End of Mexican Truck Pilot Nears
This story appears in the Oct. 6 print edition of Transport Topics.
The nearly 3-year-old Mexican trucking pilot program ends Oct. 14, but the next steps in cross-border commerce are uncertain.
Once the program ends, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General is obligated to write a final report.
A spokeswoman with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said the agency is “in the process of reviewing data from more than 5,000 truck and driver inspections with the goal of developing a path forward to ensure safety on our highways while continuing to fulfill our Nafta obligations.”
FMCSA offered no guidance on whether Mexican-based program participants will be allowed to continue serving customers beyond the historical border zone after the pilot expires. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, Mexican trucks have been allowed to operate just north of the
U.S. border, where they transferred the freight to U.S. carriers.
American Trucking Associations Vice President Martin Rojas said the transportation departments of both nations have been meeting on what to do next, but neither FMCSA nor the Mexican Embassy to the United States would confirm that.
“Mexico wants a long-term program implemented, but there are no specifics available yet,” Rojas said.
Since the start of Nafta, Mexican governments have been more interested in expanding cross-border trucking than have their U.S. counterparts. Mexico became so exasperated with the slow U.S. response that in 2010 it imposed tariffs on some goods until it became apparent FMCSA would start the pilot program in 2011.
“I think both sides want to avoid another trade war,” Rojas said.
Earlier this year FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee repeated a warning issued by DOT’s inspector general that participation in the pilot has been so sparse it might be difficult to properly evaluate the program.
On Oct. 1, Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, wrote to FMCSA and insisted on a full discussion of what will happen next.
“The expiration of the pilot makes clarity on these issues more pressing, especially as FMCSA has not outlined what steps it will be taking moving forward,” Spencer wrote to acting Administrator Scott Darling.
In a separate development, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it is working on how it will address the use of cameras attached to advanced safety systems when the trucks cross the U.S.-Canadian border.
Systems use cameras to monitor the road, but CBP has objected to the operation of cameras while its agents are working at the crossings.
“A comprehensive assessment of the policy governing photography and recording devices at CBP ports of entry has been initiated and we are reviewing current practices,” CBP spokeswoman Jennifer Evanitsky said.
“We are committed to ensuring the proper level of security is maintained for ports of entry,” Evanitsky said, adding that completion is expected in 2015."
