Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security in the Department of Homeland Security, is due to join other state and local officials Nov. 17 at the Long Beach, CA, Container Terminal Harbor to demonstrate what may become a new mandatory ID – the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC card.

The pilot program, which is voluntary, will last seven months and is designed to review, identify and enhance the industry's ability to identify transportation workers and to control access to the secure areas of the nation's transportation systems.

This pilot stage represents the third phase of the TWIC program. It will be followed by an evaluation phase that could take several months before a final implementation proceeds, possibly via new regulations.

A TSA spokeswoman told Land Line the agency must still decide whether TWIC card use will be mandatory or voluntary.

Affected workers include truckers, longshoremen, container terminal personal and airport staff.