New NJ port security comes at a price for workers

Truck drivers and longshoremen who want to get into Port Newark will now have to go through a new layer of security, at their own cost. The Department of Homeland Security?s Transportation Workers Identification

News 12 Staff

Jan 5, 2007, 12:00 AM

Updated 6,561 days ago

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Truck drivers and longshoremen who want to get into Port Newark will now have to go through a new layer of security, at their own cost.
The Department of Homeland Security?s Transportation Workers Identification Credential Program requires everyone entering any port in the country to carry a new, sophisticated form of identification. The new card will have an integrated chip, containing a cardholder?s fingerprint template, background information and a unique identifying PIN.
Some truck drivers are not happy they will have to shell out approximately $160 for the new cards. While some argue against the need for an additional background check, others feel it?s the price of doing business. The Department of Homeland Security believes the high-tech cards will enhance security for ports and their residential neighbors. Port Newark will require all workers entering the port to have the new ID cards by March.