper for allowing drivers on the property who don't have a twic. Whether you like paying for a TWIC or not, it is a requirement to haul certain loads. You won't necessarily make more by having the card, but you will lose money for not having it in some cases.

 

The TWIC card is required by the Dept. of Homeland Security. All individuals wishing free access to our ports without an armed chaperone are required to have one. That group includes all maritime employees, dock workers, forklift drivers, and etc. I first applied for and received my TWIC card over a year before they required drivers to have them in order to maintain my Coast Guard issued 100 Ton Masters License. Without the TWIC my ability to drive boats for hire would have been cancelled. I was only given a 6 month window to comply. Expensive? Yes. Needed? Depends on what you want to do, where you want to be able to go.

 

Not all ports allow escorts. Besides, by the time you pay one or two escorts you could have paid for your TWIC. Escorts can cost $80 or more.

 

One other thing. If you are given a load that picks up or delivers to a port and you don't have a TWIC, you may want to call the port to see if they do allow escorts before spending your time and money on the trip. You don't want to get to the port and find out that they won't allow escorts.