Mexican Truck Program Illegally Eases Laws for Drivers, Groups Tell Court
WASHINGTON — The federal government fought against two lawsuits challenging its pilot program that allows Mexican trucks into the U.S. interior, claiming the complaints rely on incorrect interpretations of laws, regulations or international agreements.
In separate lawsuits argued back-to-back before a federal appeals court, lawyers representing the Teamsters union and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association argued that the ongoing Mexican trucking program breaks numerous federal laws and harms their members.
The court did not indicate when it will rule on the case.
Barbara Chisholm told the three-judge panel the Teamsters’ lawsuit challenged the program “on a number of safety and environmental grounds,” and that its members “face economic harms as well.”
She said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the program, illegally exempted Mexican carriers and drivers from the safety and environmental laws that their American counterparts face.
OOIDA focused on FMCSA’s decision to recognize Mexico’s truck drivers’ licenses, which includes a medical certification, as equivalent to the U.S. commercial driver license and medical card.
“The U.S. committed to give Mexican drivers and Mexican carriers national treatment,” said Paul Cullen Sr., OOIDA’s attorney. “No special treatment for Mexican drivers is demanded by [the North American Free Trade Agreement.]”
But in recognizing Mexico’s Licencia Federal de Conductor, FMCSA has given Mexican drivers exceptions to both the licensing and medical requirements in the United States.
