The public has until May 21 to comment on three Mexican carriers applying for authority through the cross-border trucking pilot program.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s May 11 Federal Register notice provides data from the applicants’ Pre-Authorization Safety Audits, required for Mexican carriers to operate beyond the commercial border zone.
The carriers are Higienicos Y Desechables Del Bajio, Servicios Refrigerados Internacionales and Transportes Del Valle De Guadalupe. No applicant has failed the PASA so far, FMCSA said.
Each applicant has one truck and one driver to participate in the program, as do the three carriers already admitted to the program. Participating carriers have made 29 crossings into the United States since the agency began the program in October.
FMCSA said Higienicos y Desechables del Bajio and Servicios Refrigerados Internacionales have affiliations with other companies not noted in their initial applications. However, the companies connected with the two carriers are in good standing or are inactive and there is no evidence that there is an attempt to hide previous non-compliance or safety problems, it stated.
The agency added that it updated its records to correct two discrepancies. In listing drug and alcohol consortia, Higienicos y Desechables del Bajio and Transportes Del Valle de Guadalupe provided incorrect telephone numbers, while Servicios Refrigerados Internacionales listed the incorrect name.
Twelve other applicants have pending PASA results. The agency had granted a fourth applicant preliminary approval, which it rescinded pending further investigation. FMCSA dismissed two more applicants and a third prospective participant withdrew its application.
Anyone wishing to comment on the applicants’ PASAs must use one of the following methods and include the Federal Docket Management System Number, FMCSA-2011-0097:
- Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov.
- Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
- Mail to Docket Management Facility, (M-30), U.S. Department of Transportation DOT, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room 12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
More information is available on the Federal Register.
On a separate but related issue, the agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee will continue work on designating a subcommittee to provide independent monitoring of the pilot program on May 23.
The FMCSA has requested the MCSAC form a subcommittee comprised with one member from each of the safety advocates and law enforcement communities and a MCSAC member. The committee is also to invite a representative of Mexico’s federal motor carrier agency to participate in meetings in a non-voting advisory capacity.
The committee also is to assess the safety record of Mexican carries program participants and issue a final report addressing whether FMCSA conducted the program consistent with the objectives it had stated.
