U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now requires that all trucks electronically submit manifests that provide data on both the cargo and carrier prior to arriving at the border. Previously paper manifests were used by trucks. Drivers would hand the paperwork to CBP personnel at the border and wait while it was processed.
As CBP explains, “Requiring manifest information to be submitted electronically greatly reduces the potential for errors and improves efficiency, resulting in faster border crossings for legitimate carriers. With e-manifests, time-consuming paper processes are eliminated, truckers spend less time waiting at the border, and goods make their way to market faster—all of which provide positive economic benefits for both the United States and Mexico.”
None of this comes as a surprise to cross-border truckers as CBP has been ramping up its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) along the southern border for some time. CBP notes that since the beginning of the year electronic filing of manifests has grown from 5,500 in January to 32,000 in March within the border states of Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico.
