A Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF) is a TSA-certified site that screens air cargo away from the airport so it arrives at the airline already secure. In Miami in 2026, tendering pre-screened cargo through a CCSF is the fastest way around screening queues at MIA, where 100% of cargo moving on passenger aircraft must be screened before uplift. Here is how the program works and when shippers should use it.
Why CCSF screening exists
Since the 9/11 Act mandate took full effect, every shipment loaded on a passenger aircraft departing the U.S. must be screened at the piece level. Airlines screen at their own facilities, but during peak season and produce surges at MIA the queues grow long and cutoffs get missed. TSA’s Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) lets certified facilities — forwarders, 3PLs, and shippers themselves — screen upstream and tender cargo under a secure chain of custody instead.
How a Miami CCSF handles your freight
Screening methods
Approved methods include X-ray, explosives trace detection (ETD), and physical search. Screened pieces are sealed, documented, and moved under chain-of-custody controls by trained personnel to the carrier — often via TSA bonded trucking at MIA.
Chain of custody
Once screened, cargo must stay secure: tamper-evident seals, screened-cargo documentation, and vetted drivers. Any break means re-screening at the airline, which erases the time saved.
Who benefits most
Perishable exporters racing cutoffs (see our MIA perishable export guide), e-commerce consolidators, and any shipper whose freight routinely misses flights during MIA’s peak. Pairing screening with cross-dock operations keeps recovery and re-tender on one campus — a workflow covered in our MIA air cargo recovery guide.
CCSF vs airline screening in 2026
Airline screening is free but first-come, first-served; a CCSF charges per piece or per kilo yet delivers predictable tender times, fewer missed flights, and gentler handling for fragile or temperature-sensitive goods. For high-value or time-definite freight, the screening fee is usually cheaper than one missed uplift.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Certified Cargo Screening Facility?
A CCSF is a facility certified by TSA under the Certified Cargo Screening Program to screen air cargo off-airport. Screened shipments move to the airline under a secure chain of custody and skip screening queues at the airport.
Does all air cargo from Miami need to be screened?
All cargo transported on passenger aircraft must be screened at the piece level before departure. Freight moving on all-cargo aircraft follows separate TSA security programs with their own requirements.
How do I tender pre-screened cargo at MIA?
Use a CCSF or a forwarder partnered with one: cargo is screened, sealed, and documented, then delivered to the carrier by vetted drivers under chain-of-custody rules so the airline accepts it as already secure.
Move secure air cargo through MIA
Go Freight coordinates screening, bonded trucking, and airport recovery from 3300 NW 110th St., Miami, FL 33167 — minutes from MIA. Request an air cargo quote or call (786) 445-0150.