Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
National Headquarters: 1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO 64029
Tel: (816) 229-5791 Fax: (816) 427-4468
Washington Office: 122 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Tel: (202) 347-2007 Fax: (202) 347-2008
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Norita Taylor
February 23, 2007
(800) 444-5791
Opening Border Risks Safety of American Motorists
Serious Concerns Need To Be Addressed By Congress
(February 23, 2007, Grain Valley, MO) – Even though some issues may seem to have been addressed by the U. S. Department of Transportation, important questions remain unanswered with regard to opening the borders for Mexican motor carriers and granting 100 trucking companies the blessing to operate freely throughout the United States. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) announced strong opposition to this program, and intends to communicate to U.S. Congress several concerns on issues including safety, security, driver verification, drug and alcohol testing, hours of service, cabotage, inspections and insurance.
The Association maintains that safety and security of U.S. motorists and truckers while sharing our highways with trucks from Mexico can no more be assured now than it could in 2002 when Congress overwhelmingly told the Bush administration that safety had to be assured before the border opens.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer said “While some of the safety shortcomings of trucks from Mexico have seen improvement since then, many others have not. DOT has maintained for at least a decade that the licenses used in Mexico to drive trucks are the equivalent of the American CDL, that’s never been true.
“There is simply no way anyone can know whether a truck driver coming from Mexico entering the United States has been awake two hours or two weeks when they clear the border.”
While the DOT says the licenses used in Mexico to drive trucks are the equivalent of the American CDL that has never been proven true. Not only are U.S. regulations on American truckers more stringent in terms of verifying a driver has been tested, but U.S. licenses can also be verified to show driving history, violations and compliance of any vehicle driver going back many years.
“When enforcement officials run a Mexican CDL the only information he can access will be that of previous operation in the U.S., not Mexico where a driver might have a rap sheet as along as your arm,” added Spencer.
Once a truck from Mexico clears the border, enforcement of rules covering international shipments and authority are non-existent. Congress directed that states adopt laws for trucks with international shipments, but few have done so. Nor have their law enforcement officers ever been trained on what to enforce and how to assure compliance with U.S. law.
“We’re looking at options now,” Spencer said. “We feel DOT is over-stepping its bounds with this pilot project and they may very well be over-stepping Congressional mandates.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is the national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo. area. The Association currently has more than 149,000 members from all 50 states and Canada.