Mexico Trucker Online Articles

The waits will be longer – Texas DPS threatens to disrupt border commerce

Texas Department of Public Safety Inspectors announced today their plans to cause a total disruption of border commerce in the Laredo sector

Texas DPS along with USDOT and FMCSA have been handing out pamphlets announcing their intentions of turning back at the border, any transfer driver who can not or will not respond to their questions in English.

Luis Brown Robert Sesma, president of the National Camera of the Motor transport de Carga (Canacar), expressed this week, his indignation of measures being announced, that the FMCSA and USDOT will take towards Mexican carriers.

“it is ridiculous to announce that they will put out of service the operators who do not speak English, it is understood when you go to the interior of the United States, but in the border region, to force them, that is not right”!

He added that according to a pamphlet which they are giving to Mexican shuttle drivers, that it is anticipated that ofnot responding in English to the personnel of the DPS, will cause them tobe put out of service and the operators and the carriers could be fined.

With nearly 5000 Mexican shuttle drivers operating in the area, it was determined by CANACAR representatives, that perhaps 2-3% speak English at a level of 30%.

FMCSA Regulation 391.11 (b)(2) specifies that commercial can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.

We agree with this rule where it applies to the participants in the Cross Border Program and any other driver operating on the nations highways, but Mexico Trucker has a definite problem with the enforcement of the regulation in an area where English is realistically, a second language and 95% of the folks down here are bi-lingual.

This seems little more than harassment and a means to enhance the county coffers at the expense of these drivers who only make about $20 dollars per crossing.

We do things a little differently down here on the border and in the end, it all comes together and works smoothly and efficiently.

If this policy is enforced here, you can expect longer wait times for your trailers to cross the border, which means more idle time in the truck stops.

Let’s see, there are 5000 drivers, and only 3% speak acceptable English, that is 150 trucks to do the work of 5000.

Yep! ya’ll going be doing some sitting, measured days instead of hours!

Be careful what you wish for people! The repercussions ain’t nice!

CANACAR spokesman plan to complain to the Mexican government for relief. Mexico Trucker fully supports CANACAR this time and is in opposition to this incredibly stupid plan.

Mexican carriers with USDOT Numbers

I’ve always said that the entire debate is an exercise in gross stupidity and I continue to maintain that position.

Teamster, OOIDA, Public Citizen and other fringe “safety” groups continue to oppose 12 Mexican carriers putting 54 well maintained trucks on the highways of the US.

We’ve also made mention of the estimated 1000 Mexican carriers who were grandfathered in back in 1982 when President Reagon signed the moratorium against foreign carriers. But those were never mentioned and are not mentioned when discussing the Cross Border Program.

Has anyone ever wondered exactly how many Mexican companies are assigned USDOT identification numbers? And how many power units operate under this identifying number.

Would you believe 14,243 Mexican truck operators have USDOT numbers? Would you also believe that these operators have more than 43,857 power units available?

Believe people! I ain’t been wrong yet. Or better yet, Download the Spreadsheet and see for yourself.

And you’re worried about 55 trucks!