Worth getting a TWIC?

If you've ever had to wait hours to get escorted in and out of ports cuz you don't have the card you'd know how important it is. Never had mine until this happened to me.

In this industry it's best to have all the credentials you can get.

 

If you get escorted twice your ahead by buying twic .. Also you can wait in your truck with a twic card not outside or a special area in the elements which sucks .. Sat in a hot hot muggy warehouse 4.5 hrs in Houston because of no twic card

 

It depends on the situation you're in, I guess. Most OTR guys I've known only get occasional loads coming in or out of a port; in that case, I'd say it's probably nice to have but not essential. On the other hand, in my previous job (as well as my present one) I dealt a lot with hauling autos, so I visit seaports quite a bit. When a TWIC escort ends up costing you anywhere from $40 to $60 a pop, a TWIC card can often pay for itself after just two or three trips.

In fact, I think my TWIC card helped me land my current position: my previous job was using a rollback wrecker and a dualie/two-car wedge to take autos to the port for customers whose drivers couldn't get onto the port to drop them at the terminals. When one of our customers found out I already had a class A CDL and OTR experience (along with my TWIC) he realized he could save money (and give his own customers a faster delivery schedule) by having me drive one of his car carriers and have his company take the autos into the port directly instead of having to pay a third party to do it for him. My previous employer wasn't too happy about me leaving, but that TWIC card landed me a position paying nearly twice what I was making shuttling cars to the port for him. What else did he expect I'd do when I was offered that opportunity?

Again, I wouldn't say that a TWIC credential was essential but, in the right areas, it CAN open some doors for you.

 

Just a side note about TWIC cards. If your flying out use your TWIC as ID. All the TSA and airport workers have one also. Your pretty much guaranteed not to get hassled.

 

We're a small company (30 trucks 1/2 co and the rest of us are o/o.) it is required before we will hire a driver. We are on the gulf coast and we do go over the road. We are in ports often.

 

I have a TWIC and its paid for itself. Takes about 8 weeks for background check to clear depending on how backed up TSA offices are at the time you apply. If you don't have a hazmat endorsement and are thinking of getting one now's the time to apply for both. I know in AL and in some others states you can "Sync" your TWIC background check w/Hazmat and only pay once for both checks instead of twice, saving you around $80+ dollars...makes it easy when renewing them too cause they both will have same exp. date.

 

I can't think of one place on the east coast that I went to that accepted the TWIC card for what it was worth. It has always been treated as a card worth nothing at all. Total junk

 

I think someone forgot thier meds today.

 

LOL!!!