Legislation to stop the U.S. Department of Transportation from fully opening the U.S. border to Mexican trucks prior to evaluating its one-year pilot program was passed late Thursday, July 31, by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“As we approach the end of the one-year Mexican truck demonstration program, I have introduced bipartisan legislation that will terminate the program and force DOT to fully evaluate the results before it rushes to open the border,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. “All along, DOT has said this would be a one-year pilot, so I’m holding them to their word.”

In response, John H. Hill, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, announced today, Aug. 4, that the cross-border trucking demonstration project would be extended for two years. “I am pleased with the success of our demonstration project, but the participation has been limited by the uncertainty of the project’s longevity,” Hill said.

The program, which began Sept. 6, allows Mexican trucks to begin traveling beyond a 25-mile zone into the U.S. interior. U.S. trucks participating in the pilot program also are permitted to haul cargo deep into Mexico. Hill said a number of potential companies have been unwilling to invest the time and resources necessary to participate due to uncertainties concerning the project’s longevity.

“We intend this extension to reassure trucking companies that they will have sufficient time to realize a return on their investment, and we anticipate additional participation with this extra time,” Hill said.

DeFazio said DOT needs to look at how much the pilot has cost and the impact it has had on overall motor carrier safety. “This administration has been hell-bent on opening up our border, but over the past year has failed to show they can adequately inspect Mexican carriers while also maintaining a robust U.S. safety inspection program,” he said. “The safety of the traveling public must come first before the administration’s fantasies about free trade.”

Hill said the two-year extension “will ensure that the demonstration project can be reviewed and evaluated on the basis of a more comprehensive body of data.” Hill said that FMCSA has adhered to the law and exceeded requirements established by Congress, both safety and otherwise, for implementing North American Free Trade Agreement obligations. “To date, the project has shown that U.S. and Mexican carriers can engage in cross-border trucking operations in compliance with applicable laws and with no compromise to public safety or security,” Hill said. “In fact, Mexican trucks and drivers have established compliance rates equal or better to those of U.S. trucks and drivers.”