Move Over For Mexican Trucks On Our Highways

www.eagleforum.org ^ | 12-11-02 | Phyllis Schlafly

[Centurion2000]

The weight limit on U.S. trucks is 80,000 pounds, while Mexican trucks are allowed to carry 106,900 pounds.

This will also rip up roads .... and of course the Mexican trucks will beat out american trucks on a per truck basis ... now they can outwiegh us.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

And this means that we will all play "dodge" the POS on the roads. Congrats to Bush Sr., Blubba, and W on this one. Now we can give away our trucking jobs to the America haters also.

[contessa machiaveli]

i really don't understand why bush is allowing this. the US has nothing to gain. someone, please explain the up side to this. quite frankly, i find it scary.

[TopQuark]

Bush did something Ronald Reagan never would have done in appointing Henry Kissinger to head the 9/11 inquiry,

The author is correct: Lincoln too would never, never appoint HK.

Come to think of it, she is correct on the second point:

and then Bush did something Bill Clinton never would do by opening our highways to Mexican trucks.

Think of even bigger figgers in our history. Would George Washinton allow trucks on our highways? Would he approve of spending on NASA? He would never, never allow computers to determine the course for a cavalry atack...

We surely should take insight from our past presidents. Cavalry to Iraq! Yeh, that's the ticket...

[mountaineer]

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - The desire to keep cross-border competition at bay and the uncertainties of entering a new market are expected to keep most Mexican truckers off U.S. roadways for the foreseeable future, Mexican transportation representatives said on Thursday.

President Bush on Wednesday cleared the way for Mexican long-haul trucks to operate throughout the United States, pending a Transportation Department review of permit applications from Mexican trucking and bus companies.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) gave Mexican trucks access to U.S. roadways in 2000, but the Clinton administration limited their access to within a 20-mile commercial zone because of safety concerns and pressure from the Teamsters union.

Mexican transporters have been angry that the United States violated the treaty, even though enthusiasm for the venture has been lackluster.

So far, only 130 trucking companies -- of the thousands operating in Mexico -- have applied for permits.

"I don't see in the near future Mexican carriers going into the United States," said Felix Canales, a representative of the customs brokers' association of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

Instead, Mexican truckers will probably wait until they have forged enough business relationships with U.S. companies to make the northward excursions profitable.

"You don't make money by taking a load of glass to Detroit and going back to Mexico empty," he said.

Canales said both Mexican and U.S. companies are already making money running transfer, or drayage, trucks into border cities' commercial zones.

Inside the commercial zones, Mexican 18-wheelers hauling goods northward and Canadian and U.S. tractor-trailers with Mexico-bound products unhook their trailers to swap loads, with the transfer trucks making the exchange.

Produce transporter Said Mohamed Tamez predicted Mexican truckers will also be slow to enter the United States because they do not want U.S. trucks venturing into Mexico.

"The truth is, Mexican companies don't want U.S. trucks in Mexico" any more than U.S. transporters want their Mexican competitors in the United States, Mohamed said.

Mohamed's is one of 130 Mexican trucking companies that has applied for a U.S. Transportation Department permit to drive long-haul into the United States.

But the Monterrey businessman said he only did so because he thought bureaucratic red tape would make the process lengthy and he wanted the permit in place in the future.

But when Mexican trucks do begin their treks into the United States, Mohamed and Canales predicted Mexican long-haul rigs will be just as competitive -- and safe -- as U.S. trucks.

"They're made by the same companies. The engine is the same. The transmission is the same. They meet the same safety and air standards," Canales said.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/reuters20021128_389.html

[1rudeboy]

The weight limit on U.S. trucks is 80,000 pounds, while Mexican trucks are allowed to carry 106,900 pounds.

That makes no sense whatsoever. Shlafly would have us think that Mexican trucks are not subject to US laws on US territory.

[cynicom]

They are only doing jobs we do not want to do. This will get Bush a lot of trucker votes in 04.

[TopQuark]

figgers -> figures. Sorry.

[taxed2death]

If Mexican Nationals are not subject to US laws on US territory, why the hell would you think Mexican TRUCKS would be subject to US laws on US territory?

[rovenstinez]

Already running in the USA are 15 passenger vans running back and forth with workers from Chicago/Springdale Arkansas to homes in Mexico. First hand experience speaking here, no one is checking to see how many hours at the wheel these drivers spend, and it is VERY unsafe to have one driver in these van-pools hauling workers from Chicago to Monterry on ONE LONG stretch. Some highway patrol work needs to nip this in the bud.

[1rudeboy]

Don't even start that . . . you realize that alarmist crap like you've written does nothing for your side of the argument?

[contessa machiaveli]

said mohamed tamez? oh.

[american spirit]

Sounds to me like he's got a point. Fox regards Bush as his own little red-headed step child anyway and he's maneuvered the US government into taking he and his cronies off the hook to provide any kind of future to his people. We've been the Mexican governments' safety valve for many years now so why would we expect them to follow our rules anyway. Besides, the numbers point out that even if the inspection force is doubled or tripled it will only be able to inspect a fraction of incoming trucks.

[1rudeboy]

Bear in mind that the same percentage of trucks coming in are being inspected right now. The Mexican trucks are here already, but simply within 20 miles of the border. Makes no difference.

[1rudeboy]

We've been the Mexican governments' safety valve for many years now so why would we expect them to follow our rules anyway.

We expect them to follow our rules. And we have Smokey to enforce the rules. The notion that our highways will be turned into arenas of carnage, lawlessness, and anarchy is pure bunk.

[Digger]

I wonder just how long you FReepers are gonna support this travisty of ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION & ONE WORLD ORDER crapola.

[Mamzelle]

What kind of insurance are they required to carry? It's already a hazard with so many illegals driving cars without insurance.

[kako]

The notion that our highways will be turned into arenas of carnage, lawlessness, and anarchy is pure bunk.

That's right.

They'll be just as well regulated and safe as our Southern border.

[kako]

I wonder just how long you FReepers are gonna support this travisty of ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION & ONE WORLD ORDER crapola.

As long as their team is in the White House they'll accept it 'till the proverbial cows come home.