Congress requires the Department of Transportation Inspector General to review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s implementation of the program granting long-haul authority to Mexico-domiciled carriers. The IG began the audit in October and has said the report would be released in late summer, but did not elaborate.
As of Aug. 7, Baja Express Transportes SA de CV had made 34 border crossings into the United States. Transportes Olympic and Transportes del Valle De Guadalupe SA De CV made 24 and 20 trips respectively into the United States while Moises Alvarez Perez completed two crossings.
Servicios Refrigerados Internacionales SA De CV and Higienicos Y Desechables Delbajio SA De CV have not yet crossed beyond the commercial border zone.
Authority is pending for three additional carriers that have cleared Pre-Authorization Safety Audits, required of Mexican carrier seeking authority.
On Aug. 3, the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association asked the agency to deny the application of one of those carriers, GCC Transporte SA De CV. The association stated the carrier had not properly disclosed affiliations in applying to the program and had too many driver and equipment violations.
FMCSA published PASA results for Jose Guadalupe Morales Guevara, DBA Fletes Morales July 11 and rescinded preliminary approval for a third carrier, Grupo Behr, pending further investigation.
In June, the agency reported Mexican trucks that entered the United States between 2008 and 2010 had a significantly improved safety record over previous years. Federal funding legislation for those fiscal years required reports on the safety and security of these carriers be submitted annually to congressional appropriations committees.
Surface trade with Mexico is up, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported July 31. Imports transported by truck were up 16.1 percent while exports increased 18.4 percent for the year-long period ending in May.
Electrical machinery (equipment and parts) was the top commodity moved by all modes of surface transportation between the U.S. and Mexico. The next largest category was computer-related machinery and parts, followed by vehicles other than railway and plastics.
