U.S. proposes to open roads to Mexican trucks

Yahoo ^ | 1/6/11 | John Crawley - Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Thursday proposed a new inspection and monitoring regime to permit long-haul trucks from Mexico on U.S. highways after years of delays over safety concerns and political wrangling.

The Transportation Department's compromise seeks to revive efforts to fulfill a key provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is highly unpopular with labor but supported by many businesses as a cost advantage. [ For complete coverage of politics and policy, go to Yahoo! Politics ]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called the plan by his agency a starting point to renew negotiations with Mexico, which has slapped tariffs on U.S. products over the delay.

The Transportation Department said the plan, which would eventually need congressional and Mexican government approval, would prioritize safety and that a formal proposal is due to be announced in coming months.

The countries would negotiate the number of carriers allowed to participate in a first phase. Applicants would be vetted by U.S. law enforcement agencies. Trucking safety programs would be reviewed and each vehicle would be inspected and certified by highway safety and environmental officials.

Prospects for an agreement are uncertain. The plan has failed to move ahead over the past decade regardless of which party controlled the White House or Congress.

But the Obama administration felt more comfortable issuing a proposal with the program's fiercest critics, labor friendly Democrats in the House of Representatives, voted out of office in November or sidelined to the minority. Republicans took over the chamber on Wednesday.

Mexico said it would review the plan, calling it a positive first step, and said tariffs would be lifted after a trucking agreement is completed.

"In general this is very good news," said Humberto Trevino, Mexico's deputy transport minister.

[vette6387]

And remember, since fuel production is a nationalized industry in Mexico (Peemex), they are likely to have lower fuel costs (provided that they hang extra tanks on their rigs so they don’t have to buy as much American product). And of course the Feds will likely abrogate state regulations that require American trucks to purchase certain quantities of fuel in-state in exchange for allowing them to drive across their state.

[GlockThe Vote]

Fffffuuuubbbboooo

[Joe Boucher]

interesting,
2 Neighbors are Spirit Air pilots and they were worried about their company fuel contract expiring last year.
Things went well for them but I hadn’t thought of it as a trucking negotiating type of thing too.
Soo a large trucking company like sya C.C.C. can negotiate better fuel prices?
Ignorant here?
Thanks

[dajeeps]

I remember living in Southern CA when the unions were sponsoring the banning of the Mexican trucks coming across the border. They used all kinds of scare tactics like visions of them running over children on the way to school and belching traffic into houses full of sleeping kids, ripping up the roads and not paying for it even though CA has weigh stations every so many miles and tolls are paid by tonnage, &c.

The trucks were ultimately banned which diminished (arguably negated) the value of NAFTA as far as Mexican goods are concerned by requiring unnecessary multiple handling of goods in various places.

To me, this is perhaps the one thing Obama is doing that I agree with. Something has got to give in order to improve the lives of Mexicans so they stay in their own country, or even better, want to go home because their economy is taking off and they can make money at home instead.

[vette6387]

Dreamer

[Alberta's Child]

They don't make a lot of noise about it (understandably), but behind the scenes, the American Trucking Association is a big supporter of the cross-border trucking initiative.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but I think a lot of the big U.S. trucking outfits (J.B. Hunt, Schneider, etc.) have plans in place -- if they haven't already started -- to buy Mexican trucking firms as subsidiaries and use them as much as possible for moving loads to the U.S. (and eventually within the U.S.).

[Joe Boucher]

Ding ding ding, zip zip whee whee,
We have a winner,
FUBO.

Good job Glock

[dajeeps]

Nearly anything worth doing starts with an idea and a dream. Hopefully it will come true some day.

[Joe Boucher]

I believe what you say.
Large trucking companies hedging their bets.
Surprise surprise.
Interesting angle, thanks.

