Truckers protest trial plan to permit Mexican trucks across U.S.

Associated Press ^ | Sep. 06, 2007 | ELLIOT SPAGAT

[seenenuf]

Take a look of how the Port of Ensenada Mex has changed in the last 10 years — also cruise ship industry that needed cheaper births. I don’t know how this relates to trucking
discussion on this day, other than Rush is Right - follow the money. In this case, costs due to taxes and greedy union bosses.

[La Enchiladita]

I do not doubt what you write.
The CA legislature is the most revenue-hungry political body in the world!
It is disgusting and the vast majority of the populace has no idea.

[Global2010]

I stopped at a truck/gas stop to let my dog go out in the field to relieve himself.

What I saw in that field standing on the black top was the most disgusting view of jugs/jar of urine and there were so many tossed out there that it looked like a dump of the things.

I quickly called the dog back and took him to the next rest stop BTW we have very clean rest stops in Oregon.

[Madeleine Ward]

Are we going to require them to provide health benefits to their workers? And carry insurance? Or are we going to get stuck paying medical bills when they have accidents?

Is the Mexican trucking industry going to regulated like ours?

For the person who asks if our truckers are going to haul into Mexico, I can tell you NO. I’ve driven down there. The gashes and literl gullies in their paved roads make them impassable.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I saw a news piece back in NM about gallon milk jugs used for relief and then tossed on the side of the highway.

Do you mean that those "trucker bombs" aren't filled with tasty lemonade left by the forest elves for the refreshment of thirsty wayfarers?

[rockinqsranch]

Lady, I have been in this business for 35 freaking years, been in meeting after meeting with principals within the Industry whom TOLD ME WHAT THEY THINK, AND WHAT THEY WANT. It was my job to do what they wanted relative to Shoreside Container Operations.

We looked at every aspect of the Mexican Port switch together to avoid the LABOR COSTS, Port costs, dockage, wharfage, demurrage, etc., etc., etc., but it all boiled down to the fact that although the Mexican facilities were inadequate, funding their expansions could facilitate a move there, but the Mexican laws regarding transportation, the roads, the rails, the infrastructure in general, the border laws were the impediment to any such move.

YOU have challenged me on this before, and it was apparent you are reading up on the topic, and good for you, but I virtually lived, breathed, and ate due the Container Shipping Industry for 35 years. So did my wife of almost 30 years.

Do you believe the sources/publications you are reading would actually state they want to go to Mexico to avoid the high costs and BS of American Ports? NO, they will state the convenience of a truth that is caused by the simple fact the Unions are calling the shots on labor, thus the back up of vessels waiting for gangs to load/unload. It’s an old ploy of the Unions to flex muscle and control the Industry by playing the labor. Ultimately it will backfire on the Union.

The Containership Operators welcome the opening of our borders to Mexican Truckers as an opportunity to cut their costs by moving to Mexico where it’s cheaper to operate, THEY HAVE WANTED TO DO THIS FOR 35 YEARS, and now they can move their equipment (Chassis and Containers) uninhibited because the groundwork has been laid, and Mexican trucks have free reign throughout the U.S.

[ARE SOLE]

I heard a trucker on the radio the other day and he was saying a big part of the reason for the pee bottles we see littering our highways is homo activity at truckers restrooms.

They don’t want to go in the $hitter in case former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey is in there, waiting, tapping his foot like “Thumper” from Bambi.

Regards

[SmoothTalker]

Thanks Bush! El Jefe is a real patriot :(

[Neidermeyer]

The major carriers NEED to price fix and get their rates up, unfortunately they are constrained by law... They make very little per mile especially with the price of fuel today... The reason that there are so many openings is because trucking is a job to avoid,,, the pay is very low (they’ll quote you 35K/yr to start but you’ll make 1/2 that or less with a bad dispatcher)... I tried it for 6 months ,,, after paying 5k for a license I made at most 600 a week ,,, until I got a new dispatcher who gave the good runs to the drivers they had previously ,,, then I got an unpaid 900 mile deadhead and a 4 day wait to unload in Maine in January ,, it was -4 to -10 ) ... If you drive your own truck you can do great ... just pick and choose the best loads at a rate you like ,, the mexicans will get all the gravy runs ,, direct from ports to big manufacturer/distributor sites ,,, easy highway driving , easy to find destinations.. most of them dropping a trailer not waiting for an unload..

