Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Border Update: Will Mexico Allow Access?

Even as the U.S. government predicts it will be ready to allow Mexican trucks access by the end of the summer, Mexico appears to be balking at allowing reciprocal access

by Staff
July 17, 2002
2 min to read


Even as the U.S. government predicts it will be ready to allow Mexican trucks access by the end of the summer, Mexico appears to be balking at allowing reciprocal access.

Copley News Service reports that Mexico’s transportation agency isn’t accepting applications from U.S. truckers, and that the Mexican trucking association CANACAR has persuaded President Vicente Fox to consider a permanent ban on U.S. trucks.
Fox has criticized the rules the U.S. set up for Mexican trucks to operate on this side of the border, calling them “isolationist and discriminatory.”
Meanwhile, on the U.S. side of the border, the plans are still controversial. The California Trucking Assn., once in favor of the NAFTA provision, has now teamed up with environmentalists and labor unions seeking a court injunction to stop the trucks from entering.
The news service also reported last week that dozens of aging short-haul Mexican trucks have traveled illegally beyond the 20-mile commercial border zone to which they are legally limited.
In a recent DOT inspector general’s report, at least 52 Mexican motor carriers operated improperly in 20 states beyond the four border states in 1999. Part of the problem is that only California and Arizona allow officers to take enforcement action against trucks operating without the proper authority.
Meanwhile, the Mexican government has unveiled a program that might help address some U.S. concerns about Mexican trucks – the aging truck fleet south of the border, considered by many to be unsafe and polluting.
Government development bank National Financiers has teamed up with heavy truck makers to launch a $73.8 million program to lend small Mexican trucking companies up to 80 percent of the cost of a new truck.
Mexican trucks average 16 years old, compared to five years for U.S. trucks. Mexican transport groups have been advocating the modernization of the country’s trucking fleet for some time, especially in light of NAFTA.

Topics:Equipment

More Equipment

Waabi-Volvo autonomous VNL truck.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsJune 26, 2026

Waabi, Volvo Claim Breakthrough in Scaling Autonomous Trucking

Waabi says its AI-powered virtual driver successfully transferred to Volvo Autonomous Solutions' Volvo VNL Autonomous platform without retraining or additional data, a milestone the companies say could dramatically accelerate commercialization of autonomous trucks.

Read More →
2026 Mack Pioneer
Equipmentby Jack RobertsJune 25, 2026

Why the Mack Pioneer Signals a New Era in Class 8 Truck Design

After a public-road drive through eastern Pennsylvania, one thing became clear: Mack's new Pioneer isn't simply packed with technology -- it's been engineered around the driver in ways that could redefine long-haul trucking.

Read More →
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie on Mack Defense order.
EquipmentJune 23, 2026

Mack Defense Secures $47 Million to Continue Military Dump Truck Production

President Trump visited Mack Defense’s Macungie, Pennsylvania, facility on June 23 to tout a $47 million Heavy Dump Truck order.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mack Truck Museum, Allentown, PA.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsJune 23, 2026

New (Antique) Trucks Take the Spotlight at the Mack Trucks Museum

The Mack Trucks Historical Museum has a slate of new historic vehicles on display this year.

Read More →
Illustration of toy truck on top of 100-dollar bills, with logos for Wex and TFS Financial
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseJune 23, 2026

WEX, TFS Launch Equipment Financing Program for Trucking Fleets

The companies say the program uses technology to connect fleets with financing providers more efficiently than traditional lending channels.

Read More →
Line of vintage trucks
EquipmentJune 19, 2026

Historic, Vintage, and Antique Trucks at the 2026 ATHS Convention

More than 500 trucks were on display, indoors and out, at the 2026 American Historical Society annual convention in Springfield, Missouri.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration showing DEF tank and Detroit engine
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeJune 18, 2026

DTNA Software Update Gives Truckers More Time Before DEF Derates Take Effect

The changes reflect EPA guidance aimed at reducing downtime caused by emissions-system faults while maintaining compliance requirements.

Read More →
photo of a military truck with "Great American Trucks" wording on top of red-white-and-blue background.
Equipmentby Jack RobertsJune 16, 2026

Great American Trucks: The International MaxxPro MRAP

Built from an International WorkStar chassis and powered by a MaxxForce diesel, the MaxxPro MRAP became one of the most important military trucks of the Iraq War era.

Read More →
2026 Mack Granite interior.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseJune 11, 2026

New Mack Granite Cab Puts Driver Comfort Front and Center

Mack’s next-generation vocational truck features a roomier cab, premium seating, advanced steering technology, and a driver-focused interior designed with direct input from professional operators.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mack Trucks Pioneer Nascar Salutes truck.
Equipmentby News/Media ReleaseJune 11, 2026

Mack Unveils Fan-Selected Patriotic NASCAR Pioneer Wraps

Racing fans picked the patriotic design now featured on three Mack Pioneer trucks hauling NASCAR equipment across the country during the 2026 season.

Read More →