[enduserindy]

I know a little about this. When many trucks no longer pass DOT inspections and would cost too much to repair they are sold to Mexicans who take them back home. These trucks were deemed unsafe for use on highways but will be back. The last time this was pushed it was clear the Mexican trucks would NOT BE SUBJECT TO SAFETY INSPECTIONS. So excuse me for doubting “each vehicle would be inspected and certified by highway safety and environmental officials.” Hell police won’t even be able to ask for their driver’s liscence in a pull over.

[hoosierham]

I deal with some of these drivers;many literally stink ,and their trucks are in poor condition with cab doors held on with wire and multiple holes in the cargo box floor, worn tires,etc.

The U.S. will be so much better with a few thousand more dangerous trucks driven by people who can't read the signs or speak the local language(English).

Now if they would repair the trucks,and learn personal hygiene ......

[lentulusgracchus]

It sounds counter-intuitive, but I think a lot of the big U.S. trucking outfits (J.B. Hunt, Schneider, etc.) have plans in place ....to buy Mexican trucking firms as subsidiaries and use them as much as possible for moving loads to the U.S. (and eventually within the U.S.).

They already started that while Bush was in office.

And they hired lots of drivers in Texas and Mexico. (Umm, I wondered to myself, if I were white and showed up at Schneider's office and applied for one of those jobs, presented licenses etc., would I be hired ..... or did they want 100% illegals, like the building contractors who hire dayworkers?)

The new model is, Chinese labor, Chinese ships, Mexican ports, Mexican trucks, zero American taxes, zero American labor, zero American drayage ...... up the NASCO/SPP superhighways all the way to the Wal-Mart receiving manager's dock. That's the first time an (overpaid) American worker will touch it.

Come to think of it, Wal-Mart's hiring illegals to manage their back offices and warehouses, too. Wasn't there a story about that?

Get the picture?

[lentulusgracchus]

I deal with some of these drivers;many literally stink ,and their trucks are in poor condition with cab doors held on with wire and multiple holes in the cargo box floor, worn tires,etc.

They earn about 15% of what American drivers make.

Their living costs down in Mexico are partly state-subsidized through the corn subsidy, etc. etc. And of course the rest of the discrepancy is accounted for by the good old-fashioned encomienda system social neglect and poverty, that was well-established over 200 years ago, when Juan and Ulloa toured and reported on the Spanish Crown's possessions in the New World.

Things down there are just the way the Somozas used to, and now Carlos Slim and the Zona Rosa crowd presently do, like 'em.

[GlockThe Vote]

Check out this gem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtbLEKHsi0&feature=player_embedded

[Marty62]

Looks like the Home Depot lots are going to fill up with MxTrucks again being checked by DPS and TxDot.

The last time they were given free range there wer several really nasty wrecks due to their unsafe practices. Killed some fams.

[Mariner]

We absolutely should NOT allow Mexican trucks on American Highways UNLESS they undergo a full and complete safety inspection EVERY TIME they cross the border...at their expense.

Dogs must sniff the truck and cargo, EVERY TIME they cross the border.

The Mexican nationals who are driving them MUST pass an annual physical and background check AND submit to urinalysis EVERY TIME they cross the border.

Under those circumstances I would support this allowance.

[Macgedos]

In this case the name really does fit the Secretary of Transportation; (La Hood ) that was appointed by obama.

[dalereed]

What a load of BS!!!

There isn’t a road in California that isn’t filled with mexican semi’s!!!!

They don’t even bust them for safety violations where they crusify american truckers!!!

[Free Bee]

Ya know, I’ve noticed something over these last two years:

EVERYTHING that 0bama pushes seems to undermine the U.S. in some way.

Hmmmm.....Now why would that be?

[Liz]

August 24, 2007
TEXAS governor rapped for paving way for construction of Trans-Texas Corridor
One News Now | Chad Groening
FR Posted 08/25/2007 by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Texas Governor Rick Perry is being called to task by an author and investigative journalist for vetoing bills that would have blocked construction of the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor.

