The Mexican carrier Tristan Transfer, a member of the cross-border pilot program has just become the first to be expelled from the program. The small carrier has only two trucks and five drivers, but managed to get its provisional operating authority revoked late last month for management control violations.
Among the issues were drivers not complying with HOS rules, not keeping filled out log books, and not able to sufficiently understand English. The carrier also had drug and alcohol data violations from hiring a driver without doing a check into the driver’s drug and alcohol history and before it had received the results on a pre-employment drug test.
Aside from management control violations, the carrier also received multiple vehicle violations.
The problems with Tristan Transfer had been initially addressed during a December 20th compliance review and the company was given until January 19th to correct the issues. As of the compliance date, no proof was presented that the carrier had made any steps toward resolving the problems.
The cross-border pilot program currently has 13 active participants and his set to expire in October of this year, at which time the FMCSA will review the program to decide if a similar program should be implemented permanently.
Next Story: Huge Leap In Diesel Prices: Up 10 Cents In 3 Weeks
Source: overdrive
And they (Mexican truckers and their lobbyists) wonder why we don’t want their sub-standard drivers, and equipment in our country???
Kinda makes sense to keep them out now doesn’t it? Or do we need to have a few fatal truck accidents before we get the point?????
The Mexican government can not and, IMHO, is not even interested in forcing the Mexican trucking companies to come up to our standards!!!
Tristán is a prime example of a white guy taking advantage of Poor Mexican labor. A Guy that did not want to do proper maintenance on his American Trucks. v
Most of these Mexican drivers have 4 or 5 “aliases” anyway. They don’t give a shit.
Dave unfortunately I can not say exactly what I’d like to. So I’ll put it real simple for you. TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU AND TELL ME THEESE SHAKE N BAKE TRUCKING SCHOOLS ARE TURNING OUT ANYTHING BETTER!!! OH YEAH I FORGOT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND ENGLISH sort of.
AMEN TO THAT!!!! Brother.
Before the “shake-n-bake” trucking schools, we had farmers learning to drive on private property, before hitting the road as a supplement to hauling their own freight. Some drivers learned to drive from their fathers, who may or may not have been equally good as both drivers and teachers. For a while, there, all you had to do was read the book and take a test, to become a driver. It didn’t have to be done in a tractor-trailer; any combination vehicle would do. A pick-up truck with a trailer, or an RV pulling a car behind it – and the rules differed from state-to-state, so you could get your Class A in another state and transfer it, if you didn’t like the rules of the state that you were in.
Look, it’s pretty clear that school only teaches you enough to get your license. That’s why we all have to do a year of over-the-road with one of the giant carriers who treat newbies like cattle, before we have a shot at getting a decent job. But it isn’t any different in college; if you think that taking a software engineering degree program teaches you what you need to know to be a competent programmer, you’re mistaken. When you go to the doctor, do you want an intern fresh out of school to do your surgery, or do you want a doctor with a few years under his belt?
The problem with the Mexican drivers is that they don’t speak, read, write, and understand English, clearly. That should also be a problem when it happens with your doctor, or frankly, when ANY driver goes to get his license, even if it’s just a bicycle license. If you can’t read road signs and communicate with law enforcement and/or emergency personnel, you shouldn’t be on the road. Stay on the sidewalk. But just because you’re new at something doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get a chance to learn and practice. The newbies do go to the school, and get qualified to pass their license exams. If you don’t think that’s enough training, then your problem is with the license exams – not the newbies. The language requirement is already written into the FMCSR. I’d also like to see it written into law for non-commercial licenses, but that’s a different discussion…
Its not only the Mexicans that can’t speak English. There are many nationalities out here on the road who can not speak English. I see it all the time.
The funny thing is we can find plenty of sub-standard AMERICAN drivers and equipment
That makes this story really unimportant and a really small problem. Seems like we have to many people with racial overtones that are acting like their sh$$ doesn’t stink!!!! Idiots!
But its easier to blame another one. Specially if is xenophobic accusation. Always works.
It’s about time the DOT held the Mexican truckers to the similar standards as the USA truckers. If they can run here they should be subject to the same criteria. Once they start looking carefully they will see that none of them can comply. Strike one, being able to communicate effectively with the motoring public. Strike two, hours of service and logbook rules. Strike three, CARB. Have a nice day Mexicans. Trucking in the USA is not cheap or easy. It is nice to know that the FEDS will do whatever they can to simplify the process. Our government seems to be getting very good at looking out for everyone except it’s own citizens. Hopefully, the DOT will hold them to the same, if not higher standards. If they don’t, they will only add to the unemployment roles.
It would be nice if America could have an English requirement.
We don’t have an official language, because we are a multicultural country.
And for all of you, stop blaming the foreign driver who comes here to make a decent living. Just stop for a moment and think about the politicians doing this arrangements. They, and by that I mean both parties, won’t give a dime if you loose your job because a guy making 400 a month took your load, in a truck with no proper inspections. I’m tired to see HAZMAT mexican trucks here in South Texas. Why they are here, is beyond comprehension.