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Ensuring the Safety and Security of My Truck and Cargo
Family Security Matters ^ | 9/5/07 | Mark R. Taylor

Posted on 09/05/2007 5:07:27 AM PDT by captjanaway

In my twenty-plus-year career driving trucks across the 48 states, Canada and Iraq, I have seen fuel prices and taxes rise to new heights; I have seen regulations implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that tell me when to sleep and when to drive; I have seen any number of changes that affect the trucking industry, good and bad. However, I have not seen anything that will cause irreparable harm to the American trucking industry like the Mexican Truck Pilot Program.

President Bush and the decision makers at the Department of Transportation (none of whom I believe has ever started the engine of a Freightliner, much less dealt with the daily routine of hauling freight), have opened our borders and highways to the Mexican trucking industry. Not 100 trucks – which might, on the surface, seem manageable from a homeland security standpoint – but 100 Mexican trucking companies operating an unknown number of trucks on our highways.

(Excerpt) Read more at familysecuritymatters.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bush; fmcsa; mexico; trucks

1 posted on 09/05/2007 5:07:28 AM PDT by captjanaway
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To: captjanaway

bump


2 posted on 09/05/2007 5:15:03 AM PDT by ukie55
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To: captjanaway

In addition to obvious safety issues of lower standards, this just opens another floodgate for illegals and drug smugglers. Can anyone seriously believe that 100+ Mexican trucking companies will all be secure against smuggling of people and drugs when there is big money to be made in doing so????

It is simply appalling how the current administration continues to act like a bunch of Democrats, putting rhetoric and empty promises ahead of common sense and security!!


3 posted on 09/05/2007 5:15:36 AM PDT by Enchante (Reid and Pelosi Defeatocrats: Surrender Now - Peace for Our Time!!)
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To: captjanaway
The trucker raises a good point.

American truckers have to keep a log book, which can be inspected at any time by a police officer, logging how many hours they were behind the wheel over the last week.

Will Mexican truckers, by simply breaking the rules and thus having a cost advantage, be stopped by the cops and issued citations? And will those citations be paid?

4 posted on 09/05/2007 5:30:59 AM PDT by ikka
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To: ikka
And will those citations be paid?

Believe me, payments have already been made... But not for "citations."

Mark

5 posted on 09/05/2007 5:35:53 AM PDT by MarkL (Listen, Strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government)
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To: Enchante

Wait till it comes out as to how many of these mexican trucking companies are co-owned or subsidiaries of the large American trucking companies such as Swift, Schneider, etc.

All of this crap disgusts me.


6 posted on 09/05/2007 5:38:25 AM PDT by Hornet19 (It's Time to Put Up or Shut Up...Where Do You Stand?)
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To: captjanaway

BOHICA.


7 posted on 09/05/2007 5:40:04 AM PDT by Eagle Eye (If you agree with Democrats you agree with America's enemies.)
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To: Hornet19

Alot of large American trucking companies are already operating in Mexico.... Schneider, Swift, Celadon.......


8 posted on 09/05/2007 5:42:32 AM PDT by captjanaway
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To: captjanaway

As long as the rules and regs and taxes, etc. for BOTH countries are the same, I don’t have a problem with this. It could open up lots of new markets for trucking in Mexico.


9 posted on 09/05/2007 7:24:04 AM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Founding Father; milford421; DAVEY CROCKETT

Ping.


10 posted on 09/05/2007 1:36:02 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny (This is "Be an Angel Day", do something nice for someone today.)
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To: Lorianne

Sadly they are not the same . The US DOT is a a real bastard on things like hours of service,vehicle condition, depth of tread on tires,Brake adjustment etc.

Mexico is not & since the govt. of Mexico is in fact utterly corrupt to the point that the cops literally demand bribes on the spot to make traffic citations go away do you really think that a treaty that allows Mexican trucks into this country that don’t have to meet US safety standards is a good thing.


11 posted on 09/05/2007 6:04:06 PM PDT by Nebr FAL owner (.308 reach out & thump someone .50 cal.Browning Machine gun reach out & crush someone)
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