The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has announced it is supporting a resolution by Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) to delay granting Mexican trucks authority to operate in the U.S. under NAFTA until a prescribed comprehensive plan to ensure their safety is in place.
“The serious shortcomings of trucks from Mexico is a problem which too many lawmakers are ignoring”, said OOIDA president Jim Johnston. “There is a great deal of opposition and concern among many people across the country for the current plan to open the border at the end of this year without appropriate safety measures in place.”
OOIDA says that even though the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed several rules that it claims will allow verification of Mexican carrier compliance with U.S. safety rules, the proposals only touch upon a fraction of the issues raised by the opening of the border.
Other issues that will demand increased government supervision will be in the areas of customs and immigration, and compliance with all federal and state licensing, registration, permitting, environmental and user fee and tax requirements as every U.S. truck is required to do, OOIDA says.
