DOT Sends White House Mexican Truck Rules

The U.S. Department of Transportation has sent the White House rules governing the entry of Mexican trucks to the U.S., Transport Topics learned Friday.

The rules, sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for approval on Jan. 15, move Mexican truckers one step closer to being allowed to operate throughout the U.S.

Although it is unclear when the rules will be published in the Federal Register, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta has said he will open the border to Mexican carriers by June.

The most extensive of the four rules spells out the safety requirements Mexican carriers will have to meet. A proposal by the Bush administration last year would have aligned Mexican safety requirements with those of the U.S.

But Congress attached Mexican truck safety provisions to the fiscal 2002 transportation-spending bill, and many of those provisions will be incorporated into the safety regulation for Mexican carriers.

The rule is an interim finding, and as such, could be modified over time.

Two of the other rules cover the application requirements of Mexican carriers. The first requires the carriers that only plan to operate inside the existing commercial trade zones near the border to file a new application.

The second spells out the application expectations of carriers wishing to work throughout the U.S.

The final rule sent is an interim action and covers certification of safety auditors, investigators and inspectors. Before Mexican carriers can begin sending trucks into the U.S., safety auditors must first grant them safety clearance. Auditors must conduct half of the examinations at Mexican carrier facilities.

Before Mexican trucks are officially cleared for entry, the DOT Inspector General must conduct a study of U.S. preparations for assuring the safety of Mexican trucks and Mineta must certify in writing that Mexican trucks will not pose unacceptable safety risks.

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