The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has more work to do before it can ensure the safety of Mexican trucks coming across the U.S. border, says the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General.
Safety has improved, as measured by out-of-service orders, but the enforcement effort still is not where it needs to be, said Inspector General Kenneth Mead in a report for Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., and Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn.
The overall out-of-service rate along the border in fiscal year 2000 was 36%, down from 44% in FY 1997, the report says. That 36% rate compares to a 24% overall rate in the U.S.
But those statistics do not tell the whole story. As the report acknowledges, the problem is a regional one reflecting geography and the level of state commitment to enforcement. In California, for example, where there are few crossings and inspectors are on hand for full-time enforcement, the out-of-service rate for Mexican trucks is 23%. In Texas, where there are many more crossings and where staffing is lighter, the rate is much higher – 50% at one crossing in El Paso alone.
In his report, Mead notes that the safety agency has proposed new rules for Mexican trucks (See "Safety Agency Proposes Mexico Rules"), and is working on an implementation plan for the opening, expected by the first of next year.
"We are moving full speed ahead," said Steve Barber, associate administrator for enforcement and program delivery at the agency. He said he expects to have a document describing the plan around the end of May.
"The agency is mobilized to do what is required to ensure the safe opening of the border," he said.
Mead's report provided ammunition for opponents of the opening. Hollings and Oberstar said it confirms that unsafe Mexican trucks are a problem, and that more resources are needed. Joining the chorus was Teamsters President James P. Hoffa: "The inspection efforts at the border are nowhere near enough to protect the safety of the American traveling public. This report confirms our worst fears that unsafe Mexican trucks will roll uninspected onto U.S. highways."
Among the issues detailed in the Mead report:
While the safety agency has budgeted for 80 additional enforcement personnel along the border – which would bring the total number to 140 – it must be sure that inspectors are on duty at all crossings whenever commercial traffic is moving.
The agency needs to improve its communications infrastructure at many crossings. For example, at 20 crossings, inspectors did not have dedicated telephone lines to access critical safety records. The agency has budgeted $56.3 million for new facilities and improvements along the border. In addition, according to FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Julie Anna Cirillo, Texas has appropriated funds to build eight new inspection facilities.
Enforcement of registration requirements varies from state to state along the border.
