- September 30, 2007 -
Mexican Truckers in the US: Understanding the Issues

FMSCA Hopes to Quiet Critics with Plans to Track Trucks by Satellite; How We Got Here



SCDigest Editorial Staff

SCDigest Says:
Many view Mexican carriers and drivers as an answer to driver shortage and overall carrier capacity issues.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The passions on both sides of the Mexican trucker debate are pretty high, which is interesting because the issue of access to the US for Mexican trucking companies was hardly noticed amid all the other debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) before its adoption in 1994.

A lot has changed since then, however. In the US, the past few years have seen both increasing concerns about illegal immigrants from Mexico and threats of terrorist activity made more likely by porous borders, especially the Southern one with Mexico. Now, it’s not just the Teamsters looking to stop the access (which they fear will depress wages and jobs), but conservative media pundits as well. Others opposed to the plan site concerns about the maintenance and safety of Mexican fleets.

At the same time, trade between the US and Mexico has increased significantly since NAFTA’s passage, and the US has seen growing driver shortages among its trucking ranks. Many view Mexican carriers and drivers as an answer to driver shortage and overall carrier capacity issues.

Last week, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it was going to require satellite tracking of both Mexican trucks coming into the US and US carriers entering Mexico.

"This will give us the ability to monitor every vehicle from Mexico and ensure all companies are following our strict safety requirements, including those governing hours of service," said FMCSA Administrator John Hill in a statement from the agency. The system would also track the date and time of international and state crossings by Mexican carriers.

The move is another effort to keep the three-week program alive after both houses of Congress voted to pull its funding because of perceived concerns about Mexican trucks and drivers jeopardizing safety on U.S. roads.


How Did We Get Here?

Below is an overview and partial chronology of the Mexican trucker debate. It was developed in part based on a recent article from the Knowledge@Carey newsletter from Arizona State University.


On January 1, 1994, after fierce debate and concerns about a “great sucking soundâ€