Chicago Tribune | Op-Ed | August 6, 2001 | Sen. Richard J. Durbin, (D-Ill)
I am responding to your recent editorial regarding Mexican trucks. I can specifically recall during the debate on NAFTA--which I voted for--asking whether such an agreement would require the United States to compromise any of our health or safety standards.
The response was unequivocal. Companies in other countries exporting to the United States would be held to the same health and safety standards as U.S. companies.
Now we are debating the safety of Mexican trucks making deliveries in our country and the competency of Mexican truck drivers.
The standard we are imposing is exactly the same standard of safety and skill that we impose on U.S. trucks and drivers.
Why are Mexican trucks an issue? The Tribune concludes it's American truckers, specifically the Teamsters, trying to protect their jobs. No doubt that is part of the political calculus. But there is more.
In Fiscal Year 2000, there were approximately 4.5 million northbound truck crossings along the southern border of the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, during Fiscal Year 2000, state and federal staff inspected nearly 97,000 of those vehicles. Approximately 46,000 of those crossings were made by Mexican-domiciled trucks.
The out-of-service rate, or rate of trucks failing inspection, for Mexican commercial vehicles was 36 percent whereas the U.S. out-of-service rate was 24 percent. In short, the Mexican out-of-service rate is 50 percent higher than the U.S. out-of-service rate.
In the United States, there are limits on how many hours a trucker can drive consecutively. In Mexico, there are none. U.S. law requires truckers to keep logbooks that can be inspected. In Mexico, a similar law is not enforced. U.S. drivers are subject to alcohol and drug testing. Mexico has no testing laboratories certified to U.S. testing standards.
The maximum weight on U.S. trucks is 80,000 pounds. The Mexican limit is 135,000 pounds. In the United States, trucks transporting hazardous materials are subject to strict standards and inspection. The Mexican program includes few hazardous substances and fewer licensure requirements. Additionally, the United States requires truck safety inspections. Mexican standards and testing for inspections are still being finalized. Finally, U.S. trucks are required to be insured for financial responsibility from $750,000 to $5 million. The Mexican insurance is $70,000.
I favor free trade. I voted for NAFTA. But I didn't vote to abandon common sense. Ensuring that Mexican trucks have the same safety standards as our own trucks is not protectionism -- it's a fair reading of a treaty from either side of the table. Families, employees and U.S. companies deserve nothing less.
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