Obama Promises Solution to Mexico Trucking Conflict After Meeting Calderon
President Barack Obama told his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon that he is committed to resolving a dispute over truck access to U.S. highways.

As part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S. agreed to allow Mexican trucks unrestricted access to deliver goods in the U.S., a pledge it has never fully honored because safety advocates and union officials say Mexico’s trucks and drivers don’t meet U.S. standards. Nafta rules would also have allowed Mexican trucks to pick up cargo to return to Mexico

The question is, just how is Obama looking to resolve this?

The unrestricted delivery of materials from Mexico to the US will be great for the corporations whose products will be shipped across the border, and potentially catastrophic for American truckers, both union and independent.

Who's going to inspect the trucks for safety?

What about the insurance on these vehicles, and what happens if they get involved in an accident?

Who is going to certify that each driver drives well enough, and speaks English well enough to be permitted to drive in the US?

That was a big issue when Texas was pushing the Trans-Texas Corridor there for a while. Mexican trucks aren't up to par and what was going to happen with regards to safety?

The other thing that came up was that American truckers weren't allowed into Mexico. Or not very far in. Mexican drivers would switch out and bring back trailers with barely useful tires. They'd switCh and steal the better ones.

Since when do you have to be fluent in a language to drive any sort of vehicle in a foreign country? I've driven through Iraq, Saudi, and Kuwait, and I can only speak 2 words in Arabic, and can read NONE.

I agree with the need for them to get the trucks up to our specs, and also the need for them to know our rules of the road, but.. SHEESH. You make it sound like you want to give them an English aptitude test. A lot of Americans might not pass that test, let alone a foreigner.

dot in whatever state theyre in inspects those trucks. If theyre found to be unsafe, the company that is being delivered to must send a truck capable of passing a safety inspection with a cdl driver (if the truck is 25,900 or more) to relieve the mexican truck which is then impounded til it can be towed or fixed to meet standards.

Mexican trucks dont need insurance in mexico, thus the company being delivered to must provide a form of temoprary insurance if the mexican trucking company cannot.

they dont have to speak english as long as their bill of laiden and manifest are in english and spanish.

My dads company is going thru that crap right now. He deliveres x-ray equipment that is no longer suitable for united states citizens thru health regulations, the mexicans and veteranarians eat that crap up quick.

I actually agree with willing2 that is unusal in itself. I do not like nafta it should be done away with or majorly,majorly refomed big time.

To be honest as well, verry verry few mexican trucks would be capable of passing the safety inspections, and even fewer mexican trucking companies could afford to bring them up to standard. even fewer than that could afford the temporary insurance. Bottom line, dont count on massive ammounts of mexican trucks making it thru. In these tough economic times, every country under ours is struggling worse than us. You might see one or two here and there, your odds of seeing a lambourghini pass you at 120 are better to be honest.

Eh, Nafta wouldve worked if everybody stuck to the rules. nobody enforced the origonal set of rules and you get messes no body knows how to clean up.

I do not know if it would have worked or not. But your right no one stuck to the rules and they were not enforced. So there you go.

and if they aren't allowed up here the cost of drugs well stay high . but you know the government isn't going to stop them . they do make the economie work better . they just come here and sell there stuff cheap and take there truck back . and leave piles of money for policials to spend on there favorite projects , there selfs and girl friends .