Wednesday, June 20, 2007 – According to an analysis released Wednesday, June 20, in the nation’s capitol, the U.S. Department of Transportation gets an “F” for its performance when it comes to the safety and security of our nation’s highways.

OOIDA staff photo

From left, OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer and Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook listen as U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND, and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR, address FMCSA's mishandling of the Mexican pilot program.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association stood alongside members of Congress and safety advocacy groups at a press conference in Washington, DC, as they issued a “report card” and research study detailing how the Bush administration is defying Congress with the U.S. DOT’s attempt to open the border to trucks from Mexico.

Lawmakers and organizations representing highway and truck safety groups and labor and professional truck drivers criticized the U.S. Department of Transportation for failing to comply with the requirements outlined and signed into law regarding the Mexico cross-border program.

Along with OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer, other industry stakeholders who addressed the media were James Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen and chairman of the board for Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways; and Jackie Gillan, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

Joshua Ulibarri, vice president of the Lake Research Partners public opinion research firm, also addressed the media.

Three federal lawmakers participated in the press conference. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND, member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, joined the industry groups. Dorgan co-sponsored the Mexican truck provisions in the war supplemental bill.

Also speaking to the media was Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR, chairman of House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit; and member of House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection.

Another notable participant was Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-KS, sponsor of HR 1773, the Safe American Roads Act, which passed the House on May 15, 2007, by a vote of 411-3.

OOIDA’s Spencer spoke to the media regarding the Association’s acute concerns with the DOT’s pilot program.

“Transportation Secretary Mary Peters claims truckers from Mexico will be subject to the same regulations as U.S. drivers, yet she has never said how this will be done,” said OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer. “These regulations don’t exist in Mexico. Enforcement of stringent hours-of-service regulations is meaningless if a Mexican driver has been awake for a week straight when he reaches the U.S. border.”

Safety and security as a priority was indeed recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives last month when it passed the Safe American Roads Act. This legislation laid out specific safety and security measures that must be in place before the border could open. It passed by an overwhelming 411-3 margin.

“However, apparently the Bush DOT chose to thumb its nose at the Congress and at the will of the American people by pursuing its global economic agenda,” Spencer said.

A new poll by the Lake Research Partners research firm reveals strong opinions on the idea of allowing trucks from Mexico to travel beyond the current commercial zones, extending 20 to 30 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border. Roughly 1,000 adult Americans were polled and it was found that a majority – 56 percent – believe the Bush administration’s plan to allow Mexico-domiciled trucks to travel throughout the United States is dangerous.

The “report card” unveiled at the conference also pointed out legal provisions the FMCSA has not complied with, including failure to provide sufficient opportunity for public notice and comments; failure to provide the public with information about the pilot project; failure to comply with the requirements of Section 350 of the FY2002 DOT Appropriations Act on the safety of cross-border trucking; failure to comply with requirements of the pilot program law to test innovative approaches and alternative regulations under 49 USC Section 31315(c); failure of FMCSA to keep its promise to check every truck every time for compliance; and failure to establish criteria that are subject to monitoring during the pilot program.

“How can this administration possibly rationalize asking thousands of young men and women in uniform to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s safety and security thousands of miles from home – and at the same time make our southern border even more porous than it already is?” Spencer asked.

To download the results of the opinion poll as a PDF file, click here. To read the  report card on the DOT as a PDF file, click here.