Thread: Mexican trucks allowed in U.S. despite ban

Trucking Headlines
Senator: Cross-border program breaks the law
By eTrucker Staff

U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., took issue Jan. 3 with the U.S. Department of Transportation's announcement that it would continue allowing Mexican long-haul trucks into the United States –- despite a new law containing a provision, sponsored by Dorgan, designed to shut down the program.

In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, Dorgan said the Bush administration’s announcement is both arrogant and wrong. If DOT continues the program, it will be clearly and directly in violation of federal law, Dorgan asserted, and he called on Peters to end the program.

"There are not equivalent safety standards dealing with Mexican trucks and drivers, including the sharing of safety inspections, drivers’ records and accident reports between the U.S. and Mexico," Dorgan wrote. "Until that time, allowing long-haul Mexican trucks into this country increases risks on the American roadway. That’s the reason Congress has adopted my amendment prohibiting the pilot program."

The Teamsters union has expressed outrage at the administration and vowed to press ahead with a lawsuit against the program, which is pending in a federal appeals court in San Francisco.

During Christmas week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said the cross-border project will continue, arguing the spending bill signed by President Bush prohibits only funds used "to establish" such a program.

"In accordance with the 2008 omnibus appropriations act, the U.S. Department of Transportation will not establish any new demonstration programs with Mexico," FMCSA said in its prepared statement. "The current cross-border trucking demonstration project – established in September – will continue to operate."

Arguing that the administration’s apparently intentional misinterpretation of that amendment flies in the face of legal precedent and the facts, Dorgan presented a letter from the Senate Legislative Counsel, which drafted the amendment, reaffirming its intent to prevent the cross-border program from continuing. The record of the Senate debate, Dorgan argued, clearly shows that senators –- both those in favor and those opposed –- agreed the amendment would put an end to the cross-border program.

In place since Sept. 6, the controversial program -- called a "demonstration project" by the Bush administration but a "pilot program" by its opponents, because pilot programs come with additional regulatory hurdles -- allows a limited number of Mexican trucking companies to operate beyond the 25-mile commercial zone in the United States and a limited number of U.S. carriers to operate long haul in Mexico.

So far, FMCSA has granted authority to 11 Mexican carriers to operate a total of 56 trucks in the United States, and four U.S. carriers have been granted authority to operate a total of 41 trucks in Mexico. FMCSA has notified an additional 37 Mexican carriers that they successfully passed a pre-authorization safety audit.
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=65756

[quote="jimpasz"]BULLETIN: DOT making ‘serious mistake’ with cross-border program Friday, Jan. 4, 2008 – The lawmaker behind legislation that cut the funding of the cross-border program with Mexico says the move by the Bush administration to continue the program is both “arrogant and wrong.â€

PREMEDIATED MERGER
Congress cuts funding for Mexican trucks
But opponents believe Bush will find other ways to keep program rolling

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: December 22, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern


By Michael Howe
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


Congress has passed a bill that cuts funding for the controversial Mexican truck program, but lawmakers expect the Bush administration to keep the foreign vehicles rolling on American roads amid safety and security concerns.

Joe Kasper, spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., told WND that "without federal funding, it will be difficult to continue the program. However, we must expect that the administration will continue looking for ways to do so."

The newly passed 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act prohibits the Department of Transportation from using the funds in it "to establish a cross-border motor carrier demonstration program to allow Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the international border between the United States and Mexico."

"In a Democratic-sponsored spending bill filled with rewards for special interests, this is actually one of the few beneficial provisions included in the bill," Kasper said.

He points out Bush is expected to sign the bill.

"Congressman Hunter introduced the first bill in Congress to stop the program from moving forward and never relented in his effort to ensure the safety of our roadways and that American security would not be threatened by an inundation of foreign motor carriers," Kasper said.

Ten Mexican carriers, with another 37 awaiting final approval, are now operating under the program. Four American carrier are allowed to drive on Mexican roads.

Clayton Boyce, vice president of public affairs for the American Trucking Association said Congress "has clearly expressed its will on the issue, and we are waiting to see what the Department of Transportation's next step will be."

