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Did you survive ROADCHECK 2011?

Main building of SCT Weigh station with offices for SCT, Federal Police, onsite drug, alcohol and medical testing and even a couple of jail cells

Roadcheck 2011 is one for the books for the most part. So, did everyone survive?

From Canada to Mexico, there was supposed to be scores of Federal, State and local truck inspectors working round the clock in the annual CVSA 72 hour blitz known as “Roadcheck”, or to some of us, “Vacation Time”.

I fall into the former category for the 25th year in a row. I learned my lesson early on. Stay the hell off the roads during this revenue enhancement effort. It helps that my birthday always falls in the middle of the “blitz”.

Time to go back to work, sunburned from a week under the palms, by the pool, kicked back and relaxing in Monterrey. Got to get back to work to get some rest, as most of us do.

Mexico, it’s Federal Police, SCT, State and local transit police participated this year once again. They’ve been full partners in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Administration (CVSA) program since 1991. The level of participation? It’s hard to determine at this time. They were out doing roadside checks. The SCT “Sooper Coop” south of Nuevo Laredo on MX-85 was open on Wednesday June 8. It looked to be a combination inspection blitz and driver appreciation effort, as they had the grills fired up and a good number of rigs off to the side and under the inspection sheds. Coming back yesterday evening, everything locked up tight, similar to reports coming in from across America.

It’ll be interesting to see the numbers once they’re released, considering Mexico’s law enforcement apparatus is currently involved in trying to settle down the warring cartel factions and the wannabes. Although the “Big Boys” are doing a fine job of cleaning up their own houses.

Take note the violence is between cartels or gangs and has nothing to do with the Mexican trucking industry despite what others might claim.

PHOTO GALLERY
The following photos were taken in and around and enroute to Monterrey from Nuevo Laredo this week.

Again, photos of a Mexican “Super Coop”, automated, weigh in motion technology, that doesn’t exist according to some critics of Mexican trucks, who have LOST ALL CREDIBILITY on the issue. Because how could a facility exist if regulations don’t exist to enforce the non existent regulations. Something to think about here.

It was also interesting to note that the Texas DPS was out in force at the border crossings in Laredo, checking intercity buses crossing the border. It appeared that all passed their Level I inspections.

Mexico SCT equal partner in ROADCHECK 2011

SCT and Federal Preventive Police in Mexico are taking an active and equal role in Roadcheck 2011

COMUNICADO 044.- MÉXICO PARTICIPA EN EL “ROADCHECK” INTERNACIONAL DE VERIFICACIÓN EN AUTOTRANSPORTE FEDERAL

•  El Roadcheck es un operativo de la Alianza de Seguridad en Vehículos Comerciales (CVSA), de la cual México forma parte desde 1991

•  Revisiones a autotransporte federal en México, Estados Unidos y Canadá para comprobar que los vehículos estén en condiciones físico-mecánicas seguras.

La Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT), a través de la Dirección General de Autotransporte Federal y los Departamentos de Autotransporte Federal de los Centros SCT, verificará las condiciones físico-mecánicas y de seguridad de vehículos de autotransporte federal en operativos a efectuarse en el sistema carretero nacional, como parte del programa “ROADCHECK” de la Alianza de Seguridad en Vehículos Comerciales (CVSA por sus siglas en inglés).

Este programa, que se llevará a cabo de manera simultánea en México, Estados Unidos y Canadá, del 7 al 9 de junio, tiene el propósito de incrementar la seguridad de los usuarios de carreteras en el país, mediante la aplicación de la Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM-068-SCT-2-2000) de Condiciones Físico Mecánicas, equivalente con las reglas “Out of Service” estadounidense y “Safety Code” de Canadá.

México firmó el Memorando de Entendimiento con la CVSA el 22 de agosto de 1991, convirtiéndose en miembro de esta Alianza y desde entonces ha venido participando en forma constante.

Como en años anteriores, y gracias al intercambio los estados y provincias estadounidenses y canadienses con las autoridades de la Secretaría, este ejercicio permitirá reconocer mejores prácticas y, en general, identificar áreas de oportunidad para incrementar la seguridad vial en las carreteras.

Esta etapa preventiva será complementada con visitas de inspección en las instalaciones de las empresas para comprobar el cumplimiento de las indicaciones de la SCT para que esas unidades operen con seguridad.

Los transportistas también pueden efectuar la verificación semestral de sus unidades en los diversos centros instalados y autorizados por la SCT en diversas entidades del territorio nacional.

Owner Operators United President Dan Little helps debunk OOIDA misinformation and drivers misperceptions

In a recent post,  I commented on allegations made by OOU President Dan Little, accusing FMCSA of falsifying CVSA inspections records for Mexican motor carriers. Mr Little took it upon himself and his organization to respond to that post with the records of 13 “randomly” selected Mexican carriers from the FMCSA SAFERSYS database. Mr Little made these allegations about the carrier list he submitted. They are: Read more

Roadcheck 2008 begins today

The annual three-day inspection blitz known as Roadcheck takes place this week at more than 1,000 inspection locations at weigh stations and roadside checkpoints across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The annual event sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is Tuesday through Thursday, June 3-5, and will involve tens of thousands of inspections by federal, state, provincial and local inspectors.

For Mexico Trucker, it will be the first time in almost 20 years I’ve worked during this event. Why? Well, my 10 year old Mexican owned Classic XL passed a Level I inspection in Louisiana last week so in theory, I won’t be subjected to the hassles of the event. According to Louisiana State Troopers Chesne at the St Martin scales, mine was the only truck in 72 hours which he put a sticker on. For me, it’s the hassle factor. They say it is for safety but in reality, safety takes a back seat to revenue enhancement.

Mexico began their participation yesterday. As I was returning from the house in Monterrey to the border to begin another work week, I encountered no less than 8 Federal Police units with Mexican big rigs on the side in pull offs undergoing inspection.

I can’t find any statistics for Mexico’s participation in Roadcheck 2007, but OOIDA is reporting,

CVSA reported that Mexican officials conducted just 139 inspections with 10 trucks being placed OOS and no driver violations.

I can’t find these figure anywhere on CVSA website so I would assume it is more of OOIDA spreading misinformation about Mexico and it’s trucking industry.

It will be an interesting day as I travel the border route from Laredo to El Paso and on to Denver tomorrow afternoon to see just how intensive this “blitz” is. In the past, it seems to have been, as Willy P. Shakesphere once said, “Much a doo doo over nada”!