Federal agencies and teamsters are butting heads on
whether Mexican trucks should be allowed be travel within
the United States, despite approval from the White House.
The Dept. of Transportation’s Office of Inspector
General has questioned the safety of Mexican truckers
and has ordered the truck to meet standards (as required
by law) before operating on U.S. roadways.
The report was ignored, however, when the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) granted permission
for trucks from Transportes Olympic of Apodaco, Mexico
to begin operating in the U.S. in September.
The Inspector General’s report came on the heels
of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ challenge
to the President’s pilot program.
“We know we’ve won this case in the court
of public opinion, and we expect to win it in the court
of law,” said Teamster President Jim Hoffa. “No
one wants to share the highway with trucks from Mexico
that aren’t close to meeting our safety or environmental
standards.”
The Inspector General’s report notes the following
violations:
FMCSA has not developed plans for checking
trucks and drivers at each of the 25 border crossings.
State and local officials are not able to enforce safety
regulations for Mexican trucks that travel beyond the
safety zone.
FMCSA doesn’t meet three of
34 requirements before allowing Mexican trucks into
the country, including failing to inspect vehicles
before permission is granted; checks of drivers who
are neither Mexican nor U.S. citizens are not required;
and FMCSA has no rules on minimum requirements for
longer-combination vehicles.
The Teamsters have said they will fight the move, with
legal briefs due in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
in San Francisco on Nov. 19. The Bush administration's
briefs are due Dec. 17.
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