"There are four U.S. trucking companies with 41 trucks in the cross-border program. If the demonstration program ends, there will be no U.S. trucks crossing the border," Boyce explained.

Congress has expressed its will before, however, and the program has continued.

Kasper said Hunter, a presidential candidate, "intends to work against any effort by the administration, just as he did over the last year, to ensure the brakes are put on this program once and for all."

The American Trucking Association hopes the Mexican project will be successful.

"We have generally supported NAFTA and the cross-border trucking program as an improvement in cross-border efficiency," said Boyce.

"We had expected that the demonstration program would prove whether the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration can regulate and ensure the safety of Mexican trucks and drivers traveling in the United States," he said.

Opposition to the program comes not only from the U.S. Congress but from the other side of the border as well. The Mexican National Truck Drivers Federation plans to block the border between Mexico and the U.S. in January if the program doesn't come to an end, according to the Mexican newspaper El Financiero.

"It is irresponsible of the Mexican government, of (President) Felipe Calderon, to allow the interests of a powerful 2 percent of people in the Mexican economy to hand Mexican trucking over to the Americans," Elias Dip Rame, president of the Mexican National Truck Drivers Federation, told the paper.

If American trucks are able to continue operating in Mexico, the ATA expects them to be protected.

"In any situation, we expect Mexico's authorities to protect U.S. drivers and vehicles lawfully in that country," Boyce said.

Melissa Delaney, spokeswoman for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, was contacted by phone and e-mail but declined comment.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=59340

Duncan Hunter was actually the first U.S. Congressman to move on defunding the Mexican trucks.

What a guy!!

Most welcome Sosadforus. Great letter to the senators. I too believe we must take action against this.

The Teamsters union has expressed outrage at the administration and vowed to press ahead with a lawsuit against the program, which is pending in a federal appeals court in San Francisco.

Why can't the Teamsters Union get the court to issue an injuction to halt this practice until the appeal is heard? The pro-illegal groups do that all the time.

"We have had a Bush-Clinton crime spree in America that has lasted 27 years and we know it is all about oil, money and power." ~ Keith Olbermann

Originally Posted by MyAmerica

Most welcome Sosadforus. Great letter to the senators. I too believe we must take action against this.

The Teamsters union has expressed outrage at the administration and vowed to press ahead with a lawsuit against the program, which is pending in a federal appeals court in San Francisco.

Why can't the Teamsters Union get the court to issue an injuction to halt this practice until the appeal is heard? The pro-illegal groups do that all the time.

"We have had a Bush-Clinton crime spree in America that has lasted 27 years and we know it is all about oil, money and power." ~ Keith Olbermann

Keith said that?? sorry I missed it but how true it is!

Over $2 million in illegal drugs found on I-40
http://www.thnews.com/article.php?id=4201

Troopers intercept cocaine, marijuana in routine traffic stops near Forrest City

Published: December 17, 2007

Arkansas State Police on Friday intercepted more than $2 million in illegal drugs that were being transported on Interstate 40 through Forrest City.

On Friday morning, troopers found 22 pounds of marijuana inside a car, and on Friday afternoon found over 35 pounds of cocaine inside an 18-wheeler.

The 18-wheeler car hauler was stopped just before 2 p.m. near the 246 eastbound mile marker after a trooper said the driver of the truck was following too closely behind another vehicle.

The driver, Juan Carlos Rivera Orzaga, 38, of Mexico, gave the trooper his Mexican driver’s license and told the officer he was taking the only car on the trailer, a 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis, which the trooper noted was in poor condition, to Birmingham, Ala. A passenger in the truck’s sleeper was identified as Jose Maldonado Fernandez, 41, of Mexico.

The trooper reported he suspected “criminal activityâ€

Thanks Magyart, I sent this off to the same 10 Senators! Lets hope it gets some attention.

I sent it to James Hoffa Jr

Originally Posted by jimpasz

I sent it to James Hoffa Jr

Great Idea.."Jimpasz" we need attention on this!