Truckers Protest/Boycott Planned April 23-25

[allan5oh]

Cool, thanks for the translation!

[Shebear]

"HOMER" posted this in January on the "How About THis Trucking Company" Thread:

i read in landline magazine celadon bought a mexican trucking company and they are among the big companies lobbying in dc to get those mex trucks running all over. landline said a memo was stole from their office last year saying their looking for big profits with mex drivers making 19cpm. if you have no experience that might be good swapping trailers on the border while you still can. i hope the experience drivers would quit so they cant drive our wages down but theyve known of this for a year.they just gonna take one for the team i guess.if you got a year exp please go to a company like crete that will pay you 43 cpm

PERSONALLY, what I'm concerned about are Mexican drivers who may cause accidents, for any variety of reasons. This is not a xenophobic comment (i.e. racist). The legal and cultural differences affecting these drivers' qualifications are worrisome. We all know that there are unsafe U.S. drivers out there already.

Does anybody know, or can guess-estimate how many tractor/trailer wrecks occurred since January 2007?

[Red Clay Rambler]

Nice work, silvan.

[SoCal79]

My observations from Southern CA. Not a racist or political view just from being behind the wheel in the San Diego L.A. area. In construction trucking,just like framing,drywall,and concrete construction a vast majority of the labor is from Mexico. I see Mexican tour buses that travel from Mexico to L.A. there condition is notably different than U.S. buses,just an observation. On many hourly jobs I am shocked to discover that many of the Hispanic trucks (they live and work here O/O of Mexican descent) are working for $15-$20 less per hour than I am when I ask why they just say they need the work,but they are dragging us all down with them. It just takes them too long to realize that after a few years of lowball trucking that they are not making it,a slow death. I don't have anything against anyone who is out there trying to make a buck and one on one they are good guys who have the same hopes and dreams that I do but they are F'ing up my buisness! They immegrate to the U.S. and there lives get 100% better while ours get 30% worse. It just seems to me that they will work cheaper and don't know why they are doing it like it is a mentality or something when they dont have to. I don't think you will find Mexican national trucks hauling freight all across the U.S. but I think they will ding the local border states pretty good.

[Cam]

Silvan:
Of course, the other side of that coin is that the average guy off the street probably isn't hiding a criminal record, and he's just paying the bribes he needs to survive life on the streets of Oaxaca. whIf he doesn't appear to have a criminal record, he probably doesn't. But why is this guy wanting to drive a truck to El Norte anyway, where he doesn't speak the language, where all the road signs have distances written in the wrong units, where the weather is cold and wet, where fuel is extremely expensive, and everywhere he goes, people are threatening to kill him for taking away jobs from estadounidenses?

The average José off the street probably doesn't want to drive his truck into the US, and I would be suspicious of the motives of anyone who did want to make the trip. Smuggling drugs, smuggling people, aiming to come north, get across the border, and stay.

Money.

And yes, thanks for the translation.

[silvan]

Money.

Yes, there is that. Money indeed.

And yes, thanks for the translation.

You're welcome. I was trying to find something like the Mexican equivalent of the OOIDA, Teamster's or maybe their DOT voicing an opinion on this, but I didn't find it.

[Cam]

Money.

Yes, there is that. Money indeed.

And yes, thanks for the translation.

You're welcome. I was trying to find something like the Mexican equivalent of the OOIDA, Teamster's or maybe their DOT voicing an opinion on this, but I didn't find it.

Mexico and all foreign countries are something like a black box for a lot of us. I envy your ability to speak the language and to ferret out all the nuances of the country and the culture. How did you pick it up?

