Teamsters give DOT what for over Mexican trucks

We're off to a great start telling the government why it's an insane idea to open the border to Mexican trucks.

We checked the Federal Register today and comments are running overwhelmingly against the proposed cross-border trucking program. So far, the comments are 26 against, four in favor. You can guess who wants to open the border:

1. The Multinational American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico,
2. The agribusiness association, 
3. A group called "Alliance To Kill Keep U.S. Jobs." This group includes some of the biggest corporate offshorers on the planet -- GE, Caterpillar, Altria.
4. A woman named "Andrea Sitler, PhD." (Figures, doesn't it?)

Our Teamster brothers and sisters are submitting comments, and they're great.

Brother J. Peters writes:

Another attempt at destroying the lives, environment and jobs of actual Americans who, mind you, had or have to pay a lot of money to get their CDL just to be considered for a job!

Brother Robert Lisiecki from Local 282 writes:

Those trucks are not going back to Mexico empty, America has lost enough jobs.

And Brother Ed V. Deanley writes:

I drive a truck for a living and I am very discouraged with your proposal. What I go through to get my CDL -- then try my best to keep it -- and how this drivers will just waltz in to America is beyond me.

The owner of a small trucking company writes:

It is hard for the small companies to compete with large companies like Swift. If the proposed pilot program is approved it will put many small trucking companies, like us, out of business.

And our good friend Heather Pontruff, aka Truckers Voice, had this to say:

I, for one, do not wish to see Mexican trucks coming into the U.S. NAFTA needs to be re-written to allow fairness for all involved. I do not want my taxes to go Mexican trucks in making sure they are compliant. I do not wish for the safety problems that will exist to exist. Point blank. I vote. I pay taxes. I say NO.

We especially like this comment:

Keep up the great decisions you think you're making and hopefully y'all will get to worry about your jobs soon.

We still have a long way to go to overwhelm them with our comments. It's pretty easy to do. Just go to the Teamster.org page here and click on a sample letter.

There are four other ways to do it. Remember to include a REASON why it's a bad idea.

1. On-line. Click here. Click on Submit a Comment. Type away.
2. Fax. The number is 1-202-493-2251. Be sure to include the docket number, FMCSA-2011-0097.

3. 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. Be sure to include the docket number, FMCSA-2011-0097

4. Hand Delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Or send it to the IBT and we'll deliver it. Be sure to include the docket number, FMCSA-2011-0097

To read the comments, click here.