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FMCSA clears first Mexican carrier under pilot program
By Avery Vise
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Thursday night, Sept. 6, cleared Transportes Olympic of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, as the first Mexico-domiciled carrier to gain access to the United States under the agency’s year-long demonstration project. Meanwhile, the Mexican government approved El Paso, Texas-based Stagecoach Cartage and Distribution as the first U.S. trucking company to operate in Mexico.
The announcement followed the release earlier on Thursday of a congressionally mandated report from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General as well as DOT’s response to the report, which also was required under legislation enacted in May to establish the terms under which the Mexican truck pilot program could move forward.
“This long-awaited project will protect public safety on American highways as we work to both save consumers money and help our economy,” said FMCSA Administrator John Hill in an agency news release.
According to FMCSA, the DOT IG affirmed FMCSA’s plans to go beyond statutory requirements and check every truck that crosses the border as part of the demonstration project. FMCSA’s response, delivered in a letter to Congress, describes the planned coordination among federal truck inspectors, state officials and Customs and Border Protection personnel in conducting the checks. The agency also said it is working with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriff’s Association and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to ensure its state partners have the necessary information to oversee safety.
Before the Sept. 6 action, Mexican carriers were limited to the so-called “commercial zone” -- an area extending approximately 25 beyond the U.S.-Mexico border. The pilot program allows a select group of carriers to carry freight to and from locations throughout the United States. As prohibited by law, however, those carriers cannot haul freight from one point within the United States to another.
During the first 30 days, 17 trucking companies from Mexico will receive operating authority, FMCSA said. Through December, additional carrier will receive authority provided that they pass FMCSA’s inspection process and that the public is given an opportunity to comment. The program is limited to no more than 100 Mexican companies.
A week ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected an attempt by several groups, including the Sierra Club, Public Citizen and the Teamsters, to block the Mexican truck pilot program. This week, opponents stepped up their campaign with protests at the border and a news conference on Capitol Hill.
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