[Cam]

"HOMER" posted this in January on the "How About THis Trucking Company" Thread:

i read in landline magazine celadon bought a mexican trucking company and they are among the big companies lobbying in dc to get those mex trucks running all over. landline said a memo was stole from their office last year saying their looking for big profits with mex drivers making 19cpm. if you have no experience that might be good swapping trailers on the border while you still can. i hope the experience drivers would quit so they cant drive our wages down but theyve known of this for a year.they just gonna take one for the team i guess.if you got a year exp please go to a company like crete that will pay you 43 cpm

PERSONALLY, what I'm concerned about are Mexican drivers who may cause accidents, for any variety of reasons. This is not a xenophobic comment (i.e. racist). The legal and cultural differences affecting these drivers' qualifications are worrisome. We all know that there are unsafe U.S. drivers out there already.

Does anybody know, or can guess-estimate how many tractor/trailer wrecks occurred since January 2007?

Granting such authority must first be tested as part of a pilot program;
The pilot program must comply with the requirements of Section 350 of the 2002 appropriations legislation and the requirements of Section 31315(c) of Title 49, United States Code, related to the pilot programs; and
Simultaneous and comparable authority to operate within Mexico is made available to motor carriers domiciled in the United States. Murray submitted the amendment to the Senate Committee on Appropriations and it was accepted on a voice vote – with no opposition.

The only discussion related to the amendment was brought up by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, one of the co-sponsors of the amendment. The amendment was also co-sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND.

Feinstein discussed the fairness – or lack thereof – of allowing Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate within the U.S., while the Mexican government isn’t ready to allow U.S. motor carriers access to Mexico. http://www.landlinemag.com/Special_Reports/2007/Mar07/SR_032807_MX_wants_out.htm

Just a heads up, I see now that when they discuss US carriers in all of this they are not talking about you and I, American truckers. I had to get clear on this. In other words, Senator Feinstein isn't looking out for American drivers in the article above but instead, 'US carriers.' I think in the context of everything, 'US carriers' just means companies that are owned by Americans. In the case of cross border trade, they'll be staffed primarily by Mexicans. A few Americans in management, probably all the drivers will be Mexican.

[Orangetxguy]

The article Cam pointed out.

SPECIAL REPORT: Mexican carriers want out of pilot program



Wednesday, March 28, 2007 – A trade association representing Mexican motor carriers has asked the Mexican Senate to cancel the cross-border pilot program with the United States.

“CANACAR has formally requested not to open the borders for trans-border services and to have the pilot program suspended until conditions for a fair competitive environment are existing and that the Mexican trucking industry has the guarantee of not being subject to unfair inequitable and discretional treatment by U.S. authorities,” CANACAR National President Tirso Martinez Angheben wrote in a press release.

Angheben appeared before the Communication and Transportation Committee of the Mexican Senate this past week to explain why the transportation industry opposes the opening of trans-border services and the pilot program between the U.S. and Mexico, according to a press release issued by CANACAR.

CANACAR is an organization which represents the general interests of the Mexican Trucking industry.

The group claims the U.S. government has not complied with agreements established in the 1995 North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexican trucking companies were not allowed to invest in U.S.-based trucking businesses or allowed to provide services within the U.S.

However, according to the Angheben, U.S.-based trucking companies have invested in infrastructure within Mexico and already have a “commercial presence in our country … which represents a commercial disadvantage of a great importance.”

In the released message, Angheben said he also told the Mexican Senate committee that the regulations facing Mexican trucking companies coming into the U.S. “include uneven regulation for Mexican carriers that will not guarantee a fair competitive market in U.S. territory.”

Angheben said the pilot program moved forward without Mexican Senate approval and without input from the Mexican motor carrier industry.

The CANACAR president told the committee that opening the border will not have any benefits to Mexico because:

Transportation prices in Mexico are lower than in the USA;
It will cause transportation prices in Mexico to increase;
It will not accelerate the border crossing process;
It will generate strong pressure on salaries paid to Mexican drivers, which in turn will increase the cost of domestic freight in Mexico; and
The Mexican government lacks the capacity and infrastructure to supervise U.S. carriers entering Mexico and to prevent foreign companies from providing domestic transportation only reserved for Mexican nationals.
This isn’t the first time CANACAR has tried to shut down a NAFTA provision.

In 2001, the group petitioned the Mexican Senate to cancel the trucking section of NAFTA.

