Mensch·es, or mensch·en (m_n'sh_n).
     The word mensch is defined as a person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose:
     "He radiates the kind of fundamental decency that has a name in Yiddish; he's a mensch," says James Atlas on the web.
     The “he” we are talking about here is the ambitious, hard driving President of the U.S. Airforwarders Association, Brandon Fried.
     Brandon has been all over next Sunday’s mandated 100 percent screening of all U.S.A. belly air cargo like white on rice.
In fact, there is positively nowhere this guy has not been when it comes to discussions about the 100 percent mandate. From Lufthansa’s classy Air Cargo Security Seminar in East Meadow, New York earlier this year to the CNS Conference to the recent hearings by that U.S. Sub Committee in Washington, D.C. last month and maybe two dozen other venues held far and wide, Brandon has visited them all and nobody in attendance was left with the slightest doubt of the air forwarders’ stake and position pertaining to security.
     It is no mistake that the Airforwarders Association has its main offices just a stone’s throw from the seat of government in USA.
     The job of the President of that group has always been about lobbying to some degree and bringing the group together to speak with one voice over various subjects, as well as to conduct the group’s big annual convention held every year.
     But for our money, no President of AFA has brought the energy, vitality or concentration of purpose as its mensch, Brandon Fried.
     In 2010, with chips on the table and uncertainty, politics and huge investments in security having descended upon an industry already rocked by reduced business, forwarders in critical need of a voice can be thankful that Brandon Fried was the right guy in the right place at the right time.
     Brandon, it turns out, just may have had his ticket punched for air cargo immortality and a paid trip into the Air Cargo Hall Of Fame.
     But first things first, as less than 72 hours from now, U.S.A. air cargo will change forever.
     We spoke to Brandon earlier this week for his take on what lies ahead.

What do you think will happen as 100 percent screening begins?
While we may see pockets of delays and confusion, these will most likely be found at the gateway airports handling wide body flights.
     Wide body planes typically haul pallets and containers representing the most significant screening challenge in the absence of TSA-certified technology to perform the task.
     These delays will hopefully be short lived since airlines and the forwarding community have been working together for three years in preparation for the 100% mandate.
     Most forwarders know what to expect and have devised a strategy to screen cargo either on their own or using the airlines and independent screeners. Almost 500 forwarders have joined the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) and we expect a significant amount of screening to occur away from the airport as a result.
What is your membership telling you & what are you saying to them?
In a recent Airforwarders Association membership survey, 85 percent of respondents reported that they had spoken to their shippers and were told that screening was an issue for the forwarder to address.
     While the CCCSP has enrolled about 300 shippers to date, it is reasonable to conclude that most are depending on forwarders to get the job done.
     Currently, 74 percent of our members are "very comfortable" or "cautiously optimistic" that the airlines can perform the task with minimal disruption.
     Those shippers who did join the CCSP are generally clustered in specialty areas such as pharmaceuticals, perishable and art work.
     We continue to work closely with our members as screening is rolled out to share information and updates from TSA.
     We know that unlike other mandates in D.C., this one has a hard deadline and is not going to budge.
     Since that is also what TSA is saying, we are urging members to prepare themselves for August 1 at gateway cities and are doing all we can to make sure this goes smoothly for them with TSA and airlines.
Have the ground rules and demands been fair to air forwarders? Why?
The Airforwarders Association has always been against legislative and regulatory mandates that divert the focus away from a targeted, risk-based approach to screening.
     Many feel that the 100% screening requirement does not devote enough resources to paying more attention to the risks that deserve increased scrutiny. That said, the law mandates full screening and our membership will comply.
     Unfortunately, Congress appropriated no significant funding for forwarders to purchase screening technology and many have either had to buy expensive equipment, use physical search to screen or not participate in the CCSP due to a lack of financial resources.
     It is fair to say that AfA would have implemented a different screening program if given the opportunity, but as I have said before we are out of complaining mode and into compliance mode.
What is next?
The TSA has stated, and the GAO agrees, that screening of international inbound cargo will not likely be accomplished until 2013.
     This represents a large challenge to the TSA since the agency is not currently obtaining the visibility it demands from other nations in reviewing their cargo screening programs.
     Without TSA's ability to see what other countries are doing, reaching harmonization agreements will be difficult.
     However, the TSA reports that it is making some progress and most countries have significantly addressed the cargo screening issue to protect their citizens as well.
How will 100% screening change air cargo other than the obvious?
While we may see some shifting to all cargo aircraft or other modes such as trucking where security rules differ, the biggest change will be that screening is here to stay and now must be factored into the shipping decision.
     Customers will now judge forwarders on how well the screening task is handled, when sending cargo on passenger carriers.
What might have been done differently?
Congress could have appropriated funds for forwarders to purchase the requisite technology making it easier for more to join the CCSP.
     TSA may have been provided with more resources to do a more effective job in getting more shippers to join as well.
     A different approach to the task of screening, less focused on technology and more directed at identifying and targeting risks, would have been advisable.
As someone who is/has been there, how effective have those House Sub Committee hearings been in getting the industry points across and what will the impact (if any) be on the legislative agenda impacting air cargo?
We have found the House Committee on Homeland Security to be engaged in the process of making sure industry had a say in the implementation process.
     In fact, the Airforwarders Association has testified twice before the committee to provide the industry's perspective on the law, TSA and the CCSP.
     The hearings have been especially useful in determining the law's applicability to international inbound screening since many initially felt this aspect of air cargo did not apply. Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) used the hearings as a platform to convince the TSA that in fact, air cargo on passenger flights coming from other countries had to be screened as well.
Geoffrey/Flossie