Port of Entry

Improved border safety inspections mean more business for Arizona

Improved border safety inspections mean more business for Arizona

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Improved border safety inspections mean more business for Arizona

Improved border safety inspections mean more business for Arizona

July 20, 2017

PHOENIX – Just a year after beginning a study to determine how to improve efficiency and consistency at Arizona’s three primary international ports of entry, Arizona Department of Transportation officials already are seeing improvements that make the state a more attractive route for commercial carriers.

“While safety remains our No. 1 goal, we want to be as efficient as possible at helping commerce move across the border and into Arizona’s economy,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “By working closely with international trucking interests, we are supporting commercial traffic and boosting the economy not just in Arizona but along the Interstate 10 corridor and across the nation.”

These successes stem from ADOT’s use of a statewide systems approach championed by Gov. Doug Ducey for improving state government operations. The Arizona Management System empowers employees at state agencies to come up with innovative ways to better serve customers, including taxpayers, visitors to Motor Vehicle Division offices and trucking companies using Arizona’s ports of entry.

Commercial trucks entering the United States at Nogales, Douglas and San Luis are vital to Arizona’s economy. In 2015, about $30 billion in combined imports and exports crossed the international border at those three spots.

Yet Arizona officials were seeing a troubling trend: Some commercial trucking companies were using ports at Calexico, California, and Laredo, Texas, rather than coming through Arizona, even if Arizona was a more direct option. Companies said that higher costs associated with crossing the border in Arizona – including time lost during inspections, fines for violations and higher insurance rates – helped steer them elsewhere.

Fresh Produce Association: ADOT's Border Liaison Unit providing a great service

Fresh Produce Association: ADOT's Border Liaison Unit providing a great service

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Fresh Produce Association: ADOT's Border Liaison Unit providing a great service

Fresh Produce Association: ADOT's Border Liaison Unit providing a great service

March 23, 2017

Mexico - USA sign

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

Georgina Felix knows more about moving fresh produce from Mexican farms to American tables than just about anyone. She is international affairs director for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, dedicated to ensuring that people in Arizona and across the county have uninterrupted access to fresh, high-quality Mexican-grown fruits and vegetables.

And when the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Border Liaison Unit met with produce industry leaders recently at the association’s offices in Nogales, she liked what she saw.

“For the produce industry, delays at the border are a big issue,” she said. “Our products lose value if they sit at the border for too long. The more efficient a border crossing can be, the better is will be for our industry.”

As we shared earlier this month, Border Liaison Unit members have been visiting border communities to teach truck drivers, mechanics and trucking company leaders about ADOT’s safety inspection program. The idea: If truckers can correct any safety issues before they reach the border, there is less chance of a costly, time-consuming delay at the border to fix such issues as bad brakes, worn tires or improperly secured loads.

The goal is to make border crossings efficient while at the same time ensuring safe vehicles on Arizona roads.

“BLU is a very well-created program that will help the trucking industry better understand what is expected at the border and a create better relationship between ADOT and our industry,” Felix said just a few miles from the border crossing where more Mexican produce enter the U.S. than any other port.

Safety is just as important as efficiency, she said. “BLU makes the roads safer because they are making people more aware of what to look for. They can be sure their trucks are safe.”

ADOT plans to hold BLU training sessions in Mexico later this year, something that has not been done before.

“The training sessions are going to provide drivers with better understanding of what areas they have to address,” Felix said. “This is a great initiative that will help the industry very much.”

Social media making commercial traffic more efficient at international ports

Social media making commercial traffic more efficient at international ports

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Social media making commercial traffic more efficient at international ports

Social media making commercial traffic more efficient at international ports

March 7, 2017

WhatsAPP

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

WhatsApp, Doc?

With apologies to Bugs Bunny, that’s not a question but the newest way to make crossing the Arizona-Mexico border more efficient for commercial vehicles.

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division handles inspections at the ports of entry at the international border. Tim Lane, director of the Enforcement and Compliance Division, has launched a program to educate trucking companies and their drivers about how to keep the trucks safe for Arizona roads and reduce the time they spend sitting idle during inspections.

