[greg3564]

It's bad enough that they will be allowed to move freight across the U.S., but now they're whining that the rules requiring english are "very strict" and that there should be "special consideration" for the Mexican drivers. This is ridiculous.


HARLINGEN, Texas — Interstate truck and bus drivers across America may find themselves pulled off the highway if state troopers or vehicle inspectors find they can't speak English.

The requirement has been on the books for decades, but enforcement has begun before Mexican trucks are allowed in the U.S. interior as of Sept. 6.

"We have found people in violation of this for a number of years and we're working feverishly to correct it," said John Hill, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Since 1971, federal law has said that commercial drivers must read and speak English "sufficiently to understand highway traffic signs and signals and directions given in English and to respond to official inquiries."

Hill said the language deficiency was found mostly in the commercial zone that varies from 25 miles to 75 miles north of the Mexican border, but since inspectors there are bilingual and Mexican truckers are not allowed past that zone, it hasn't been an issue.

But after more than a decade of legal wrangling, U.S. highways are opening up.

The North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 called for Mexican and U.S. trucks to travel freely throughout one another's nations, but the provision was stalled by labor unions and environmental groups' arguments that the trucks are unsafe.

A pilot program allowing a limited number of already approved Mexican trucks to pass the border zone is now set to take effect Thursday.

On Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request made by the Teamsters union, the Sierra Club and the nonprofit Public Citizen to halt the program. The appeals court ruled the groups have not satisfied the legal requirements to immediately stop what the government is calling a "demonstration project," but can continue to argue their case.

The government contends that further delays in the project will strain the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.

Mexican truckers, meanwhile, said they were prepared to leave merchandise in Mexican warehouses if U.S. authorities insisted on fines for not knowing English in the border zone.

"We have been talking with U.S. authorities," said Luis Moreno Sesma, president of Mexico's national chamber of cargo haulers. "The law says that the operators should know English to cross the border, but we have said they should have special consideration for the border guys."

The language requirement is part of a long checklist — including criminal background and drug and alcohol tests — that carriers must pass to go into the interior. Also required are complete vehicle safety and emissions inspections.

U.S. commercial drivers going into the Mexican interior, part of the reciprocal agreement, will have to speak Spanish.

Under the new enforcement regulations, drivers who can't speak English in the commercial zone may be ticketed and fined. Those beyond the border zone will also be pulled off the road.

Richard Henderson, director of government affairs for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, a nonprofit group representing federal and state highway inspectors and highway patrols, said the requirement was a "no brainer."

"The bottom line is safety," Henderson said. "Obviously, if (the driver) can't speak English he's not going to know what some of the regulations are."

José Rocha Rodríguez was one of the first drivers to be sanctioned for not knowing English. He said he wasn't fined but given a notice saying he could not pass the border zone.

"They talk to you now in English and they've never done that before," he said.

Jose Mendoza, a 25-year-old driver in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, said that it seemed the United State authorities were always coming up with new ways to stop Mexican trucks from traveling beyond the border.

He said the drivers felt discriminated against, and that U.S. officials were looking for any pretext to fine them.

"They are giving us all kinds of fines. Last week, for a headlight that I could change myself, they charged $150. And this after they saw that I was changing it," Mendoza said.

Rigoberto Castañeda, who has been driving for 17 years, agreed that the biggest obstacle the truckers faced was discrimination.

So did Primitivo Gonzalez, owner of a small trucking company.

"The rules they are using right now are very strict," he said.

[Twilight Flyer]

Someone give me a tissue. I think I'm misting up. :roll:

[greg3564]

Originally Posted by Twilight Flyer

Someone give me a tissue. I think I'm misting up. :roll:

Have no fear, a bleeding heart liberal politician will pass some legislation making all signs bilingual. :lol:

[Fozzy]

Originally Posted by greg3564

Have no fear, a bleeding heart liberal politician will pass some legislation making all signs bilingual. :lol:

Do you think the Teamsters would allow their members to be subjected to an English test? Right now the new legal immigrants are required to pass a test that I'd wager 95% of the people here could not pass. I'm all for having a requirement for basic English to drive here.. but I also would insist that American drivers going to Canada speak and understand French.

[PackRatTDI]

The irony is that there is going to be some driver out there with a big radio with his echo turned all the way up complaining about drivers not speaking legible English.

[Raafi]

this language thing is a waste of time

the government and politicians and corporations are raping us blind, and we are complaining about mexicans

every country in the world speaks more than one language, why is this even an issue?

as long as we run around making this an issue, while uncle sam is debating 68mph and black boxes, we are always going to be nothing but suckers

[JC]

French and English are both the official languages in Canada. American drivers don't need to learn French to travel there.

[PackRatTDI]

Originally Posted by JC

French and English are both the official languages in Canada. American drivers don't need to learn French to travel there.

But it sure would come in handy in Wierdo French Canada.

[Mr. Ford95]

Hey, the agreement says that US drivers must be able to speak Spanish when going into Mexico so tough luck for those who are turned around and sent home for not being able to speak English here. F them, don't need more idiots on the road who seem to not be able to understand road signs. We have enough of those already and they are American drivers thru and thru.

[mccfry]

It amazes me how well Mexicans and the mexican govt can play the victim role when it comes to obeying U.S laws, try complaining to mexican police and see how far it gets you. I am sure the Bush administration will bow down to the mexian govt complaints, cant wait to get this guy out of office and get someone in there that stands for the american people.