RFID in Transportation Strategic Plans

From Volpe Center ...

... "NATAP is a notable initiative for the use of advanced communications technologies to facilitate the flow of commercial vehicles, involving collaborative efforts of the US, Canada, and Mexico Customs offices. The prototype efforts have included development of common data elements and processes incorporating EDI, radio frequency identification (RFID), and vehicle roadside communications technologies (VRC) to process commercial cargo shipment data at the Canadian and Mexican land borders. By automating data transmission to obtain cargo clearance, NATAP eliminates redundant cargo clearance data entry across myriad US agencies and their counterparts in Mexico and Canada. A shipper would transmit shipment information via an Internet web site serving the border agencies. Pre-filing the EDI document would allow the customs officials to use internal criteria to determine whether the shipper is in compliance with cargo admissibility criteria while the vehicle is still in transit. As the shipment approaches the border, the RFID/VRC reader transmits a transaction identifier to the Customs computer systems. Upon arrival, the vehicle receives a green light if clearance is granted, or a red light if there are missing data or need for cargo examination. Field demonstrations of NATAP are conducted at Detroit, Buffalo, Otay Mesa, El Paso, and Laredo. " ...

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