A twelve-month pilot program will allow US trucks to make deliveries in Mexico for the first time ever, and a select group of Mexican trucking companies will be allowed to make deliveries beyond the 20-25 mile commercial zones along the Southwest border.
US Transportation secretary Mary Peters said the new program was designed to simplify the process that currently requires Mexican truckers to stop and wait for US trucks to arrive and transfer cargo – a process that wastes money, inflates the cost of goods, and leaves trucks loaded with cargo idling inside US borders.
Ms Peters pointed out that under current rules, US trucks are not allowed into Mexico because the US refused to implement provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that would have permitted safe cross-border trucking.
However, US officials will now conduct on-site safety audits of Mexican trucking companies, to ensure they comply with US safety and HOS regulations.
Mexican truck companies that meet these standards will be allowed to make international pick-up and deliveries only, and will not be able to move goods from one US city for delivery to another, haul hazardous materials or transport passengers.
Mexico will also begin to consider applications from US trucking firms for licensing rights to operate within Mexico. Approximately 100 US operators would be licensed by Mexico for cross-border operations.
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