Full access for Mexican trucks hits rough road

June 25, 2007

By Sean Lengell - THE WASHINGTON TIMES

A Bush administration plan to proceed with a pilot program to give Mexican truckers full access of U.S. roads has caused a bipartisan uproar on Capitol Hill.

"The cross-border trucking program is bad for America," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and presidential candidate. "It appears, under the current program, that commercial interests are being pushed ahead of the safety and security interests of the American people."

The Teamsters union and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, a trade association representing the independent truck owner-operators and professional drivers, also oppose the program, saying Mexican trucking companies have poor safety figures, do not keep reliable records on accidents, and do not dependably test drivers for drugs and alcohol.

"It's apparent the Bush administration is thumbing its nose at the will of the American people and Congress," said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

Mexican-registered trucks are allowed to make deliveries and pickups in the U.S. only within special commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexican border that extend up to about 70 miles inside U.S. territory. But several months ago, President Bush announced plans for a Department of Transportation test program to begin this summer that would permit 100 Mexican-based trucking companies to travel anywhere in the U.S.