Safety compliance of Cross Border program participants

Safety compliance of Cross Border program participants

Posted on Feb 19, 2008 in Cross Border Program, FMCSA by PMC Comments Off

FMCSA’s SAFESTAT database gives a comprehensive look at inspection results of all motor carriers authorized to operate in the United States.

We decided to take a look and see how the Mexican carriers enrolled in the cross border program were doing to date, and the results showed no surprises. To the contrary, it appears enforcement and oversight of these carriers, their drivers and equipment, is rigid and happening as promised by FMCSA.

Currently, there are 15 Mexican motor carriers enrolled in the program with a total of 54 trucks on the road and an equal number of drivers more or less.

SAFESTAT provides the ability to look back at the past 30 months of operation of all carriers, but for our purposes, we’re going to look at the period of September 2007 until the present.

555188 TRANSPORTES OLYMPIC, Let’s start with these guys, the first carrier to enter the program. According to Safestat, there have been 17 driver inspections with no violations found, but there is an interesting item.

There have been 16 vehicle inspections resulting in two Out of Service (OOS) orders. The strange thing about this is the first occurred during the much ballyhooed initial crossing.

Detailed Inspection Report (As of January 25, 2008)
Carrier Information	Time and Location
FERNANDO PAEZ TREVINO CARRETERA MIGUEL ALEMAN KM 26.5 APODACA, NL 66600 US DOT#: 555188 MC#: 239409	Report #: 1136004664 Report State: US Inspection Date: 9/7/2007 Start-End Time: 22:30 – 00:33 Inspection Level: 1-Full Inspection Facility: Roadside Post Crash Inspection: No
Vehicle Information
Unit Type Make State License # VIN # 1 TRUCK TRACTOR FRHT TX R85520 1FUJA6CG47LX84133 2 SEMI-TRAILER WANC TX W84650 1JJF48264VL383548
Violations
Section Code Unit OOS Violation Category Violations Discovered 385.103C 1 Y UNKNOWN FAILURE TO DISPLAY CURRENT CVSA DECAL: PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY. 385.103C 2 Y UNKNOWN FAILURE TO DISPLAY CURRENT CVSA DECAL: PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY.
Hazardous Material
No HM Transported.

A two hour Level One Inspection. The tractor and trailer were registered properly in Texas yet they nailed them on no CVSA sticker. But, they were given the proper stickers and the cross border program was underway.

To date, Tranportes Olympic has experienced no other problems.

650383 TRANSPORTES RAFA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA SA DE CV

3 Trucks and 2 drivers in the program. From 9/2007 until present, the drivers were inspected 9 times with only one OOS violation. FMCSA made this call.

Detailed Inspection Report (As of January 25, 2008)
Carrier Information	Time and Location
TRANSPORTES RAFA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA SA DE CV 233 PAULIN AVE PMB 5625 CALEXICO, CA 92231 US DOT#: 650383 MC#: 299597	Report #: 1303000024 Report State: US Inspection Date: 9/28/2007 Start-End Time: 11:30 – 12:23 Inspection Level: 2-Walk-Around Inspection Facility: Fixed Site Post Crash Inspection: No
Vehicle Information
Unit Type Make State License # VIN # 1 TRUCK TRACTOR KW CA 9D68750 3WKAD09X54F615189 2 SEMI-TRAILER TRIM CA 4GJ8574 1PTG1JHXR9005768
Violations
Section Code Unit OOS Violation Category Violations Discovered 390.21(B) 1 N ALL OTHER VEHICLE DEFECTS Carrier name and/or USDOT reqd; Not displayed 391.11(B)(2) D Y ALL OTHER DRIVER VIOLATIONS Non-english speaking driver 395.3(A)(1) D Y 10/15 HOURS 11 hour rule violation (Property) 395.3(A)(2) D Y 10/15 HOURS 14 hour rule violation (Property) 395.8 D N ALL OTHER HOURS-OF-SERVICE Log violation (general/form and manner)
Hazardous Material
No HM Transported.

Who wants to bet this driver is no longer employed by this carrier!

On the vehicle side, in the same period, 7 level one inspections were performed with 2 OOS orders. This was on the same truck, same day, different hours and different trailer.

Section Code

Unit

OOS

Violation Category

Violations Discovered

393.45(A)(4)

2

Y

BRAKES, ALL OTHERS

BRAKE HOSE/TUBING CHAFFING AND/OR KINKING

393.19

2

Y

LIGHTING

No/defective turn/hazard lamp as required

Both items on the trailers and not a serious problem. A light bulb out and perhaps a couple of brake lines touching one another. For a US carrier and a driver with a good attitude, a warning or at most a fix it citation.

557972 LUCIANO PADILLA MARTINEZ, 3 trucks, 3 drivers. In 30 months, this company has endured 242 driver inspections with only 1 OOS incident and only 1 moving violation.

