CBP to Pilot Commercial Truck User Fee Automation

CBP will test automation and prepayment of commercial truck single-crossing fees as part of an effort to eliminate cash and credit card collections, the agency said in a notice (here). "The automation and prepayment option for the single-crossing user fee will reduce wait times, improve primary processing, save costs to truck carriers associated with idling time (such as gas and lost driving hours), and alleviate CBP officers of the administrative functions pertaining to the collection, accounting and transmittal of user fee collections," the agency said.

Specifically, the "pilot will allow the owner, agent, or person in charge of a commercial truck to access" the Decal and Transponder Online Procurement System by computer or smartphone app and pay the required single-crossing user fee before arriving at the U.S. port of entry, it said. "After accessing the DTOPS portal, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) must be registered and the required user fee paid by credit card for each truck that will transit the U.S. border. After payment is accepted, DTOPS will provide an electronic receipt that may be printed. When the commercial truck arrives at primary processing, the CBP officer will check the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system to ensure that the user fee was prepaid. If the user fee was not prepaid, the driver or other person in charge of the truck will be required to pay the fee at the port of entry using cash or a credit card." The pilot will begin at the Buffalo, Detroit and El Paso land ports on June 2.

(Federal Register 05/03/16)