Dr. Jerome Corsi has been one of the leading voices warning the American public about the consequences of the Trans-Texas Corridor, which will be part of a superhighway -- purported to be four football fields wide -- that will allow Mexican trucks to enter the U.S. and traverse the core of the country all the way to Canada.

The best-selling author asserts that Governor Perry cleared the way for construction to begin in his state when he vetoed several bills passed by the Legislature that would have stalled the project.

"Governor Perry has been 100 percent gung-ho in building this road," says Corsi. "The Legislature voted a two-year moratorium, it voted a redefinition of eminent domain -- [and] Governor Perry vetoed them. [On] at least one of those measures, he waited until the Texas Legislature was out of session so it couldn't even override his veto."

Corsi says it is unfortunate that there has been political pressure to get the project started. "The Federal Highway Administration's lawyer wrote letters threatening the Texas Legislature to cut off federal highway funds if they got in the way of this Trans-Texas Corridor," he says.

Corsi believes the same pressure will be applied on other states, like Oklahoma, to go along with the project. He suggests that would mean a loss of more American jobs and could pose a threat to U.S. sovereignty.

NASCO Map of Corridor

NASCO Members----United States
Texas Dept. of Transportation
Iowa Department of Transportation
State of Oklahoma
Minnesota Dept. of Transportation
Bell County, Texas
Denton County, Texas
Tarrant County, Texas
Webb County, Texas
Jackson County, Missouri
City of Denton, Texas
City of Ft. Worth, Texas
City of Gainesville, Texas
City of Kansas City, Missouri
International Trade Institute of the Americas
Free Trade Alliance San Antonio
Port San Antonio
United States - Mexico Chamber of Commerce
Kansas City SmartPort
The Ardmore Development Authority, City of Ardmore, Oklahoma
Belton Economic Development Corporation
The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
The Allen Group
Hillwood - Alliance Texas
The Ambassador Bridge Detroit/Windsor Crossing
American Airlines
Blackwood, Langworthy & Tyson, Kansas City law firm
Cadre Technologies
Franco Eleuteri & Associates
EWI Risk Services, Inc.
GrowthNet Trading, LLC
International Bank of Commerce
Lockheed Martin
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
PROTECT-US, Inc.
Scrub Oak Technologies
Strasburger & Price Law Firm
Trans Am Group
Yellow Roadway Corporation Worldwide

=================================

NASCO: For the Record

The Dallas-based organization, North America's SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO), which receives federal money to promote an agenda of tolled transnational corridors, has raised some eyebrows with their marketing literature touting superhighways, not just in Texas, but across the continent.

NASCO insists that its interests are not directly connected with Gov. Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor, even though the organization changed its name in 2004 from "North America's SuperHighway Coalition" (a name adopted in 1996 at the start of the "internet superhighway" craze) to "North America's SuperCorridor Coalition," a change that coincided with the announcement of the Trans-Texas Corridor. In an extended retort entitled "NASCO Speaks Out," officials of NASCO wrote on their website, "Our name and our initiatives have nothing to do with the proposed new corridor in Texas. It is a coincidence upon which fringe groups have been able to capitalize and confuse people."

NASCO leadership has also been dismayed to see their materials promoting brightly-colored "super-corridors" across North America being used by the "misinformed" to warn people about the proposed plans beyond the Trans-Texas Corridor.

NASCO's leaders write: We … used to have a marketing map on the homepage of our website that had I-35 and our connecting corridors greatly enlarged for viewing purposes and presentations. This was used by conspiracy theorists to show the "blueprint" for the (nonexistent) 'new NAFTA Superhighway.' Some people unfamiliar with our organization were confused and believed these falsehoods. The map was a marketing tool, and has since been updated to show the corridor a bit more drawn to scale (although it is still is not drawn exactly to scale.) The fringe groups continue to use the old, enlarged map to scare people, although we use only the new (scaled down) map.

SOURCE Thom White is editor of CITIZINE, Austin, Texas. Contact Thom @ CITIZINE@CITIZINEmag.com