As we explained recently, the program includes workshops on both sides of the border, events demonstrating what inspectors are looking for and an International Border Qualification program that documents training and streamlines inspections for drivers who have gone through safety inspection training.

And a smartphone app: WhatsApp, one of the most-used instant-messaging apps in the world.

For drivers who have been through International Border Qualification, ADOT is establishing a network that will allow its inspectors, Mexican officials and commercial truckers to communicate through their phones. Drivers approaching the border might ask about wait times so they can make the best use of their time.

Even more beneficial: Drivers with questions about, say, whether their load is properly secured could send a message with a photo of their truck to ADOT inspectors. Those inspectors could look at the photo and reply with either an OK or recommendations for changes. If the driver can fix any issues before reaching the border, that will save time for the driver and for ADOT.

International commerce is an important factor in Arizona’s economy; $30 billion in imports and exports moved through Arizona ports in 2015, supporting 100,000 jobs. The more efficiently ADOT can process trucks at the border, the better it will be for the entire state.

And now, we have an app for that.

Taking the mystery out of commercial vehicle inspections at the border

Taking the mystery out of commercial vehicle inspections at the border

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Taking the mystery out of commercial vehicle inspections at the border

Taking the mystery out of commercial vehicle inspections at the border

November 30, 2016

ADOT: Enforcement and Compliance Division Inspection Station

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Recently, the Arizona Department of Transportation partnered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety to hold an educational event at the Douglas Port of Entry. The goal was to help trucking companies understand what each agency’s inspections are looking for and what companies can do to avoid unnecessary delays.

At ADOT, we want to ensure that all our ports of entry operate efficiently, effectively and safely. Mexico is Arizona’s number one international trading partner. In 2015, $30 billion in both imports and exports moved through the state’s border ports, supporting 100,000 Arizona jobs. By working to improve how we work at the border and on our roadways, we can take full advantage of our trade opportunities with Mexico.

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ECD Officer inspecting a vehicle.

ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division officers conduct commercial vehicle inspections to ensure safety and compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Officers check drivers’ credentials and look for safety issues, like truck weight or tire condition. The work at these ports is so important that ADOT is using Lean Management tools, as part of the Arizona Management System, to look for better ways of conducting inspections and safely keeping freight moving across our international border. This process, with support from an expert consultant team, is examining how we can operate our ports even more efficiently and effectively.

Douglas’s Port of Entry is the second-busiest commercial border crossing behind the Mariposa Port in Nogales. About 35,000 trucks pass through the Douglas Port every year, carrying about $4 billion in seat belts, medical garments, copper from Mexican mines and other goods.

By working hand in hand with our federal and state partners and commercial trucking firms, we can ensure commercial vehicles are safe to travel on Arizona roads and that the inspection process is conducted efficiently and effectively.


Director-Halikowski-headshot

 

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

 

Grants will help ADOT improve commercial vehicle safety

Grants will help ADOT improve commercial vehicle safety

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Grants will help ADOT improve commercial vehicle safety

Grants will help ADOT improve commercial vehicle safety

November 28, 2016

PHOENIX – Pilot projects using technology to make highway work zones safer and commercial vehicle inspections at the border more efficient will begin in early 2017 thanks to federal grants recently awarded to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks grants, totaling $581,000, are from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

“These projects will make our work zones safer and improve how efficiently we inspect trucks that bring billions of dollars in commercial goods into our state,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “It’s another way ADOT is making our highways Key Commerce Corridors that improve the quality of life in Arizona by moving products and people.”

A work zone notification system will use emerging vehicle communication technologies to alert commercial drivers that they are approaching construction or incidents on freeways, and also make them aware of variable speed limits, traffic congestion and lane closures.

While the primary goal is reducing crashes and injuries, the pilot project is also designed to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in work zones.

It’s a joint project involving ADOT, the Maricopa County Department of Transportation and the University of Arizona. One work zone will be chosen on a highway managed by ADOT, while a second work zone will be on Maricopa County 85, which runs from the Agua Fria River in Avondale to State Route 85 near Buckeye.

