Authorized Representative—IAC Training Information Sharing FAQs

1. Why is GISTnet offering this system?
   GISTnet provides security training to many IACs and their truckers and other authorized representatives, and so we are aware of the many-to-many relationships between IACs and truckers, and the need for an efficient way of training status information regardless of how training was accomplished.
2. What do you mean by many-to-many relationships, and how does this impact the sharing of training information?
   A trucker typically performs pick-ups and cargo transfers for multiple air forwarders (IACs), and over the course a year perhaps hundreds of different IACs. In addition, some trucking companies use owner-operator drivers for this work, with the possibility that this driver is concurrently performing work from multiple trucking companies. The driver needs only one instance of training each year, but there may be multiple trucking companies that need to see the training record, and many IACs that also need to see the training record.

   From the IACs perspective, when ordering a pick-up, one of several possible trucking companies must be chosen. In turn, the trucking company receiving the pick-up order must select a particular driver to perform the service, who may be either a direct employee or an owner-operator.

   There are many combinations of trucking companies and drivers that may be performing work for a particular IAC at any time. Conversely, a trucking company must manage training and provide timely information to many IACs, some of which are occasional or first-time customers.
   

3. Isn't the TSA going to provide a database for driver and other authorized representative training status?
   The TSA provides designated IAC security coordinators with the ability to check STA status against an STA number, but there is currently no provision for checking other security credentials or training status.
4. As a trucker we have been faxing or emailing lists of our drivers to IACs showing their training date and assessment score. Doesn't this fulfill an IACs need for this information?
   This has become a common practice, but is very inefficient for all concerned. Unless you send this list separately to each IAC operations person who needs it, the IAC is burdened with having to internally re-distribute your information. You then also have to send revised lists to every IAC when you hire a new driver and/or conduct annual refresher training. And consider how inefficient it is for an IAC operations person to have to have a separate list on hand for each trucking company in order to check driver training before ordering a pick-up.

5. Isn't driver security training information supposed to be available only to IACs? How do you control access to this information?
   Yes, an individual's air cargo security training status must be limited to persons who have a need-to-know this information in order to carry out security-related job responsibilities. For this reason, access to the GISTnet information sharing system is limited to IAC personnel who the IAC security coordinator has designated for access, and to truckers and other agents that at least one IAC has designated as an "authorized representative." For more information, refer to the System Description and Conditions of Use Agreement for each type of party, which you can see links to on our IAC Information Page.
6. Does use of the system depend on how or by whom the training was conducted?
   No. The system is designed for any training delivery method and for data entry by any authorized trucking company or other training provider.
7. Who pays for this service and what does it cost?
   The trucking company is the party with the information to be communicated and the burden of this communication. So the fee for use of the system is assessed to the trucking company. There is no fee to an IAC for using the system. The current fee is $5 per person (driver) per year, with a $100 per year minimum. Discounts are available starting at 50 drivers. This covers the cost of vetting all the parties (i.e., making sure all who have access are approved IACs or IAC authorized representatives) plus set-up and continuing phone support to the person(s) designated to administer the system at each participating trucking company and IAC.

8. How difficult is the system to set up and use?
   It is as simple as we can make it given the diligence that must be in place to properly control system access. All needed administration, information entry, queries and reports are done via a web browser. For set-up of a trucker that already has the necessary information in spreadsheet form, we can facilitate entry of initial training data directly from the spreadsheet.
9. What do we as a trucking company have to do to start using the system?
   There are three steps:
   1. Authorization from an IAC: Ask an IAC (any IAC) to confirm to GISTnet that you are one of their "authorized representatives." For this, if we do not already have one from the particular IAC*, we will need an IAC confirmation letter and an IAC Authorization to Train Authorized Representatives, which is a web form used for authorization to train people and to participate in the information sharing.
   2. Your agreement: Read the trucker version of the GISTnet IAC-AR (authorized representative) Information Sharing System description and complete and fax to us the Conditions of Use Agreement at the end of that document.
   3. Set-up: After we have received the above items, we will schedule a web meeting to set up your organization for information sharing and familiarize your designated administrator with how to enter driver information and perform other administrative tasks.
10. What do we as an IAC have to do to start using the system?
    There are three steps:
    1. Confirmation of IAC Status: If we do not already have one from your company, provide GISTnet with an IAC confirmation letter.
    2. Your agreement: Read the IAC version of the GISTnet IAC-AR (authorized representative) Information Sharing System description and complete and fax to us the Conditions of Use Agreement at the end of that document.
    3. Set-up: After we have received the above items, we will schedule a web meeting to set up your organization for information sharing and familiarize your IAC security coordinate or an alternate with how to designate operations staff for AR training information access. If your company is already set up with GISTnet for training, this step will take only 15-30 minutes. Otherwise, designated employees will have to register with the system in order to be given access. Registration takes 1-2 minutes to complete, and this process can be streamlined for larger groups by pre-entering a employee list.

* This step is not necessary if the IAC is already set up with GISTnet as its "authorized representative" for IAC security training.

For more information and setup, please contact GISTnet: iacstaff@gistnet.com or +1.310.376.3888.