Section Code	Unit	OOS	Violation Category	Violations Discovered
391.11(B)(2)	D	Y	ALL OTHER DRIVER VIOLATIONS	Non-english speaking driver

A FMCSA Level 3 roadside inspection caught this one. And in MAy of 2006, only one moving violation.

Section Code	Unit	OOS	Violation Category	Violations Discovered
392.2C	D	N	FAILURE TO OBEY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE	Failure to obey traffic control device

When we look at the vehicle inspections, we find 87 inspections performed in 30 months with 15 OOS orders, although from the period of the cross border program, we see only 7

Section Code	Unit	OOS	Violation Category	Violations Discovered
392.2	2	Y	ALL OTHER DRIVER VIOLATIONS	Local laws (general)
396.3(A)(1)	2	N	ALL OTHER VEHICLE DEFECTS	Inspection/repair and maint parts & accssries

These are examples of the OOS items and they are generic, general and tell us nothing.

1052546 SERVICIOS REFRIGERADOS INTERNACIONALES S A DE C V, 3 Trucks and 3 drivers in the program.

In a 30 month period, 87 driver inspections were performed with no violations found and there are no moving violations for these drivers.

On the equipment inspections, 56 were performed with only 4 OOS violations discovered.

Section Code	Unit	OOS	Violation Category	Violations Discovered
393.75(A)(2)	2	Y	TIRES	Tire-tread and/or sidewall separation

393.45(D)

1

Y

BRAKES, ALL OTHERS

BRAKE CONNECTIONS WITH LEAKS/CONSTRICTIONS

396.3(A)(1)

2

Y

ALL OTHER VEHICLE DEFECTS

Inspection/repair and maint parts & accssries

393.67

1

Y

FUEL SYSTEMS

Fuel tank requirement violations

These inspections done on 2 separate units over a period of a month. How serious are these violations? Not much with the exception of the tire. Item two? Glad hand leaking air? A little dab of axle grease on the rubber solves that problem. Number 3? Another generic violation that is officer discretion and 4? Perhaps a missing fuel cap?

710491 HIGIENICOS Y DESECHABLES DEL BAJIO SA DE CV; 3 Trucks, 3 Drivers

30 driver inspections over the past 30 months with no violation and no moving violations. It should be noted that only one driver inspection has been performed within the time frame of the Cross Border Project.

Same thing on Vehicle inspections. 24 performed in a 30 month period with 5 OOS violations. Only one inspection performed within the Cross Border Program time frame and no violations were found.

Previous violations while operating under OP-2 authority included:

Section Code

Unit

OOS

Violation Category

Violations Discovered

396.3(A)(1)

2

Y

ALL OTHER VEHICLE DEFECTS

Inspection/repair and maint parts & accssries

396.3(A)(1)

2

Y

ALL OTHER VEHICLE DEFECTS

Inspection/repair and maint parts & accssries

393.48(A)

2

Y

BRAKES, ALL OTHERS

Inoperative/defective brakes

393.207(C)

2

Y

SUSPENSION

Leaf spring assembly defective/missing

396.3(A)(1)

2

Y

ALL OTHER VEHICLE DEFECTS

Inspection/repair and maint parts & accssries

NOTE: One mystery solved. 396.3(A)(1) is an FMCSA program called Tank Check, specific to Tanker operators. Again, these violations can be as simple as a missing discharge cap or the cap not attached to the trailer with a small chain. A spill bucket may not be present. Officer discretion and this is after all, the CHP.

650155 GCC TRANSPORTE SA DE CV. 13 trucks and 13 drivers. This is the company hauling specialized cement to customers in the US.

There have been 958 driver inspections in the past 30 months and in this period, only one OOS order. Since the inception of the Cross Border program, 227 driver inspections have occurred with the one OOS violation occurring on 11/27/2007.

Section Code	Unit	OOS	Violation Category	Violations Discovered
391.11(B)(2)	D	Y	ALL OTHER DRIVER VIOLATIONS	Non-english speaking driver

On the other hand, with these 13 drivers authorized under the program, they have amassed 9 moving violations. All in New Mexico, but none occurring while participating in the Cross Border Program

Data shows in the past 30 months, 735 inspections have been performed on the equipment with 90 OOS orders issued. Only 17 OOS orders while participating in the Cross Border Program though.

This is a summary of the violations for the 30 month period.

Vehicle OOS Violation Summary (within 30 months) Download Data

Nothing super serious. Although we are seeing where the Teamsters and OOIDA are taking this information and presenting it in “worst case” scenario. ie: Flat tire or fabric showing. Which is worse? Of course, “fabric showing” is worse but probably, all it was is a flat tire.

That enough for now. Perhaps I will continue this later, but for those who wish to look further, the remaining participants by USDOT number are:

1. 975222
2. 951134
3. 1658656
4. 559560
5. 563815
6. 1055053
7. 558189
8. 786826
9. 677516

You can look these carrier’s statistics up at SAFESTAT ONLINE

Tags: cross border, Mexican carriers, SAFESTAT