Mexico Trucker Online

On February 23, 2007, the Secretary of Transportation announced that a select group of Mexican trucking companies will be allowed to make deliveries beyond the current 20-25 mile commercial zones currently in place along the Southwest border.

The following explains the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) legislatively directed reporting requirements regarding cross-border trucking issues at the southern border and the status of our current work.

In 2001, Congress directed OIG to review the implementation of specific border operations before Mexican motor carriers could operate under authority granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) beyond the commercial zones at the border and throughout the United States. Specifically, the FY 2002 Appropriations Act (the Act) requires two events to occur before Mexican carriers may operate beyond the commercial zones at the southern border.

The first event is an OIG review of border operations to verify eight criteria that address hiring and training of FMCSA inspectors, establishment of inspection facilities, and development of safety processes and procedures. This review was completed and we reported our findings to the Secretary in June 2002.

The second event is a certification by the Secretary of Transportation, in a manner addressing our findings, that the opening of the border does not pose an unacceptable safety risk to the American public. The Secretary made this certification in November 2002.

As required under the Act, we have continued to annually review border operations and have issued periodic reports and findings to the Department.

Our latest report, issued in January 2005, found that FMCSA continued to have the staff, facilities, equipment and procedures in place to substantially meet the eight criteria of the Act subject to OIG’s review.

Our current review required under the Act is ongoing and we expect to publicly release the report in the coming months. As part of our ongoing responsibility under the Act to review the implementation of the cross-border trucking provisions established by Congress, we will monitor the pilot program announced today.

Since 1998, the OIG has issued seven reports on NAFTA issues. A listing of the prior audits is attached. These reports are available on our web site: www.oig.dot.gov.

Prior OIG Audit Coverage on NAFTA

1. OIG Report Number MH-2005-032, Follow-up Audit of the Implementation of the North American Free trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) Cross Border Trucking Provisions. Issued January 3, 2005

2. OIG Report Number MH-2003-041, Follow –up Audit on the Implementation of Commercial Vehicle Safety Requirements at the U.S. – Mexico Border. Issued May 16, 2003

3. OIG Report Number MH-2002-094, Implementation of Commercial Vehicle Safety Requirements at the U.S.-Mexican Border. Issued June 25, 2002

4. OIG Report Number MH-2001-096, Motor Carrier Safety at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Issued September 21, 2001

5. OIG Report Number MH-2001-059, Interim Report on Status of Implementing the North American Free Trade Agreement’s Cross- Border Trucking Provisions. Issued May 8, 2001

6. OIG Report Number TR- 2000-013, Mexico-Domiciled Motor Carriers. Issued November 4, 1999. http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=220 7. OIG Report Number TR-1999-034, Motor Carrier Safety Program for Commercial Trucks at the U.S. Border. Issued December 28, 1998