The suit was filed Friday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco by the Teamsters and the nonprofit group Public Citizen against the Department of Transportation and its Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The complaint alleges that the pilot program sets standards that aren't stringent enough for Mexican trucks and drivers. For example, the program waives a law requiring trucks to display proof of meeting federal safety standards, said Jonathan Weissglass, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
An official for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said the Teamsters haven't directly served the agency with a lawsuit. Once they do, the agency "will review and address the filing," she said, adding that the pilot program will begin within 30 to 60 days. The official declined to address the substance of the suit.Considering that Texas officials found Mexican trucks had 1.2 million safety violations between 2007 and 2011, it's pretty damn likely they can't meet U.S. safety standards.
We like what President Hoffa had to say:
The last thing America needs right now is a guest worker program on wheels. We created zero jobs last month.In the meantime, two Mexican trucking companies are likely to get approval soon to join the so-called "pilot program." Reports the Houston Chronicle,
...two Mexican trucking companies are on track to receive U.S. operating authority by the end of the month.Isn't it funny how we're not hearing that any U.S. trucking companies are getting the authority to operate in Mexico? Wasn't this trade deal supposed to be a two-way street for Mexican and American trucking companies? Oh wait, that's right, no U.S. trucking company in its right mind would send trucks into the war zone that's known as Mexico.
At that time, Mexico is obligated under an agreement signed in July to drop the remaining 50 percent of the punitive tariffs against nearly 100 U.S.-made goods that began in 2009.
The Department of Transportation on Thursday notified the Free Trade Alliance San Antonio that seven Mexican long-haul carriers have applied to make U.S. deliveries under a new cross-border trucking program, and two are close to approval.