[Colorado Buckeye]

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SO, fellow freepers - here is my question. Would someone
please find the ‘controling documents’ in this old Clinton NAFTA agreement? I want to read the actual regulations to know if they contain any teeth and who is responsible.

Here is information on the the Bill passed to implement NAFTA. There is a link to the  document. If you find the appropriate text, please post it so that all may see.

BTW, note that NAFTA is not a treaty.

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U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 103^rd Congress - 1^st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the SenateVote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (H.R.3450 )
Vote Number:	395	Vote Date:	November 20, 1993, 07:28 PM
Required For Majority:	1/2	Vote Result:	Bill Passed
Measure Number:	H.R. 3450
Measure Title:	A bill to implement the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Vote Counts:	YEAs	61
	NAYs	38
	Not Voting	1

More details on Senate vote here: U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote:

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U. S. House FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 575

(Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)
      H R 3450      RECORDED VOTE      17-Nov-1993      10:36 PM
      QUESTION:  On Passage
      BILL TITLE: NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT

	Ayes	Noes	PRES	NV
Democratic	102	156
Republican	132	43
Independent		1
TOTALS	234	200

More details on the House vote here: Final Vote Results for Roll Call 575

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[rockinqsranch]

“...I don’t know how this relates to trucking
discussion on this day,...”

I understand the correlation is vague, but trucking is vitally important to the Intermodal movement of freight from the harbors to destinations across the Continent.

Prior to the Political groundwork achieved over the past several decades it wasn’t economically viable for Vessel operators to move their operations to Mexico due the facilities, infrastructure, the laws, border deterents, etc.

Today the protests of the Mexican truckers now allowed to haul freight anywhere in the U.S. not only means loss of jobs for U.S. Truckers, but soon will be loss of Harbor jobs, thus revenue for the harbors as well. Our ports will likely be Ghost Town like.

The Vessel operators will be moving to Mexico as soon as they can. No doubt in this ol’ mans mind about it.

Actually you could almost call this ‘Radicalized Union Busting’. It’s going to hurt lots of people, and the economy for quite a long time.

[dennisw]

So when will a super port be opened in Baja California? At this point it seems the #1 super port Mexican port will be an upgraded Lazaro Cardenas. Chinese/Asian cargoes will get off there and have a Kansas City/Southern direct rail link to Kansas City. Maybe other US destinations will also be served from Lazaro Cardenas

[rockinqsranch]

“So when will a super port be opened in Baja California?”

I haven’t a crystal ball, but can tell you that it is something that is of great priority to the foreign owned Container Vessel Operators. It simply costs them too much money to operate under the conditions we have in our ports today.

I’d say that you are correct in your assumption about Lazaro Cardenas, and the Rail as existing systems are in place for distribution from those points to most everywhere within the U.S. and Canadian border crossings. I still have comprehensive detailed maps of the rail routings for Rail Container activity around the U.S. that are quite impressive.

Opening the border to Mexican Trucks is like cutting the ribbon to forced competition with the Third World. Unions will be quite hurt by this as well many in our Ports, thus off dock support systems as well.

[Smartaleck]

If you didn’t make 35 to 40k a year you with the wrong company. (I was in the buss. for more than 17yrs.)

Don’t kid yourself about the fuel cost. These are past along in fuel surcharges to be picked up by the customer.

Wait time is a problem and some companies stipulate in their contract additional charges.

[Not just another dumb blonde]

Canadian trucks are only supposed to deliver their load to it’s point of destination and get a load (within a 400 mile radius) going back to Canada. But my husband sees these trucks crossing all over the country. So how are they gonna monitor these Mexican trucks? Yeah, I know gps. But that only works for American trucks I guess. My husband doesn’t have much respect for the Canadian truckers either. He says they drive too fast.

[TNoldman]

I would like to inform all FR members of a Petition Drive to stop Mexican Truckers from access to the USA. Do it NOW!

www.shutdown2007.com - Sign the Petition and tell Congress - NO!

Security, Road Safety, Language Issues, Driving Customs make allowing Mexican Truckers free access to the USA a Stupid Move.