The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to delay a Bush administration plan to allow Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways.

The trucks would have to be declared safe first, the lawmakers said, and Mexico would have to give U.S. truckers the same access south of the border.

The House voted 411-3 to approve a three-year Department of Transportation pilot program that would restrict opening the border to 100 carriers based in Mexico. They would be allowed to use a maximum of 1,000 vehicles under the pilot program.

The Bush administration wanted to start a pilot program this year that would run for a year before fully opening the border to Mexican trucks.

The House bill, however, specifies criteria for the pilot program before it can start, including setting up an independent panel to evaluate the test program and getting certification from the inspector general that safety and inspection requirements have been met.

The Department of Transportation says it could be as late as 2008 before Congress' criteria are met, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Lawmakers said their major concern is whether Mexican trucks, often older than U.S. cargo vehicles, and Mexican drivers will be able to meet rigorous U.S. safety standards.

"We do not need 90,000-pound unguided missiles on our highways," said Rep. Robin Hayes, R-North Carolina.

American trucking companies have spent years getting their vehicles up to Transportation Department standards, lawmakers said. Letting Mexican trucks across the border without making them meet those standards is wrong, they said.

"We're going to have a major accident somewhere, and people are going to say, 'How did this happen?" said Rep. Bob Filner, D-California.

Added Rep. Candice Miller, R-Michigan: "We need to ensure that this program only takes places after the Mexican companies meet the same conditions that American companies do."
Economic arguments made too

Lawmakers also complained that allowing Mexican trucks greater access will cost American truckers their jobs.

"You can get a Mexican truck driver to work for a heck of a lot less than a Teamster in the United States, and you can get a Mexican dock worker to work for a heck of a lot less than a longshoreman in the United States, and that's what this is ultimately designed to do," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon.

The Teamsters, the Sierra Club, Public Citizen and the Environmental Law Foundation sued in federal court in April to block the pilot program, citing safety and environmental concerns.

"We don't know how safety laws such as hours of service and drug testing would be enforced," Teamsters President Jim Hoffa said. "This vote by the House repudiates those questionable attempts to open our borders without adequate safeguards."

The Bush administration had planned to run a yearlong pilot program that would allow Mexican trucks beyond the current 20-mile limit from the border but the launch was halted after complaints from Congress.

Since 1982, trucks have had to stop within the buffer zone and transfer their loads to U.S. truckers to take them into the country. The legislation would allow Mexican drivers to take their loads from Mexico to any point within the country.

Supporters of the plan say letting more Mexican trucks on U.S. highways will save American consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. They include many in the trucking industry, the Bush administration and lawmakers who favor the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.

Access to all U.S. highways was promised by 2000 under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement, as was access through Mexico for U.S. carriers. That aspect has been stalled by lawsuits and disagreements between the two countries, though Canadian and U.S. trucks travel freely across the northern border.

[truthtalker1]

GLAD TO HEAR IT!

[GMAN]

I am glad that these lawmakers have woke up to this problem. I like the idea that they are looking at forcing Mexico to reciprocate on allowing U.S. trucks to enter Mexico. Not that most carriers would actually cross the border.

You would not want to drive into Mexico. I've been there plenty of times and the roads are the worst you will ever experience. They are so bad you would have to lock your seat so the air ride didn't go up and down because you would bottom out with a CRASH.

[GMAN]

I have been to Mexico, but it has been many years ago. That was in a 4 wheeler. Personally, I have no desire to take my truck into Mexico. If you think our government :shock: is corrupt, you should spend some time in Mexico.

[Cam]

SO THE 'TRUCK OUT' WORKED AFTERALL... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Great OP, I was wondering about this. It's obvious that effort is being made to comply with NAFTA but these issues do have to be resolved and you can't just make the realities on the ground go away with perhaps a well-intentioned treaty.

One thing, you IT guys will appreciate the realities of foreign competition. The steel, auto, garment...just about everyone is affected by foreign competition. It is fair to say that truckers don't necessarily have to be the only ones held immune to foreign competition. But, I'm really just saying this so everybody will like me. :shock:

[serbie]

Originally Posted by Cam

SO THE 'TRUCK OUT' WORKED AFTERALL... :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm sure there will be groups who claim victory over this. Either way it's good news.

[ssoutlaw]

I dont think the fake internet "truckout" had anything to do with it!

[pepe4158]

The trucks would have to be declared safe first, the lawmakers said, and Mexico would have to give U.S. truckers the same access south of the border.


Doubt this will fly in Mexican congress to be honest; wish it would; I could steal as much freight back as they take from me, at a better rate, and then some.....so if we stick to our guns this deal looks X-ed.

You know so much of this is baised on G.W.B. thinking that Mexico can act like Canada does concerning us......for a guy that speaks spanish, and his family is married into a latino family he sure can be ignorant of Latino ways sometimes, but this is the same guy who thought muslum arabs wanted a free democracy in their lands so go fiqure.
;-p

[coastie]

All I can say I would not want to take my Truck across the boarder. The Mexicans may need another truck and you'll be out of yours before you know it..