On May 4, 2012, Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will demonstrate new technologies for securing shipments bound for the United States that originate in Canada or Mexico. The demonstration is part of the Secure Transit Corridors (STC) program, developed in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and private industry representatives.

The STC system uses an electronic chain of custody (ECoC) device to secure the doors of trucks and rail cars, instead of the bolt seals currently in use. The reusable ECoC records its route using GPS as well as monitoring and recording door openings. Data will be securely transmitted through an integrated system for analysis during the year-long demonstration—tracking methods on how cross-border shipping may be expedited through new technology.