US to announce Mexico trucking plan soon-LaHood

[Hazcat]

 WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's adminstration will soon announce its plan to reopen the U.S. border to Mexican trucks and end a dispute that prompted Mexico to slap duties last year on $2.4 billion worth of U.S. goods, a top U.S. official said on Thursday.

"President Obama's team has worked very hard to put a proposal together. We will be announcing it very soon," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told lawmakers.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Vicki Allen)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0626694320100506

Comments at link

This is baaaad news for the trucking industry and the driving populace at large.  The Mex drivers will haul for pennies and their trucks are rolling disasters looking for a place to happen!  Think about this the next time a 18 wheeler is crawling up your butt and there's a red light or steep downhill in front of you as you wonder if his brakes are working. - Haz.

[crusader rabbit]

Haz said:

This is baaaad news for the trucking industry and the driving populace at large.

I don't know, Haz.  If we have a few multi-car fireballs caused by Mexi-trucks, that might just open the eyes of a few more sheeple to the idiocies promoted by the Odamna regime.  It would certainly be bad news for the Americans involved in the fireballs, but it just might tip the scales to the common sense side of the equation for many others.

[seeker_two]

Haz said: I don't know, Haz.  If we have a few multi-car fireballs caused by Mexi-trucks, that might just open the eyes of a few more sheeple to the idiocies promoted by the Odamna regime.  It would certainly be bad news for the Americans involved in the fireballs, but it just might tip the scales to the common sense side of the equation for many others.

I doubt that even that would open the eyes of the Obama-nation.....they'll just say something like "if you want to make an omlette, you have to break a few eggs"......

[Solus]

If these trucks are going to haul for pay, they need to meet all the requirements of commercial trucks of the US.  The drivers would need to have commercial licenses also, and the trucks licensed for the states in which they would be operating.

All other US and state laws for commercial trucking should apply. 

US trucks are stopped all the time for inspections of the driver's log, load limitations, required gasoline purchase within the state and any safety violations.  So "profiling" cannot be called.

[Hazcat]

If these trucks are going to haul for pay, they need to meet all the requirements of commercial trucks of the US.  The drivers would need to have commercial licenses also, and the trucks licensed for the states in which they would be operating.

All other US and state laws for commercial trucking should apply. 

US trucks are stopped all the time for inspections of the driver's log, load limitations, required gasoline purchase within the state and any safety violations.  So "profiling" cannot be called.

Yes, they are SUPPOSED to conform to out standards BUT...

DOT does not have the resources to check all the trucks.  As they are not registered in the US there are no initial standards (inspections) other than Mexican law.  It WILL be a bunch of rolling wrecks with drivers that cannot speak English loose on our highways transporting for pennies on the dollar and driving US truckers out of business.

[Sponsor]

[Solus]

Yes, they are SUPPOSED to conform to out standards BUT...

DOT does not have the resources to check all the trucks.  As they are not registered in the US there are no initial standards (inspections) other than Mexican law.  It WILL be a bunch of rolling wrecks with drivers that cannot speak English loose on our highways transporting for pennies on the dollar and driving US truckers out of business.

Then if we don't have the resources to police the Mexican trucks and are going to let them run free here, I'd say that shows that aspect is not important and we need to relieve US truckers of all those regulations. 

We will also save a bundle by not paying all the DOT employees who have not been needed all this time...

[MikeBjerum]

Soooooo, extortion works    We ban their trucks, they put on duties, and we cave 

Here is a thought that is way to practical to ever be implemented:

Customs and DOT work together at the border to inspect every carrier coming across.  Fail an inspection and you don't drive on U.S. roads.  If I was hauling grain to the local elevator and was stopped on the side of the road for a spot check, it doesn't matter if I have a current DOT inspection in the windshield or not, if I fail that truck ain't moving.  These trucks come to the border, they get inspected, and they pass or not.

In terms of national security, doesn't this make sense.  Maybe instead of buying $200,000 pumper trucks for fire departments all over the nation, the Dept. of Homeland Security should tackle tasks like this one!  New radio upgrades every decade that not only requires new radios, but new transmitters and towers all over the nation.  All at the same time that every squad car, ambulance and firetruck is getting equipped with computers and GPS, and every worker is getting cell phones.  How did we ever fight fires or even get to the scene of an accident in the past?  My rules when I directed the local ambulance and when I taught EMT's in the past - "If you can't read a map and a plat book, you can't be on this service, and until you know your way around our service area you can't drive."  Damn ... A $5 plat book as compared to a $200 gps ($750 when sold to emergency services).  This department is doing the big flash and buying into the hi-tech sales job, and ignoring the basics of getting out and doing the work.

[Solus]

Agreed, M58..

But if they claim they don't have the manpower to police the Mexican vehicles to make sure they comply and still let them run, then don't waste the money making US truckers comply when the rules don't matter.

Yes...inspection at the border is the solution. 

Then compliance can be easily checked by state or local law enforcement.

[JC5123]

Yes, they are SUPPOSED to conform to out standards BUT...

DOT does not have the resources to check all the trucks.  As they are not registered in the US there are no initial standards (inspections) other than Mexican law.  It WILL be a bunch of rolling wrecks with drivers that cannot speak English loose on our highways transporting for pennies on the dollar and driving US truckers out of business.

The DOT is not responsible for enforcement. That is handled by state highway patrols and the traffic courts. The DOT simply puts the regs in place. So a rolling disaster is dealt with as a traffic stop. No additional enforcement is needed beyond maybe more state troopers, which, we could probably use a few more anyway. At least in my state, where 1-2 troopers will patrol a 400 mile stretch.

[Hazcat]

The 'border inspections' will help but from my past reading of this agreement these trucks will be free to 'roam' the US once here.

Canada trucks can deliver to the US or can pick up in the US and deliver to Canada but NOT US to US.  My understanding is the Mexican trucks WILL be able to do US to US so once they're here they will be running free all over the place.