Despite unprecedented attention to air security, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has found that vulnerabilities still exist when it comes to cargo. The cargo that travels on passenger jets doesn't always endure the same scrutiny as travelers or luggage.

Since Sept. 11, more emphasis has been placed on so-called “known-shipper” rules as they apply to air cargo security.

The known-shipper rules existed before Sept. 11, but increased scrutiny on the process has brought tighter measures. “The known-shipper programs were not effective (before Sept. 11) because there was very little investigation of these so-called known shippers to know if they were reliable and trustworthy,” says David Schaffer of the House Aviation Subcommittee.

Known shippers are required to verify the identities of their corporate customers, and attempt to provide auditable records for all freight. The TSA is expected to augment the program.

“We're concerned about anything that flies on passenger planes,” Bill Wilkening, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) manager of dangerous goods and cargo security, told The Associated Press. “Everything is the same priority in terms of addressing vulnerabilities.”

The American Trucking Associations Foundation is also leading an effort to increase air cargo security with the development and testing of an electronic air cargo manifest and security system. The goal of the Air Cargo Electronic Supply Chain Manifest (ECSM) test is to demonstrate the efficiency and security of an Internet-based electronic manifest system, and Chicago-O'Hare International Airport and New York City-JFK International Airport volunteered to serve as test areas.

The test builds on an earlier Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test at O'Hare that used biometric smart cards to confirm the identity of freight drivers using a stored thumbprint and to provide information about the seal on the cargo the driver is transporting.

The ESCM system is designed to allow only authorized users to enter and monitor cargo movement and access valuable shipment information through the use of a smart card at specific points in time and in the logistics process.