OOIDA says it's skeptical of FMCSA claim about safety of Mexican trucks
TODD SPENCER. (Courtesy OOIDA)
The Trucker News Services
9/21/2007
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) responded this week with skepticism to claims by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that safety records of Mexican trucks are better than U.S counterparts.
“It’s the same spin we’ve come to expect,” Executive Vice President Todd Spencer said. “And, it’s proof positive the nation’s top truck safety office has had its safety agenda hijacked by global profiteers.”
Just two weeks ago, at a news conference announcing the start of the program, FMCSA Administrator John Hill had no specific information on these carriers when questioned about the safety performance of grandfathered carriers operating in the United States, an OOIDA news release stated.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General report, when examining the border inspection practices of states where these trucks have allegedly been operating, they “curiously” found few, if any violations, OOIDA said.
OOIDA claimed that upon closer examination, the IG, not FMCSA, discovered that Texas and New Mexico had greatly under-reported the number of convictions.
OOIDA said the IG report noted that its office had found vehicle inspections were not reported at all in the 52nd State System (the database containing records of traffic violations Mexican commercial drivers commit in the United States).
The IG report, according to OOIDA, noted that New Mexico coded every Mexican violation incorrectly, so no records of convictions were recorded after July 2005. In Texas, the IG found there was a backlog of 40,000 Mexican driver-related commercial convictions and had no idea how long the backlog had been going on, OOIDA said.
“So, it appears the FMCSA did not notice there had not been any convictions from New Mexico and a great decline in Texas, but never looked to find out why,” Spencer.said.
The 52nd State System does not include truck safety issues or certain motor carrier regulations such as violations relating to operating a vehicle without operating authority or drivers failing to provide shipping documents.
The IG report also noted issues remain with verifying the Mexican Commercial Driver’s License. Sixteen percent of checks show “record not found,” OOIDA said, adding that as far as background checks for security purposes, there are no such databases in Mexico.
“Plus, there are numerous other safety and security concerns that obviously just don’t matter to this administration,” Spencer said. “Congress has spoken. The American public has spoken. It’s time for the DOT to listen.”