As the 2011 Cross Border Pilot Program unfolds, OOIDA continues to whine and grasp at straws in an ineffectual attempt to once again stop the United States from complying with an obligation 17 years overdue. OOIDA continues to demand access to all records concerning the companies applying for provisional authority to participate in the cross border program and I mean all records. In the name of transparency, they are demanding to know every single thing about the companies and the drivers, information they are not entitled to, nor are any of us. In their comments concerning Transportes Olympics fitness to ….Read More
01/10/2011
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We now know who the 8 Mexican carriers are who have made application to the FMCSA for OP-1MX authority to participate in the cross border pilot program expected to begin later this month. The carriers that are known at this time are: Transportes Olympic of Apodaca Nuevo Leon Grupo Behr de Baja SA de CV of Tijuana B.C. Transportes Unimex of Reynosa, Tamaulipas Alfredo Hernandez Rojas of Celaya, Guanajuato Alejandro Moctezuma Arroyo of Octolan, Tlaxcala Higiencos Y Desechables Del Bajio of Guadalajara, Jalisco Moises Alvarez Perez of Tijuana, Baja California GCC Transporte of Cd Juarez, Chihuahua All applicants must pass ….Read More
22/09/2011
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Rep. Peter DeFazio, following OOIDA President Jim Johnston’s example sent a letter to FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro demanding she address his bogus concerns about the safety of Mexican trucks on U.S. roads. But this isn’t about this vile little man’s irrelevant letter to Ms Ferro. It’s to be expected. Despite the fact DeFazio was elected to represent the people of the 4th Congressional District in Oregon, he continues to be in the pocket of the unions, specifically representing the whims and demands of embattled Teamsters President James P. Hoffa. DeFazio’s claims of being concerned about the “safety, security and jobs ….Read More
15/09/2011
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This is so ridiculous it borders on the absurd. Yesterday, OOIDA President Jim Johnston sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood venting his frustrations at his associations failure to hoodwink Congress and the public into putting a stop to the cross border trucking program with Mexico. Here’s some excerpts of the letter to LaHood: Aren’t you getting the cart before the horse? How can the FMCSA utilize taxpayer resources to review and process those applications or initiate the so-called pilot program in any way before complying with the terms and conditions stipulated in Section 350 of Public Law 107–87 ….Read More
Sep 132011
13/09/2011
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Hey, we knew they could do it and that OOIDA was once again blowing smoke up the peoples asses when less than a week ago they were saying that FMCSA had “high hurdles” to cross before the Long Haul Program with Mexico was ready for prime time. Yesterday, FMCSA released their answer to the concerns raised by the Office of the Inspector General in it’s recent report You can download and read their solutions here. To refresh you memory the OIG said that FMCSA was “generally” in compliance with the requirements under 350(c) with the following exceptions. FMCSA has not ….Read More
13/09/2011
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Yesterday, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied the injunction sought by the Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) in their attempt to stop the Mexican cross border pilot program. According to TODAYS TRUCKING, the Court did agree to fast track the frivolous lawsuit meaning written arguments could be accepted as early as December. Oral arguments will be scheduled after the initial round of filings. It is also being reported that the petition for review, filed by the Teamsters and Public Citizen in the 9th Circuit in San Francisco, will instead be heard by the D.C. Court ….Read More
09/09/2011
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FMCSA spokesperson Candice Tolliver Burns announced late yesterday that two of the 7 applicants for the Cross Border Trucking Pilot Program with Mexico have successfully passed their Pre-Authorization Safety Audits (PASA) and are ready to roll. Both carriers were participants in the 2007 cross border demonstration program and under the rules of the new program, should be eligible shortly for permanent operating authority. The carriers, Transportes Olympic based in Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, a suburb of Monterrey and Grupo Behr, headquartered in Tijuana, BC. Transported Olympic, owned by Fernando Paez, was the first carrier to cross under the previous program September ….Read More
06/09/2011
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On August 19, 2011, the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Transportation, a non-partisan independent office tasked with oversight of the various agencies, released it’s long awaited audit on the Mexican cross border program, preparing to get underway. This audit was required by Section 6901 of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veteran’s Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007. The objective of the USDOT-OIG was to assess FMCSA’s policy, procedures, and processes for granting operating authority to Mexico–domiciled motor carriers under the pilot program and for monitoring and ensuring the carriers’ compliance with United States ….Read More
02/09/2011
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At the 11th hour today, Teamsters, along with Public Citizen filed a lawsuit in 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco seeking to stop implementation of the Mexican Cross Border Program. The suit was filed against the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration alleging that the pilot program sets standards that aren’t stringent enough for Mexican trucks and drivers. For example, the program waives a law requiring trucks to display proof of meeting federal safety standards, said Jonathan Weissglass, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. An official for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said the Teamsters ….Read More