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Congressman questions FMCSA on cross-border trucking

WASHINGTON — Rep. Peter DeFazio, D.-Ore., has sent a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration demanding they address “serious concerns” about the safety of Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.

The Sept. 16 letter comes in response to a report published by the Inspector General on the cross border trucking pilot program. The IG’s report showed that FMCSA was not yet prepared to launch a pilot program with the strict level of scrutiny and monitoring of safety performance mandated by Congress.

“Specifically, the IG found that FMCSA did not yet have plans in place to conduct on-site safety reviews in Mexico for at least half of participating carriers, as required by law; ensure that pilot program drivers and trucks are identified and inspected at each unique border crossing; verify driver and truck eligibility for the pilot program; acquire electronic monitoring devices for use in the pilot program; and train inspection and enforcement personnel at the border and within the United States,” DeFazio wrote.

And the agency has yet to transmit a report to Congress outlining the steps taken “to correct deficiencies,” DeFazio said in his letter to Administrator Anne Ferro.

“I fail to see how the agency is authorized to grant authority [to Mexico-based carriers] prior to meeting all statutory requirements,” DeFazio said. “This further reinforces my longstanding concern that the Administration is not launching a pilot program, but rather starting the full liberalization of cross-border trucking that will have significant impacts on safety, security, and American jobs.”

DeFazio was a leading critic of the Bush administration’s launch of a similar demonstration program in 2007. Congress subsequently killed the program by denying FMCSA the funding to carry out the cross-border long haul trucking provisions, mandated by the North American Free trade Agreement. Mexico retaliated by increasing import duties on some 90 U.S. products, prompting the latest attempt at a mutually acceptable solution.

The full text of DeFazio’s letter to FMCSA is here .

Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected] .

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