TWIC Cards

I don't know... The TWIC card has a chip in it that has your finger prints, retina scan, plus different counterfeit measure with the card itself . I'm sure it can be figured out how to forge it, but it would be hard.

I got my card in June of '08 paid for by the company I was with. The petroleum companies I was pulling out of were going to require it. But now with me going back OTR and going to be pulling reefer I see some places like Kraft might require it??

So a question I would post to someone if they know, do you need to update TWIC when you switch companies?

 

Your TWIC card is good for 5 years regardless of which company you work for. You are only required to update company information if you are a Merchant Mariner.

For more information on the TWIC card you can call the help line at 1-866-347-8942.

Ron

 

My company pulls reefer loads and we are required to get our TWIC cards. I got mine about a month ago (took 2 months after it was ready to get me back to Port Hueneme, CA to pick it up). We haul bananas out of Freeport, TX and Port Hueneme and needed them. It was a pain in the neck since the plan wasn't originally planned for drivers only the port workers and people on the ships. Drivers were added by some genius govt worker who figured it was a great way to increase revenue. If you use your current hazmat to get the discount on the card (I think it saves you about $30), understand that the TWIC card will expire when the hazmat expires. So, if you just renewed you hazmat, then you should use it, if your hazmat expires next year, pay the full price for your TWIC card. Also, be aware that if you go to the Freeport, TX port, you will need to attend a mandatory orientation and purchase a port id card that will set you back another $15. Sounds like we know where that genius govt worker found a new job.

 

Just curious where everyone is coming up with this retinal scan thing? I've seen a few people mention it in places, but there is no retinal scanning involved with this card. They use optical scanners to read information from the card itself, the same way a mouse for your computer has an optical eye instead of using the ball.

Ron

 

Its more government BS we have to jump through since 9/11.

 

Of course it is. That's why we have to pay for two seperate background checks for Hazmat and TWIC. They could combine the two.

This TWIC crap was initiated by the inland port of Peoria, IL. Like some terrorist is going to make his way all the way up the Mississippi River and then back waterways to Peoria just so he can blow up a corn silo.

911 was thoroughly planned out over time. Any terrorist can act as a farmer. Get to know the locals and buy all the diesel and fertilizer he wants. He doesn't even need a CDL to transport his bomb. Now that's screwed up.

 

Same way with the hazmat endorsement. Just another way to gouge the driver. I have a twic, but dropped the hazmat after paying 5 bucks for many years I wasn't paying 130 something for it. Think about it. What keeps a terrorist from hijacking a placarded load, killing the driver and using the truck as a weapon? Lot of good that jacked up fee did.