The $337,000 project will begin in early 2017, with pilot demonstrations in place by August 2018.

The second project will connect separate technologies used by state and federal inspectors at the Mariposa Border Port of Entry in Nogales to allow officers with ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division to make more-informed decisions about which commercial trucks to pull aside for expanded inspections.

Mariposa is Arizona’s busiest commercial port, processing the majority of the $30 billion in imports and exports that cross the Arizona-Mexico international border, including much of America’s winter produce.

Screenings by ADOT and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officers are based primarily on visual inspections of trucks and documents presented to officers in Rapid Enforcement Lanes. The two agencies have separate computer systems with different information about trucks crossing the border. Some trucks cross several times in the same day.

This $224,000 project, expected to be completed by summer 2018, will build an interface that allows state and federal inspectors to share safety and credential information about trucks crossing into Arizona from Mexico. That will allow inspectors from both agencies to make inspection decisions based on more complete information on each truck, trailer, cargo and driver.

The shared information will be available by computer before a truck reaches the inspection booth. Combined with the truck’s weight and historical information from earlier border crossings, ADOT officers can make decisions quickly on whether to pull trucks aside for a closer look or allow them to continue north.

Enforcing roadway safety with a handshake and a smile

Enforcing roadway safety with a handshake and a smile

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Enforcing roadway safety with a handshake and a smile

Enforcing roadway safety with a handshake and a smile

November 17, 2016

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

The Hollywood image of an inspection at an international border isn't exactly welcoming: gruff inspectors look for something, anything, out of the ordinary while drivers look straight ahead, silent and a bit on edge.

That’s not how it works at the Douglas Border Port of Entry.

Sgt. J.J. Moreno of ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division says border inspections are just as effective when he offers a smile, a handshake and a few kind words.

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“Inspections don’t have to be confrontational,” he said. “Most of the drivers appreciate that we’re here looking out for their safety as much as for the safety of the traveling public. It’s better for everyone if we can smile while we’re doing our jobs.”

ECD inspectors at the border check for paperwork and obvious safety concerns, while federal agencies complete their own inspections. About a mile away at the Border Port of Entry, Moreno and a small team of inspectors weigh trucks and check for safety issues while chatting with the drivers, many of whom come through several times a day and understand the inspection process as well as the inspectors.

That doesn’t mean inspectors take their jobs lightly. Moreno, a Nogales native who patrolled near Bisbee for 20 years as an officer with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, isn't shy about stopping trucks until they make repairs. On a recent afternoon, a truck was held on the inspection site until mechanics could come to repair its brakes.

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Moreno’s positive approach seems to be working. Recently, a trucking company owner from Aqua Prieta, Mexico, brought his entire fleet to be inspected at one time so that future inspections could be completed more quickly.

On Nov. 9, a room full of commercial trucking leaders from Mexico listened while leaders from ECD and other agencies explained the inspection process and answered questions.

“We work with the drivers and the trucking companies not just to make the inspections go faster,” Moreno said. “This is about safety, not only here in Douglas but on roads all across the country. We will not hesitate to pull a truck out of service if the load is not secure or the tires are bad. If the companies can make their trucks safe before they get here, that’s even better. Safety is what matters. Saving time is an added benefit.”

With that he turns, reaches up to shake a driver’s hand as he exits the port of entry. Then he turns to greet the next driver.

Removing mystery from commercial vehicle inspections at international ports

Removing mystery from commercial vehicle inspections at international ports

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Removing mystery from commercial vehicle inspections at international ports

Removing mystery from commercial vehicle inspections at international ports

November 3, 2016

DOUGLAS – Before trucks hauling Mexican products into the United States can leave the port of entry at the border, officers from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division make sure those commercial vehicles are safe to travel on Arizona roads.

Inspectors check drivers’ credentials and look for obvious safety issues. Some of the trucks are weighed and undergo 37-point safety inspections.