“The majority of people in the United States don’t want Mexican trucks to go there, and we told our president that we don't want to go, either,” said CANACAR president Manuel Gomez in 2001. “Nor are we interested in having U.S. trucks come to Mexico.”

Meanwhile, back in the states
Movement to delay the pilot program continues in the U.S. Senate with the debate of the supplemental appropriations bill. The bill includes an amendment that would restrict spending any money on allowing Mexican motor carriers to operate beyond the border zone until three conditions are met. Those conditions are:

Granting such authority must first be tested as part of a pilot program;
The pilot program must comply with the requirements of Section 350 of the 2002 appropriations legislation and the requirements of Section 31315(c) of Title 49, United States Code, related to the pilot programs; and
Simultaneous and comparable authority to operate within Mexico is made available to motor carriers domiciled in the United States.
Murray submitted the amendment to the Senate Committee on Appropriations and it was accepted on a voice vote – with no opposition.

The only discussion related to the amendment was brought up by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, one of the co-sponsors of the amendment. The amendment was also co-sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND.

Feinstein discussed the fairness – or lack thereof – of allowing Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate within the U.S., while the Mexican government isn’t ready to allow U.S. motor carriers access to Mexico.

The amendment was introduced because of concerns raised during a Senate subcommittee hearing on March 8.

Thursday things will also heat up on the House side of Congress, when Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-CA, will introduce a bill titled the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Trucking Safety Act.

The NAFTA Trucking Safety Act looks to clarify and strengthen current regulations imposed on Mexican motor carriers entering the United States beyond commercial zones along the international border.

– By Jami Jones, senior editor
jami_jones@landlinemag.com

Staff writer Clarissa Kell-Holland contributed to this report.



This is the part of the article I found interesting.

"Angheben said the pilot program moved forward without Mexican Senate approval and without input from the Mexican motor carrier industry.

The CANACAR president told the committee that opening the border will not have any benefits to Mexico because:

Transportation prices in Mexico are lower than in the USA;
It will cause transportation prices in Mexico to increase;
It will not accelerate the border crossing process;
It will generate strong pressure on salaries paid to Mexican drivers, which in turn will increase the cost of domestic freight in Mexico; and
The Mexican government lacks the capacity and infrastructure to supervise U.S. carriers entering Mexico and to prevent foreign companies from providing domestic transportation only reserved for Mexican nationals.
This isn’t the first time CANACAR has tried to shut down a NAFTA provision.

In 2001, the group petitioned the Mexican Senate to cancel the trucking section of NAFTA.

“The majority of people in the United States don’t want Mexican trucks to go there, and we told our president that we don't want to go, either,” said CANACAR president Manuel Gomez in 2001. “Nor are we interested in having U.S. trucks come to Mexico.”
"

[Cam]

Yeah, Blacksheep put that up, it was in Landline.

It's the Mexican trucking companies. They're concerned about having to compete with the 'deep pockets' of the American companies. Again, these aren't American truckers, they are American companies, the top levels of management will be American, most everyone else including all or almost all of the drivers will be Mexican. Basically, our companies will be cutting in on their action.

It's like Toyota making cars in America. Japanese don't work in those plants except top managers and engineers and what have you. It's a Japanese company and most of the employees are American. The same with US carriers operating in and out of Mexico.

Those drivers will make more than they do now. If everything moves beyond the pilot program to significant numbers, the overall wages of Mexican drivers will go up and yes, Mexican domestic freight rates will go up some.

I think where they are wrong is to say it isn't good for Mexico. It isn't necessarily good for those Mexican trucking businesses, but it will be good for Mexico overall. A lot of foreign money coming in- taxes, roads and construction... Plus, it'll clear a lot of gringos out of the border towns cutting out a little of the debauchery down in Boystown. If you feel sad right now you need to repent, anyway :wink: None of this happens overnight, but once the ball gets rolling it could change the landscape of some places.

