The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration anticipates granting provisional authority to the first Mexican carrier in the cross-border trucking pilot program this month.

The FMCSA will publish Federal Register notices before granting the provisional operating authority. On Oct. 12, it will publish “Commercial Driver’s License Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Mexico,” summarizing results of the agency’s site visits.

Also this month, it will publish the FMCSA’s response to public comments on the two Mexican carriers that have completed Pre-Authority Screening Audits.

In a new report to Congress, the agency outlined steps it is taking or has taken to address issues raised by the Office of Inspector General’s Aug. 19 account to Congress of the program. Federal law requires this oversight office to report to Congress any remaining legal requirements that must be met before initiating a pilot program. In response, the agency must take action to satisfy any deficit the OIG cites to comply with law.

Since that OIG report, the FMCSA developed and implemented a policy for conducting 50 percent of the Pre-Authority Screening Audits (PASA) and compliance reviews (CR) in Mexico. Agency officials are working with the Inspector General to meet this recommendation.

The FMCSA’s reported it will send auditor teams to ensure safety during the PASAs and CRs. So far, 11 Mexico-domiciled motor carriers have applied for long-haul authority and agency officials completed the PASAs on two of these carriers in Mexico on Aug. 25 and 26.

PASA is an FMCSA review in which the motor carrier must demonstrate it complies with requirements for drug and alcohol testing, hours-of-service, insurance, vehicle maintenance and inspections, and qualified drivers.