DOT starts pilot program extending Mexican truck range in U.S.

DOT starts pilot program extending Mexican truck range in U.S. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it would begin a one-year pilot program to allow 100 Mexican trucking companies to operate beyond the current 20-to-25-mile commercial zones along the U.S. Southwest border.
   Scheduled to begin in six to eight weeks, the pilot program addresses terms of the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement that have been stalled by legislation, litigation and concerns about the safety of Mexican trucks on U.S. highways.
   Another facet of the program would allow U.S. truckers to make deliveries into Mexico for the first time. Under current rules, U.S. trucks are not allowed into Mexico because the United States refused to implement provisions of the NAFTA that would have permitted safe cross-border trucking.
   Mexican truck companies eligible to participate in the one-year program will be required to have insurance with a U.S. licensed firm and meet all U.S. safety, environmental and security standards. Companies that meet these standards will be allowed to make international pickup and deliveries only, and will not be able to move goods from one U.S. city for delivery to another, haul hazardous materials or transport passengers.
   Eligible Mexican truck drivers must hold a valid commercial driver's license, carry proof they are medically fit, comply with all U.S. hours-of-service rules, and be able to understand questions and directions in English.
   The first Mexican trucks authorized under the program would begin traveling beyond U.S. border areas once an initial in-person safety inspection is completed and proof-of-insurance verified. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors will now have access to conduct equipment inspections and driver checks within Mexico.
   'The United States has never shied away from opportunities to compete, to open new markets and to trade with the world. Now that safety and security programs are in place, the time has come for us to move forward on this longstanding promise with Mexico,' said Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, in a statement. She announced the new program at a truck inspection facility in Laredo, Texas, and also visited a local trucking company in Monterrey, Mexico.
   'We are committed to retaining a high level of security and safety standards under this program,' said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. 'The tough security measures we already have in place will remain unchanged, resulting in a smart and secure approach to safeguarding the border, while allowing for American and Mexican carriers to deliver cargo outside of arbitrary commercial zones.'
   As of Friday, the Mexican government said it would begin considering applications from U.S. trucking firms for licensing rights to operate within Mexico. Under the pilot program, about 100 U.S. operators would be licensed by Mexico for cross-border operations.
   The Bush administration is highly critical of the current cross-border system where Mexican and U.S. carriers exchange cargo at the border via a third shuttle carrier. The administration blames the system for adding $400 million per year to the cost of U.S. consumer goods.
   The American Trucking Associations, which supports the opening of the border to Mexican trucks, said in a statement: 'Such regulation of Mexican carriers operating in the United States will ensure a level playing field in cross-border operations. Ensuring a level playing field also requires that when U.S. carriers are to begin operations in Mexico, the permitting and regulatory processes put in place by the government of Mexico must be fair, clear and transparent.'
   In 2001 a NAFTA dispute resolution panel ruled that the United States could not ban trucks from Mexico. The same year Congress authorized the cross-border inspection program and imposed 22 safety requirements that had to be met before opening the border.
   One of the congressmen at the forefront of holding up the operation of Mexican motor carriers in the United States is Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., now chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He questioned whether the safety steps in place under the pilot program are sufficient to maintain safety on U.S. highways.
   Among his concerns are that Mexican carriers are not subject to work rules and that without the requisite logbooks it will be difficult for U.S. inspectors to determine how long the driver has continuously driven without a rest break; Mexican labs used for driver drug tests are not certified; and that Mexican carriers provide the DOT inaccurate or incomplete compliance data.
   He said he would work with Secretary Peters to resolve the remaining safety concerns.
   'Despite the recent agreement to allow U.S. truck safety inspectors into Mexico to conduct safety audits, I am dubious that Mexican trucks or their drivers will meet the same safety and environmental standards as those in the U.S.,' said Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee. 'Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S. has consistently compromised its environmental and labor standards. Now we're being asked to risk the safety of citizens on highways and in communities where these trucks will travel. You can be sure Congress will be keeping a close eye on the implementation of this pilot program.'