Before that, agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conduct their own inspections.

The faster those trucks are processed, the faster they can get on their way and boost Arizona’s economy with goods ranging from decorative rock to mini-blinds. And the better trucking companies and their drivers understand the various port of entry processes, the sooner their trucks can head north on US 191 or State Route 80.

That’s why ADOT, its federal partners and the Arizona Department of Public Safety will hold an educational event next week in Douglas. The goal: helping trucking companies understand what each agency’s inspectors are looking for and what the companies can do to avoid unnecessary delays.

Trade with Mexico is vital to Arizona. In 2015, $30 billion in both imports and exports moved through the state’s border ports, supporting 100,000 Arizona jobs.

“Events like this one in Douglas will help ensure that we continue to operate efficiently, effectively and safely at all of our border ports of entry,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We will continue working to improve how we work at the border and on our roadways to take full advantage of our trade opportunities with Mexico.”

The event will be 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the port of entry.

ADOT enforcement officers will explain state and federal safety guidelines and regulations. They also will demonstrate inspection procedures and answer questions from trucking representatives.

“We want them to understand the process from start to finish,” said Lt. Christina Parrish with ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division. “Everything we do is based on our agency’s mission: ‘To ensure the safe and efficient movement of people, goods and services throughout Arizona while promoting compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations.’”

About 35,000 trucks come through the Douglas port every year, carrying about $4 billion in seat belts, medical garments, copper from Mexican mines and other goods. It’s Arizona’s second-busiest commercial border crossing behind the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

The event, like others held at Arizona’s international ports, is just one way ADOT works to continuously improve the movement of international trade.

ADOT inspectors already have taken steps to reduce wait times for commercial vehicles at all ports. For example, officers have been equipped with laptop computers to enter data during an inspection rather than writing information down by hand and then entering it on the computer later.

Officers will be checking carriers’ past safety ratings while looking for obvious safety problems. They will also try to reduce wait times with two-person inspections set to begin in January, with one officer inspecting the vehicle and the other entering results into the computer.

Experience makes the best inspectors, said Parrish, a Douglas native who has worked at the port for more than 15 years.

“Once you’ve been around trucks quite a bit you learn to recognize the things that could be wrong,” she said. “You know how they’re supposed to look and sound. It becomes easier to observe a flat tire or a load that’s not secured properly."

More improvements coming to State Route 189 in Nogales

More improvements coming to State Route 189 in Nogales

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More improvements coming to State Route 189 in Nogales

More improvements coming to State Route 189 in Nogales

September 29, 2016

Port of Entry

By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

The Arizona State Transportation Board has approved starting improvements to State Route 189 two years ahead of schedule, thanks to $25 million in funding approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey. It’s that possible trucks carrying international trade could be driving on an upgraded SR 189 by late 2020 – before the work was originally scheduled to begin.

It’s not the first time Nogales has received this kind of good news involving SR 189 and the Mariposa Port of Entry. Almost a decade ago, plans to improve the port itself were on hold because of the lack of funding. After Arizona received $173 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, ADOT began work five years ahead of schedule.

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Port of Entry

In collaboration with a number of federal agencies and the Arizona-Mexico Commission, ADOT made a number of improvements to the port. One of those – new technology to allow faster processing of trucks crossing the border – was recognized with a Best Use of Innovation Award from America's Transportation Awards.

Other improvements included seven Slow Speed Weigh in Motion scales, seven credential-processing booths and a larger building to accommodate more staff to process commercial truck permitting and issuance of citations.

The port of entry, located on the west side of Nogales, is one of the busiest in the United States. It processes about 80 percent of the international commercial traffic entering the state and is the main entry site for fresh produce entering the United States from Mexico for the West Coast.

The improvements to start in 2019 will improve the 3.75-mile roadway and create a flyover ramp for traffic entering northbound Interstate 19. And ADOT is exploring ways to fund even more improvements in the future, including a flyover ramp for southbound I-19 traffic onto SR 189.

