Mexican trucks will not be able to haul loads from one U.S. city to another.

Drivers for Mexican trucking companies will soon be able to take their U.S.-bound loads all the way to their destination. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Mexican truckers to
begin hauling freight north of the border eight years after the North American Free Trade Agreement would have given those carriers access to U.S. highways.

The Court unanimously ruled that the Bush administration can open the border to Mexican trucks without first completing an extensive environmental analysis.

Public Citizen, along with labor and environmental groups, sued to stop the trucks from entering the United States The groups said that federal regulations required the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to do an Environmental Impact Statement and a general conformity evaluation before allowing Mexican-domiciled trucks to operate on U.S. highways. An appeals court agreed, ruling that the agency had violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and related Clean Air Act regulations.

But the June 7 Supreme Court decision reverses that lower court victory and puts implementation on the fast track.

No timetable has been set for opening the border, but the Bush Administration has made opening the border a priority and the FMCSA began certifying Mexican carriers in Fall 2002.