New DOT data shows Mexican trucks just as safe as U.S. rigs

Washington Ag Today A report by the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General indicates that Mexican trucks are as safe as U.S. vehicles. In the wake of that report the Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs has reiterated its call for the Administration and Congress to resolve the dispute between the U.S. and Mexico that has allowed Mexico to impose stiff tariffs on U.S. imports including agricultural products like potatoes and fruit from Washington.

Alliance spokesman Steve Mulder says the tariffs were prompted by pure politicking in the United States and the new DOT report makes it clear that Mexico has lived up to U.S. demands when it comes to truck safety. He says the DOT report states that during 2008 only eight inspections were performed on average on each U.S. carrier, while on average 51 inspections were performed on each Mexican carrier.

Mulder: :You place a vehicle out of service when it does not meet all the requirements. In the United States that placed out of service rate is roughly 21%. For Mexican carriers it is roughly 21%. So they are doing a much, much higher level of inspection but they are not finding a greater level of problems. In fact, they are finding a similar level with the United States even though they are inspecting more, which would suggest the Mexican guys are going fairly well here.”

Mulder says there is no more time for excuses or delay. The Administration promised action and the time to act is now.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.