Mexico Trucker Online

As the Obama administration prepares to keep their promise to fulfill our obligations under the NAFTA agreement, concerning cross border trucking with Mexico, I thought it was time to revisit some of the misinformation and distortions the opposition has used in the past and is for certain to use in the future.

We’ve all grown accustomed to the lies spewing from the lips of Teamsters General President James Hoffa,

“All we’re asking is that Mexican trucks and truckers meet the same standards as American trucks and drivers,” Hoffa said. He cited the requirements in the United States for commercial drivers’ licenses, drug screening, physical evaluations, hazmat certifications, etc. But in Mexico, there are no databases of drivers with a history of recklessness and arrest, or even drug testing facilities, he said.

And of course we can’t ignore the similar uninformed opinions of our friend Todd Spencer of OOIDA.

“U.S. drivers are required to pass regular medical tests in order to maintain their commercial driver’s licenses,” said Todd Spencer . “There is no similar requirement imposed on Mexican drivers who drive in the U.S.”

Let’s take a look as these two deliberate distortions of the truth and you be the judge.

The SCT or Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes is the Mexican equivalent of the USDOT and FMCSA. They have total control over all facets of transportation in Mexico, including trucking, airlines, rail and maritime operations.

We’ll use the official SCT site to explore the misrepresentations of Hoffa and Spencer.

DRUG TESTING IN MEXICO
The critics claim there is no medical or drug testing for transportation workers in Mexico. Yet evidence disproves this ridiculous claim.

If we go to Frequently Asked Questions concerning what is required for the “examen de aptitud psicofisica integral”, your questions are answered. This link will take you to the translated version.

In a nutshell, to renew or obtain a new commercial license, they must first,

1. make an appointment. (1st question)

And what are the requirements for taking the physical, psychological and drug testing regimen? (2nd question)

• Fast for 8 hours prior to the appointment.
• Have Valid official identification, voter card, driver’s license or passport.
• 2 photos (frontal) passport size.
• 2 copies of birth certificate.
• 1 copy of proof of residence
• Proof of training (from official government training facility)

Ok fair enough. We’ve learned that indeed Mexico does have drug testing requirements and official facilities where a driver must present himself for examination. And unlike the US, where we have our choice, the Mexican driver doesn’t enjoy that liberty.

This link will show you the official medical units in Mexico where a driver must be tested. Hell, if you really want to see who is telling you the truth and who’s lying, call some of the doctors listed here and ask them the medical qualifications.

The third and last question asked and answered is “Who is not qualified to receive medical clearance?”

The Mexican requirements are very similar to ours.

1. persons who does not comply with the mandatory and essential psycho-physical conditions, regulated by the medical & scientific profile of each mode of transport,  will be delared unfit.
2. When the toxicological examination has detected  people drinking alcohol or taking psychotropic substances, including drugs with this effect and all those drugs whose use is prohibited or affects your ability to perform your work,  the authority that issued the license or Federal Title, Certificate, Book of Sea and Maritime Identity, will be notified.
3. Personnel who test positive for consumption of psychoactive substances, including those medications and drugs whose use is prohibited or affects your ability to perform your work, or alcohol,  will be ruled as unfit. 

Wow! Imagine that! The exact same rules as we live and work under in the United States! And Hoffa and Spencer continue to claim there is no medical or drug and alcohol testing in Mexico? Give me a break!

NO DATABASES IN MEXICO?

Another excuse the critics have used is there are no databases in Mexico. Another lie easily debunked, but one we can take one step further.

The debate is ongoing in the US about FMCSA merging a drivers CDL with his DOT physical, something we see has been happening in Mexico for years. The reasoning behind this (flawed in my opinion) is to prevent drivers from “doctor shopping”. But Mexico takes it one step further.

Do you want to know if a driver has a valid Medical certification or what his status is? Go online. I picked a number at random to use. (9899)

This link where you can check whether a driver has valid certification or not. Of course, in the US, we’ll never see this publicly because of privacy laws. But it is a useful tool, and far advanced to what we have in the US at the moment.

You can also find some photos of the facilities, including mobile drug and medical labs which can be called to the scene of an accident or anyplace a law enforcement official finds “just cause”.

This linkwill give you photostats of the official communiques regarding the requirements. What more evidence do you need that the critics have been blowing a ton of smoke up the collective asses of the public.

As of 2005, the cost for these medical and drug tests were $1,244 pesos

Notice I said 2005? These rules have been in place at least that long, probably longer. Another point I could prove if I chose to.

Here is a pdf file listing the requirements to be a trucker in Mexico. Very similar to ours, it appears. This is the english translation

I also find it interesting, reading further in the SCT site, where Mexico addresses many of the same concerns we have. Again, the English translation is available.

The communications and transport sector, as one of its priority objectives, improve safety levels in the general communication pathways (VGC), through prevention and reduction of accidents that occur in them.

Accidents in the general communication pathways are considered as a public health problem, since they generate a high mortality rate, a high number of disabled persons and material losses.

The human factor is the main cause of accidents (90.0%), with greater incidence, hepertensión blood, fatigue, drug and alcohol, among other predisposing diseases.

Psychophysical examinations, toxicological and medical operations, are a valuable tool for SCT in the prevention of accidents, and to assess the health of the operator, and determine if this in condisiones proficiency to perform their jobs in VGC.

It has recognized the importance of change management and performance of the State to respond to the demands raised by service users.

The new structure presented by the Mexico federal public transportation make it necessary to rethink the framework of operation in which psychophysical practice exams and medical operation, the General Directorate of Protection and Preventive Medicine in the Transportation promotes an approach that optimizes the use of tests for the benefit of society as a whole.

That is why the actions of the work program of the period 2000 – 2006 focused on the establishment of actions to consolidate the structural change of preventive medicine in a context of responsibility with the concecionarios permisionarios and federal public transportation, allowing significantly reduce rates accidentibilidad in general communication pathways.

Being a culture of safety and respect for life is a task of utmost importance in developing the transport sector, given that impacts the prevention and reduction of accidents, the physical integrity of road users in general communication , equipment, goods transport and infrastructure

Oh, and by the way, the SCT has been around making rules since 1857 I think 174 years is enough time to get things right.

OTHER INTERESTING STATISTICS

We continue to hear, and drivers worry, that Mexican drivers are prepared to come to the US and run roughshod over all of us and our industry, but the numbers suggest otherwise.

This chart shows us in 2007, the number of federally licensed commercial drivers available, nationwide. Hmmm.

This chart shows us equipment registered throughout the country.

NO databases? How about instructions for online registration? Instructions for online registration

That certainly takes a database, non existent in the minds of the critics.

Want to know who is who and who is registered on a state by state basis? Try this link I don’t suppose it takes a database to compile this info does it?

The information for American carriers seeking permission to participate in the Cross Border Program is still available. Their requirements closely mirror ours. And, In English It doesn’t appear Mexico or it’s citizens has any problems accommodating us in the language department.

Information on Haz Mat? It’s available

An Emergency guide to Haz Mat? Here you are!

Get the picture? So it would be logical and common sensical to assume, that with all these proven databases that Mexico has, that they would have a Federal database to track drivers performance. Of course, in Mexico, unlike the US, commercial drivers generally don’t have but one chance to screw up before they lose their license for 10 years to life. A strong incentive to follow the rules and show personal responsibility.

But the debate will continue and the lies will fly as before. I recall this past week, Landline now did a story on repetitiveness and how effective saying the same thing over and over and over, without regard to the truth, had on pushing a point.

Hmmmm!