COMPLIANCE
TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential)
A TSA-issued biometric identity card required for unescorted access to secure US maritime port facilities.
TWIC stands for Transportation Worker Identification Credential. It is a tamper-resistant biometric identity card issued by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that grants the holder unescorted access to secure areas of US maritime facilities — including container terminals, petroleum terminals, and other ports regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA).
All commercial drivers who enter the secure area of a seaport container terminal must hold a valid TWIC card. This includes virtually every drayage driver making pickups or deliveries at US seaport terminals. The TWIC card contains biometric data (fingerprints) and requires a background check conducted by TSA. Applicants with certain criminal convictions are disqualified. The card is valid for five years and must be renewed.
TWIC is specific to maritime security zones. Drivers who work exclusively at inland intermodal rail ramps (BNSF, Union Pacific, NS, CSX) do not need TWIC, since those facilities are not subject to MTSA maritime security requirements. However, any driver entering a seaport terminal — even for a single delivery — must have a valid TWIC card on their person.
For shippers booking drayage at US seaports, specifying TWIC-credentialed carriers eliminates a category of operational risk: a driver without a TWIC card will be turned away at the terminal gate, causing missed appointments, detention fees, and shipment delays. Most professional drayage carriers operating at seaports ensure all drivers maintain current TWIC credentials.