In ADOT's announcement this week, Governor Doug Ducey shared why it's important for Arizona to invest in SR 189.

"Mexico is Arizona’s largest international trading partner, and improving how trade moves along this critical route in Nogales will help grow Arizona’s economy," the governor said. "Getting this work started sooner is another way Arizona is moving at the speed of business."

Cross-border traffic on the rise between Arizona and Mexico

Cross-border traffic on the rise between Arizona and Mexico

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Cross-border traffic on the rise between Arizona and Mexico

Cross-border traffic on the rise between Arizona and Mexico

May 24, 2016

PHOENIX – Nearly 8,000 more trucks, 400,000 more passenger vehicles and 900,000 more people entering the U.S. in 2015 through Arizona’s international ports of entry speak to numbers critical to this state’s economy: 

  • $30 billion in imports and exports passing through Arizona’s ports during the year, including much of the produce consumed in the U.S. during the winter.
  • $16.8 billion in Arizona exports to Mexico during 2015.
  • 100,000 Arizona jobs supported by trade with Mexico.
  • $7.8 million spent daily by those visiting Arizona from Mexico.

“The impact of our ports of entry is far reaching,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “The increase in cross-border traffic is another example of Arizona’s flourishing business climate and growing opportunities for economic development.”

 

U.S. Department of Transportation figures for northbound traffic at Arizona ports of entry showed commercial trucks up 2.1 percent (388,657 total), passenger vehicles up 4.5 percent (8.9 million total) and people visiting Arizona up 4.1 percent (23.8 million total).

U.S. DOT data show that traffic has increased steadily through the years at ports of entry in Nogales, San Luis, Douglas, Lukeville, Naco and Sasabe: 

“This amount of cross-border traffic and the continual upward trend in volume means we must continue to make smart investments at the border and ensure that our ports of entry have the necessary staffing and resources to operate effectively, efficiently and safely,” said John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. “ADOT is working to improve transportation infrastructure at the border, along with traffic flows, with projects slated for State Route 189 and Interstate 19, and ongoing efforts to study how to build Interstate 11 from Nogales to the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge.”

David Farca, president of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, noted that the figures don’t reflect the fact that ports handle southbound traffic as well.

“In reality, our ports of entry processed close to 800,000 trucks, 17 million cars, 48 million people and 1,600 trains,” Farca said. “The ports of entry that connect Arizona to Mexico are of great significance to our economy.”

Arizona also sees considerable sales tax revenue from people who pass through ports of entry to shop, not only in the border communities but the Tucson and Phoenix areas as well.

“A vibrant business relationship with Mexico is key to the growth of Arizona’s economy,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Our region shares many assets and strengths in areas such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, optics, agriculture and much more. Continuing to link resources and leverage assets such as infrastructure and transportation will diversify our economy and enhance our region’s overall competitive position.”

ADOT, the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona-Mexico Commission and the Arizona Office of Tourism promote trade and quality infrastructure as members of the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance. The group, which also includes community leaders in transportation and international trade, was created in 2012 to help boost economic development and create jobs.

ADOT builds new pedestrian underpass on SR 189

ADOT builds new pedestrian underpass on SR 189

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ADOT builds new pedestrian underpass on SR 189

ADOT builds new pedestrian underpass on SR 189

October 16, 2015

It’s not just about building and maintaining highways, here at ADOT...

The agency actually takes on a number of projects related to other things, like pedestrians, bicyclistswildlife and even the occasional boat.

Today’s video highlights one of those projects by focusing on the work being done to complete a new pedestrian underpass, designed to separate the movements of pedestrians and commercial trucks leaving the Mariposa Port of Entry on the Arizona/Mexico border in Nogales.

ADOT Resident Engineer Dan Casmer explains in the video that, when completed, the new structure will measure 350 feet long and will contain an internal lighting system and closed circuit television system.

“By year’s end we will be able to serve pedestrians more safely and more efficiently," Casmer says of the underpass. "It will also improve the efficiency of commercial goods entering the United States from Mexico,”

Find more on the Arizona ports of entry on our website.