[Barbann]

Yep, it starts all over again. First the Auto industry was completely decimated by "free trade" creating healthy competition in the market place and now it will be the trucking industry. By the way, has anyone ever noticed that not only has the automobile not come down in price, the foreign ones are just as pricey if not more so. Yeah all that competition sure helped out all of the unemployed comsumers in our country.
It always starts out innocently enough but as time passes it will get bigger and bigger until one day you will wake up and there will no US drivers. Why? because they can't make a living competing with others who can and will work for next to nothing.
As far as a strike or boycott, all of you who say it won't happen...are right. Until every one of you is ready to stand together all of you will keep getting used and abused......only a collective stand down will get the nation's attention. Do any of you really realize how much power you have as a group???

[jegzus]

This situation worries me very much because I can see first hand what it is doing to my father. The manufacturing company he works for threatens to close his plant down once a week so he says. All of the new plants they built are in countries where they pay people a 1/4 what they pay here in the states.

I know my dad is stressing about what he is going to do if they close his plant as he has been there since he was 18. He has mentioned getting into trucking and maybe buying a truck together. But it really does scare me to think what would happen if the mexicans are in a position to take our jobs. Just think how many people will be out of work here in the states, most of the other industries have already outsourced so what will us drivers do when mexicans working for 20 cents a mile or 6 bucks an hour take our jobs.

I'm not a racist person but I do believe that this country is starting to go out of it's way to be anything but American, everyone wants that name on their product or service but the people doing the work are anything but American.

Like I said above I am very worried about this as I think the rest of you should be.

[carolina trucker]

This message thread is offensive, racist and xenophobic. I hope one of the moderators deletes it.

We're a nation of immigrants, folks, and we're better off for it.

If Mexicans come to the U.S. and get ahead, why would I do anything but congratulate them for their hard work, grit and self-determination?

And if you happen to see anyone on the interstate who's unsafe on the road, pick up your cell phone and call 9-1-1 without bothering to check the nationality of the driver first, okay? We all need to be safe out there.

Just my $0.02 worth, as usual.

-- c t

[GTR SILVER]

look if they are legal.....no problem..........if not they are taking from me and you..................race has nothing to do with it.......get it now???!!!! 8)

[Cam]

This message thread is offensive, racist and xenophobic. I hope one of the moderators deletes it.

We're a nation of immigrants, folks, and we're better off for it.

If Mexicans come to the U.S. and get ahead, why would I do anything but congratulate them for their hard work, grit and self-determination?

And if you happen to see anyone on the interstate who's unsafe on the road, pick up your cell phone and call 9-1-1 without bothering to check the nationality of the driver first, okay? We all need to be safe out there.

Just my $0.02 worth, as usual.

-- c t

Nothing racist that I've seen. Actually, I consider it very offensive to be called a racist. Do you back up your accusations or just sling 'em? Please, could you just quote some of the remarks you deem racist?

[Cam]

I'm feeling magnanimous today so I want to help anyone who has racial issues.

No on has said anything negative about Mexican American truckers. Speaking personally, the Mexican American truckers I've know have been excellent people. Sometimes I like to get my truck worked on in Texas. There are some great, decent Mexicans down there who do the work sometimes downright cheap.

The issue isn't race. The issue is doing business with a typical third world country- poor and corrupt. But, that isn't even the issue. The issue has to do with Diane Feinstein demanding fairness for American trucking companies and no one concerned about fairness for American truckers. These American trucking companies like Celadon who will be working out of Mexico are not going to be hiring Americans. They'll be American companies employing Mexican drivers. The Mexicans will drive up here but we won't drive down there. Those are just facts. Anyone who has problems with the facts has a personal problem, not those of us who are just observing it and calling it what it is.

So, what else, maybe there is something racist I've missed.

[yoopr]

We're a nation of immigrants, folks, and we're better off for it.

If Mexicans come to the U.S. and get ahead, why would I do anything but congratulate them for their hard work, grit and self-determination?


Yes we are a nation of Immigrants-Legal Immigrants

[Cam]

Too bad we aren't talking about immigrants :wink: