U.S.-Mexico trucking program still waiting

Nearly 30 Mexican trucking companies have passed safety inspections that would allow them to make deliveries to the U.S. heartland, but it still will take months before the first trial of cross-border trucking can begin.

"What we're waiting for now is for the Mexican government to review the applications they have for U.S. companies," said Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Department.

But those reviews won't allow the department to stick with a timeline it initially had proposed to implement a provision in the decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement. When it announced the cross-border trucking pilot program in February, the department suggested Mexican trucks could begin crossing into the United States as early as April.

The Mexican government released a statement Tuesday saying it wants the program to begin July 15, and full implementation of NAFTA's cross-border trucking provisions to start within one year.

Mexico also said it wants the program implemented incrementally, with up to 25 carriers from each country gaining cross-border access every month through October.

"That must be the quickest they can move," said John Hill, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. "They've been committed to accelerating the entrance of U.S. trucks into Mexico. Mexico is to be commended for moving ahead expeditiously."

The United States agreed to a July 15 start date at a trilateral conference in Arizona last week, Hill said.

Mexican trucks haven't been allowed to operate in this country since 1982, when U.S. motor carriers lost access to roads south of the border.

Under NAFTA, the United States, Mexico and Canada were to be open to truckers from all three countries by 2000. Years of legal and political battles have prevented that from happening.

Initially, Hill said, U.S. trucks were to gain access to Mexico six months after Mexican carriers were granted operating authority in the United States. On Monday, the Transportation Department issued a statement saying Mexican and U.S. trucks would gain access to one another's countries simultaneously.

Though more than 800 Mexican carriers have applied for permission to operate in the United States, only 16 American companies have requested similar access in Mexico.

Opposition toward the pilot program has been mounting on both sides of the border.

An influential chamber of commerce representing Mexican carriers — the Cámara Nacional de Autotransportes del Carga, also known as CANACAR — is calling for the program's suspension. The group says the program will increase transportation costs in Mexico and applies discriminatory regulations on its trucks.

"The Mexican truckers are worried that if this border opens, U.S. firms ... (will) simply take over the trucking industry in Mexico," said Jim Giermanski, a NAFTA expert with Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina and CEO of a firm specializing in cross-border security issues.

In the United States, the Teamsters union continues to lobby against cross-border trucking, saying it's a danger to U.S. motorists.

Those favoring opening the border have dismissed the argument as a thinly veiled opposition to greater competition, which would reduce costs for transportation and would increase North America's competitiveness.

Congressional leaders have proposed legislation that would suspend funding for the pilot program. President Bush this week vetoed a supplemental spending bill that included the legislation.

On Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved a bill that if approved would make major changes to the program. The legislation would allow a maximum of 1,000 Mexican trucks and passenger buses to have access to U.S. roads for up to three years.

"This bill limits the authority of the secretary of transportation to open the United States-Mexico border," Democratic committee Chairman James Oberstar of Minnesota said in a statement. "It allows the United States to live up to its commitments under the North American Free Trade Agreement while putting in place robust requirements and protections to safeguard travelers on our roads."

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I recently spent two weeks in Mexico. We crossed at Brownsville and drove about 8 to 10 hours South.

I've never been anywhere near Nuevo Laredo, and don't plan on going there, but not all of the Mexican border is that bad.

We traveled during the daytime except for one night. While problems are pretty rare where we were at, it only makes sense to travel when there are quite a few people on the roads. If something bad is going to happen it is much more likely to happen at night.

1.) drug lords own the police

The Police we spoke with were polite and helpful, and more likely than most people to understand and possibly speak a little English.

2.) can you really trust federales that drive as their police car a car stolen in the US?

I would definitely say no. However, the federales we saw were driving in military green vehicles. A couple of the trucks even had 50 cals mounted on them. We mainly dealt with them at the checkpoint on the way in, and the checkpoints on the way out. On the way in the mainly asked us if we had any guns. On the way out they wanted to know if we were transporting any produce.

3.) even 1 pistol cartridge can get you thrown in jail forever

I don't doubt it. Don't violate their gun laws. If you can't accept that, don't go there. We made very sure that my one friend that drove cleaned out his car carefully before we went.

