Concerned the cross-border trucking program hasn’t attracted enough Mexican trucking firms, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking more carriers to apply. At a Feb. 23 meeting in Tijuana, Mexico, across from the Otay Mesa (Calif.) border crossing, FMCSA officials said more Mexican trucker involvement is needed to show their trucks can operate safely.
Members of Mexican trucking group Canacar who attended the Feb. 23 meeting complained that Mexican truckers face more stringent requirements than their U.S. counterparts under the current pilot project. A Canacar official said the process is complicated, expensive and “hasn’t brought us any benefit.”
While 21 Mexican companies have applied to join the program, only three have been cleared to operate, while a fourth carrier was found in violation of U.S. leasing laws.
FMCSA on Tuesday, Feb. 28, announced the latest company to be cleared, Baja Express Transportes SA de CV, has been granted permission to allow one truck and one driver to operate in the United States.
