The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should not grant long-haul operating authority to Mexican carriers until American and Mexican authorities agree on on-site safety reviews, according to a recent audit that also noted hundreds of Mexican trucks already operating well beyond designated border zones.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that would have required federal officials to conduct a lengthy environmental study before opening the border. At that time Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said the ruling “opens the way for the U.S. Department of Transportation to continue working with Mexican authorities to move forward with long-haul bus and truck operations.”
This month, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation released its audit in compliance with a 2002 congressional act requiring the OIG to periodically review the agency’s border operations. That law prevents the FMCSA from using funds to review or process Mexican carriers seeking authority until certain safety requirements and preconditions are met. Those requirements include that half of Mexican carriers applying for authority be reviewed on-site and that on-site reviews cover at least 50 percent of the estimated truck traffic each year.
The OIG reported that the agency shouldn’t grant operating authority until the two countries reach agreement on conducting on-site reviews.
Additionally, the OIG said the agency needs to have an agreement with Mexico before Mexican carriers can haul hazmat beyond the commercial zone, in light of new requirements for U.S. drivers resulting from the Patriot Act. The two countries are negotiating this issue as well.
The FMCSA and the Transportation Security Administration have agreed that the TSA will lead negotiations on a hazmat agreement, given that the TSA is responsible for identifying security threats.
The OIG also said the agency should close gaps in reaching full compliance with the congressional rules related to enforcement authority, bus coverage, weigh-in-motion systems, and the comprehensiveness of the system monitoring Mexican driver records in the United States.