4.) their jails aren’t pretty

An obvious understatement. However, we didn't have any problems with the police. The police there didn't seem as up tight as many are here in the US. However, we were in a pretty rural area, where all the locals knew each other and it seemed like the kind of a place where the police would let people resolve their own problems unless things got out of hand. I doubt anyone around there ever gets a ticket for rolling through a stop sign or something minor like that.

5.) you will need a wad of cash for bribes

I didn't spend a dime on bribing officials or police.

6.) the bad guys will know that and go after you for the cash...

I tried not to flash cash, and keep small bills and coins on hand, but I didn't have any problems.

7.) just the value of your fuel will get you killed much less 18 tires at $275 each

We left our trucks in villages several times while having guides take us to remote areas. We did pay the village a small fee to let us park there and for access to their land. Usually it was in the range of two or three dollars a person.

8.) roads aren’t marked

Every road that we saw that you could take a big rig down was marked.

9.) maps are incorrect

The maps we had were correct and had all the major roads on them. We did buy new maps for the trip.

10.) you could end up waiting days or weeks to get your load unloaded ,, all the while you stay awake 24/7 guarding your load and truck...

Sounds like poor planning. There didn't seem to be any shortage of people willing to do hard work for a little money where we went, and they were stout folk. Ever see guys put two 50 kilo bags of cement on their shoulders and carry them down a narrow ramp and into a store? That's 220 lbs. I can squat 220 lbs, but you won't see me casually walking around with it on my shoulders.

11.) if robbed the police will not help

They'll likely help as much there as they do here. They'll write up a report. It is probably less likely that they will find your goods.

12.) if your truck is sabotaged you have no choice but to walk away (fly home) your insurance won’t pay squat because you were stupid enough to go there..

We had to get special insurance for traveling in Mexico. The insurance included a bond that would guarantee that would cover fines if the police let you go and you didn't pay up later. This prevents you from getting thrown in jail for not having enough cash to pay a speeding ticket. It's then in the insurance company's best interest to keep the police honest, and I've sure they have a lot more influence that I do.

Taking even one load into Mexico (at best) means bankruptcy if you run your own truck.. this is a 1 way street... another terrible decision based on global dreams..

This was the first time I'd driven any real distance into Mexico, but it was the third trip for some of my friends, and I know others who have also driven to the same area several times.

No one had any horror stories.

The vast majority of people were nice and friendly. Many who had been to the states knew a little English and seemed to enjoy saying hello rather than hola to the Americans.

Those who were not really friendly were more standoffish than rude. Of course I made sure not to give them any reason to be pissed off at me. I also didn't flash money or be disrespectful. A smile and nod go a long way even if you don't know the language.

I'm sure that the larger cities had places I wouldn't want to go. So do our cities.

It's a different culture. While we were up in the mountains a 9 year old boy came up the trail carrying his 3 year old sister and swinging a 3 foot long machete. I stopped a ways off and watched us for a while, and after a while came over and talked to us. Nice kid.

Here in the US you'd never let your 9 year old babysit a 3 year old. You also would let them carry a machete. You'd have child services taking your kid away from you.

His mother did show up a while later and check on him. He went and talked to her for a bit than came back and sat with us again. She had seen our truck at the bottom of the mountain and apparently thought it was a good idea to make sure her son wasn't getting into trouble. After checking up on him, she didn't seem worried by the fact that he was talking to some strange Americans. However, I have little doubt that if someone went up there looking to do someone harm that they would have found their vehicles surrounded by machete wielding villagers, and that calling the police wouldn't have been high on their priority list.

I have no doubt that there are parts of Mexico that have corrupt police and are unquestionably dangerous for Americans and Mexicans for that matter.

I didn't like the fact that I not only couldn't carry my gun, but that I couldn't bring it into the country.

On the other hand no one showed the slightest concern as I walked down the street holding the 4 foot long machete that I bought at a hardware store for a little over $3.

People simply weren't inclined to expect the worst of others. There was the kind of reasonable level of trust that is part of a functional society.

After a few days in the town we stayed in there, I felt safer walking down the street there than I would walking down the street here in Dayton, OH.

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